Health Illness Continuum: Perspective, Strategies and Reflection

This essay provides an overview of the health illness continuum, a graphical representation of well-being, contrasting the treatment and wellness paradigms. It emphasizes the World Health Organization's definition of health, encompassing mental and emotional well-being, and discusses the continuum's progression from premature death to a high level of well-being. The essay explores the importance of patient motivation, education, and lifestyle changes in moving towards the wellness model, using hypertension management as an example. It highlights the public health perspective, emphasizing the need for prevention to avoid costly curative processes. The author reflects on their own health practices, identifying a lack of intrinsic motivation and proposing strategies to improve their perspective, including environmental adjustments and group support, to promote a healthier lifestyle and move towards the wellness model. The essay concludes with a list of references supporting the concepts discussed.

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Health illness continuum
Authors name
Institutional affiliation

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Perspective of Health illness continuum
Health illness continuum is a graphical representation of a well-being concept that was
proposed by John Travis in 1972. The presentation supports the world health organization
definition of health as not just the absence of physical illness (Crowe & Averett, 2015). It also
incorporates the mental and emotional well-being. It draws a connection between the treatment
paradigm and the wellness paradigm. The middle point is the neutral point. Movement to the left,
that is, away from the neutral point is interpreted as to be the towards premature death. It occurs
in three sequential steps; signs, symptoms and disability. It shows a progressive decline in health.
Movement to the right is interpreted as the movement towards high level of well-being.
It is a step beyond the level of absence of an illness. It is achieved through awareness, education
and growth (Cooper & Gosnell, 2018). It is a deliberate effort to improve the level of health
beyond absence of an illness. It requires a high level of intrinsic motivation from the patient and
commitment by the nurses. According to Townsend and Morgan (2017) it presents an optimistic
perspective of an individual towards improvement of their health despite their state.
This perceptive in health is important to consider as it incorporates the willingness of a
patient to promote their well-being. The treatment model is highly dependent on the effort and
intervention of the healthcare providers. It just eliminates the illness. The wellness model
suggests an initiative beyond the absence of an illness (Schwarzer, Lippke & Luszczynska,
2011). It relies heavily on the motivation and determination. A viable example will be where a
patient is being managed for hypertension. In the treatment model, the aim of the process is to
lower the blood pressure and maintain it within manageable levels. Antihypertensive medication
will be the center of the process. The wellness model goes beyond the neutral point where the
signs of hypertension do not exist. It involves making the patient aware of their condition

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through education and motivating them to take steps to preventing such an occurrence. The
growth phase is seen when they decide to take actual steps. In the case of a hypertensive patient,
changing their lifestyle, such as avoiding smoking and doing exercise will be the patient’s own
initiative. These are step beyond a manageable blood pressure.
It concentrates on the prevention rather than waiting for the disease to occur in order to
cure it. In a public health perspective, this is the best way to avoid the unnecessary and expensive
curative processes (Pandita, Sharma, Pandita, Pawar, Tariq & Kaul, 2016). Healthcare services
are very expensive and are known to impoverish patients once the patient is in dire need for
them. The patient has an opportunity influence the state of their health. It is the best kind of
control that the patient can get.
Reflection
A reflection into my own life places me at the neutral point. Despite having all the
knowledge and education pertaining the wellness illness continuum, I still find it hard to
implement the strategies towards high level of wellness. I totally understand that I should always
eat healthy and nutritious food and exercise to improve my health and avoid lifestyle diseases.
However, in many situations I find myself eating junk foods and not even doing any kind of
exercise. I live a sedentary life. However, when I just suspect that am gaining weight I am quick
to check on my diet and enroll to an exercise program. It works out well and I lose weight and
soon my bad habits creep in again. My motivation to live a healthy lifestyle is the signs of an
undesirable body state. I lack the intrinsic motivation and self determination to adopt a healthy
lifestyle.

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Strategies on improvement
To improve my perspective towards my health, the surrounding should be customized to
boost my willingness to practice a healthy lifestyle. For instance, the gym is far away from my
house, thus I find it hard to visit it frequently. If the facility is brought closer, I would be able to
access it immediately after work or before work. I had tried going to the gym but I end up either
getting late to go to work or to go home. The restaurant at the work place should at least provide
healthy diet not just junks. I should work on promoting individual growth as I already have the
awareness and education. Planning my day’s activities and what I will eat will help me manage
my state of health and move it towards high level of wellness.
Being in a group of people with whom we share our anticipations will also influence my
adherence to the plan. Having an instructor will also help increase my self-determination (Izumi
& Fromme, 2017). It will help me not wait till when I feel uncomfortable with my appearance
but act before this happen. My physical health will be managed. In addition, I will move towards
wellness by developing a habit that will maintain my health.

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References.
Cooper, K., & Gosnell, K. (2018). Foundations and Adult Health Nursing E-Book. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Crowe, A., & Averett, P. (2015). Attitudes of mental health professionals toward mental illness:
A deeper understanding. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 37(1), 47-62.
Izumi, S., & Fromme, E. K. (2017). A Model to Promote Clinicians' Understanding of the
Continuum of Advance Care Planning. Journal of palliative medicine, 20(3), 220-221.
Pandita, A., Sharma, D., Pandita, D., Pawar, S., Tariq, M., & Kaul, A. (2016). Childhood
obesity: prevention is better than cure. Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity:
targets and therapy, 9, 83.
Schwarzer, R., Lippke, S., & Luszczynska, A. (2011). Mechanisms of health behavior change in
persons with chronic illness or disability: the Health Action Process Approach
(HAPA). Rehabilitation psychology, 56(3), 161.
Townsend, M. C., & Morgan, K. I. (2017). Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care
in evidence-based practice. FA Davis.