Reflective Report on Mental Health and Illness: Nursing Perspective

This reflective report delves into the student's personal beliefs, values, and learnings regarding mental health and illness, shaped by experiences in a healthcare setting. The report details the formation of these beliefs, particularly through observations of patients with dementia and the impact of societal pressures. It explores the importance of respect, care, and social involvement in mental well-being, while also examining the role of individual emotional and mental strength in coping with mental illness. The student integrates new understandings gained from research and lectures with existing knowledge to apply them in future nursing practice, advocating for holistic approaches that include social support, therapy, and personal efforts to maintain mental and emotional health. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of a healthy mindset and the importance of proactive measures in achieving and maintaining mental stability.

Reflection on mental
health and illness

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
1. Beliefs about mental health and illness along with the rationale that support my mental well-
being.............................................................................................................................................1
2. Formation of beliefs, attitudes and opinions about mental health and illness.........................1
3. Reflection of learning and its alignment with existing knowledge, opinions and thinking.....2
4. Integration of new understanding with old beliefs to implement them in nursing practice.. . .2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Definition of mental illness varies with the variation in perspectives of people about
mental health. It is important to have proper knowledge of that before applying practically in
nursing. This is a reflective report which is based upon my beliefs, values, opinions and learnings
about mental health and illness (Corrigan Druss and Perlick, 2014). In this assignment, the
formation procedure of those beliefs and other elements are explained. This study involves an
opportunity to gain new knowledge in respective field. Further, I will use these learnings
obtained from the integration of old understanding with new knowledge in my nursing practice
which I will evaluate from this report.
MAIN BODY
1. Beliefs about mental health and illness along with the rationale that support my mental well-
being.
The beliefs about the mental health and illness are generated from the time when I
entered in a medical school and worked there as Health Care Assistant. Majorly my time was
spend on looking after the patients which were suffering from Dementia. And this is the first
time when I experienced mental health and unwellness so closely. I observed that most of the
people were facing this illness because of some past incidents that makes them to suffer from
mental trauma. Some superstitious persons suggested me to leave the job because according to
them, it is risky to stay between mentally ill people (Townsend, 2014). But I completely disagree
from their statement. I believe that along with proper treatment it is also necessary to give them
respect, love, care which will help them in recovering their disease. I am having a strong mental
well-being because of my involvement with the social life and the love and care I receive from
my family and friends. Also, I feel that Yoga and meditations help me till a good extent in
maintaining my mental stability. Further, a healthy environment also aids in gaining stability.
2. Formation of beliefs, attitudes and opinions about mental health and illness.
These beliefs on mental health and unwellness are formed when I was working as Health
care assistant, I observed that almost all the patients who were suffering from mental illness have
experienced some incidents that left them in a deep shock. Also, I noticed that severe depression
was caused either because of studies, financial status, lack of love, etc. Further, a classmate of
mine was also facing mental illness because of the pressure of studies his family was applying on
him. He began to stay quiet and became an introverted person (Rogers and Pilgrim, 2014). He
1

started spending his most of the time alone and began ignoring everyone. Consequently, people
also lost interest to interact with him. This thing highly impacted him and he tried to kill himself.
Thus, this incident leads me to conclude that most of the suicidal and criminal cases are due to
the mental illness and this illness can come from in form. I found that culture of the society is
also responsible till some extent in occurrence of such incidents. The extremely high
concentration on the education made his parents to put pressure on him (Auty, Cope and
Liebling, 2017).
3. Reflection of learning and its alignment with existing knowledge, opinions and thinking.
I have done a detailed research on mental health and illness to support my beliefs but I
found that other than my perspectives there are some reasons that impacts the mental stability.
Also, the lectures I attended were beneficial to enhance my views on this subject. From all these
sources, I came to know that along with the parents, family, society and outer environment, the
person who is facing mental illness is also responsible for his/her disease. It is their emotional
and mental weaknesses who makes them ill (Shields and et.al, 2016). Thus, it is foremost duty of
every person to make themselves happy and healthy in order to stay away from such diseases. I
found that in that case when my classmate was facing these situations he can put efforts in order
to get rid of his mental illness. No doubt, his family and society were in great fault of putting
pressure on him but he was also not strong which leads him to become ill.
4. Integration of new understanding with old beliefs to implement them in nursing practice.
With the research, I have done on the mental illness and health I came to know that
suffered person should also make efforts to eradicate the illness. I also searched for some
alternatives that can be used by patients to deal with their disease. According to the previous
understanding, I believed that it is the society who put pressure on the people and approach to
destroy their stability but after the researches I have done on this sector I evaluated that it is the
weak mental and extremr4 sensitive edge of the person which results in this illness . I have
observed that there are some effective tools that can help in enhancing the mental and emotional
strength to fight with the illness (Rubin, Evans and Wilkinson, 2016). Further, being a medico, I
will try to do my best in treating that disease with the best solutions available. If in future I
observe a relevant case then along with the treatment I will suggest them to do involve in social
life, to do yoga and meditation, as these things are really effective therapies in healing
2

depression. Moreover, I will suggest them to find bits of happiness in daily life as staying happy
is that tool which can resist so many diseases to enter the body.
CONCLUSION
This report shows my reflections on mental health and illness. It is very important for a
person to possess a healthy, stable and strong mindset. .In order to achieve the stability of mind, \
there are some efforts which the effected person has to be applied and these actions are explained
in this learning.. Further, the factors that impacts upon the mental well-being of a person are also
described in this project. This assignment explains the methods in which the formations of
beliefs took place. Moreover, it is based on the integration of new understanding that are gained
after research and the old beliefs.
3

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Auty, K. M., Cope, A. and Liebling, A., 2017. A systematic review and meta-analysis of yoga
and mindfulness meditation in prison: Effects on psychological well-being and
behavioural functioning. International journal of offender therapy and comparative
criminology. 61(6). pp.689-710.
Corrigan, P.W., Druss, B.G. and Perlick, D.A., 2014. The impact of mental illness stigma on
seeking and participating in mental health care. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
15(2). pp.37-70.
Rogers, A. and Pilgrim, D., 2014. A sociology of mental health and illness. McGraw-Hill
Education (UK).
Rubin, M., Evans, O. and Wilkinson, R.B., 2016. A Longitudinal Study of the Relations Among
University Students' Subjective Social Status, Social Contact with University Friends,
and Mental Health and Well-Being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 35(9).
pp.722-737.
Shields, D. M. and et.al, 2016. Mental health and well-being of military Veterans during military
to civilian transition: review and analysis of recent literature. Vancouver BC: Report
prepared for Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Institute for Military and
Veteran Health Research.
Townsend, M.C., 2014. Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based
practice. FA Davis.
McGonigle, S. and et.al, 2017. Abstract P028: MY Program-Modified Yoga After Cardiac
Surgery Reduces Stress, Pain and Anxiety.
Dobkin, P. L., Zhao, Q. and Monshat, K., 2017. Who experiences depressive symptoms
following mindfulness-based stress reduction and why? International Journal of Whole
Person Care.
Mental, H. S. A. U. and Office of the Surgeon General (US, 2016. Facing addiction in America:
The Surgeon General's report on alcohol, drugs, and health.
Foo, P. K. and et.al, 2017. Patient and Physician Race and the Allocation of Time and Patient
Engagement Efforts to Mental Health Discussions in Primary Care: An Observational Study
of Audiorecorded Periodic Health Examinations. The Journal of Ambulatory Care
Management. 40(3). pp.246-256.
Coyne, S. M., McDaniel, B. T. and Stockdale, L.A., 2017. “Do you dare to compare?”
Associations between maternal social comparisons on social networking sites and parenting,
mental health, and romantic relationship outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior. 70.
pp.335-340.
Poppen, M. and et.al, 2016. Perceptions of mental health concerns for secondary students with
disabilities during transition to adulthood. Education and Treatment of Children. 39(2).
pp.221-246.
Funk, M., 2016. Global burden of mental disorders and the need for a comprehensive,
coordinated response from health and social sectors at the country level.
Bruffaerts, R. and et.al, 2017. MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN COLLEGE FRESHMEN:
PREVALENCE AND ACADEMIC FUNCTIONING. Journal of Affective Disorders.
4

Koslowski, N. and et.al, 2016. Effectiveness of interventions for adults with mild to moderate
intellectual disabilities and mental health problems: systematic review and meta-
analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry
Fayyad, J. and et.al, 2017. The descriptive epidemiology of DSM-IV Adult ADHD in the World
Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. ADHD Attention Deficit and
Hyperactivity Disorders. 9(1). pp.47-65.
Hagenaars, S. P. and et.al, 2016. Shared genetic aetiology between cognitive functions and
physical and mental health in UK Biobank (N= 112 151) and 24 GWAS
consortia. Molecular psychiatry. 21(11). pp.1624.
Adams, C. and et.al, 2016. Mental health problems in people living with HIV: changes in the last
two decades: the London experience 1990–2014. AIDS care. 28(sup1). pp.56-59.
Price, O., Burbery, P., Leonard, S.J. and Doyle, M., 2016. Evaluation of Safe wards in forensic
mental health: analysis of a multicomponent intervention intended to reduce levels of
conflict and containment in inpatient mental health settings. Mental Health Practice. 19(8).
pp.14-21.
5