The Interplay of Physical and Mental Health: A Policy Review

This report examines the crucial relationship between physical and mental health, highlighting how poor mental health can contribute to chronic physical illnesses and vice versa. It presents statistics indicating that a significant portion of the UK population experiences both long-lasting physical and mental health issues. The report discusses key legislations like the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which aim to prioritize both mental and physical health. Furthermore, it delves into various theories such as behavioral, cognitive, learning, and stress response theories that help understand and address mental health challenges. The conclusion emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental and physical well-being and the importance of integrated healthcare approaches. Desklib provides access to similar reports and solved assignments for students.

Running Head: MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
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Mental and physical health
student
3/25/2019

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Statistics related to physical and mental health......................................................................................2
Legislation................................................................................................................................................3
Theories...................................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Both psychological and physical health is fundamentally connected. The poor psychological or
mental health is the risk factor for the chronic physical illnesses, and the people with the chronic
physical problem are at increasing risk of having poor mental health (De Hert et al., 2011). Being
informed about the relation between mind and body is the initial step in order to find favourable
strategies to decrease the co-existing adverse health condition (Biddle, and Asare, 2011). In this
particular health assessment report legislation related to physical and mental health will be
discussed. Associated theories and statistics will also be mentioned.
Statistics related to physical and mental health
People with physical problems are more probable to develop mental health issues, whereas
individuals with a mental health problem are more likely to have a physical health issue. More
than fifteen million individuals which are the 30 per cent population of the UK live with one or
more than one long lasting and more than 4 million of these individuals will likewise experience
a mental health problem. People with chronic or long term bodily health problem are more
probable to have reduced wellbeing scores than the people without this issue (Kemp, and
Quintana, 2013). For example, people with diabetes, asthma, cancer and increased blood
pressure are the high risk of developing a range of mental health issues like depression, post-
traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Among all the people with serious symptoms of mental
health issues, nearly 307.6 per cent also have a long lasting bodily adverse condition, this relates
with the 25.3 per cent of individuals with no or fewer symptoms of a psychological health issue.
According to a report published by Public health England (2018), a mental health problem is
more common than we think, with one in six young people reporting a usual mental health
problem like anxiety. There are nearly 551,000 individuals in England with additional serious

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issues like schizophrenia or bipolar disease (Public health England, 2018). A report published by
mental health foundation it was reported that one in five young people has deliberated at some
point taking their own lives and thousands of people every year experienced psychological
disorders due to an unalterable health condition (Mental Health Foundation, 2016).
Legislation
Human rights considered as the basic rights of every human being. These rights cannot be
avoided even if the person is mentally or physically disabled. Human rights are lawfully
enforceable by the Human Rights Act 1998 UK. The rights comprised in the European
Convention likewise have an effect on daily staff and health carer practices in the mental and
physical health sector. These acts played a major role in empowering individuals having mental
and physical health issues (Kavanagh, 2009). Health and Social care Act 2012 includes parity if
esteem which suggested that no health is effective without mental health. The national health
services (NHS) dictate for 2014/2015 which openly states that NHS England goal is to put
psychological or mental health on the priority with physical health. The 5 YEARS FORWARD
VIEW FOR MENTAL HEALTH published a set of recommendation for the six different arm's
length groups to attain the target of parity of esteem between the mental and bodily health
(Andrews et al., 2013). In October 2017, the UK prime minister publicized the independent
evaluation of the Mental Health act 1983 to make enhancement following increasing detention
rates, racial differences in detention and anxieties that act is out of pace with the contemporary
mental health scheme (Keown et al., 2018). The Mental Health First Aid England called the
government to modify the health and safety regulations to make the first aid covers both bodily
and mental health. And after this encouragement in May 2017 the present government bodies
dedicated in its election platform to allow implement these legislations in practice (Parr, 2018).

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Theories
Behavioural theory
Behavioural psychology also called behaviourism is the philosophy or theory of education which
is based on the notion that each type of behaviour is gained through conditioning. These types of
theories are applied to in different mental issues like Autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
to understand patient’s behaviour (Dobson, and Dozois, 2019).
Cognitive theories
Cognitive psychology is the form of psychology and it provides information about other mental
process comprising how people think, learn, perceive and remember. This branch of
psychological interventions is directly related to other areas such as philosophy, neuroscience,
and linguistics (Dobson, and Dozois, 2019).
Learning theories
The main emphasis of learning theories is to analyse the relationship between the stimuli and
response. Stimuli or triggering factor is any event or situation that changes the behaviours or
individuals. This change is considered a response. Sometimes the adverse situation like trauma,
stroke or life threating disease may lead to negative behaviour and the patient may feel sad and
depressive, encouraging the patients to develop a positive thought and implementing some
favourable lifestyle changes. These theories helped in anxiety disorders, violent behaviour, and
Alzheimer autism (Youell, 2018.
Stress response theory

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It was originally proposed by Selye 1976; theory suggested tha stress is the common
denominator of every adaptive reaction in the human body. The author suggested that stress is
the state which is manifested by a particular type hormone that consists of all nonspecific
changes in the biological systems. These types of theories are beneficial in mental illness like
depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, aggressive behaviours, acute stress disorder, and post-
traumatic stress disorder (Rice, 2012).
Conclusion
The mental and physical health are linked to each other, as poor mental health might be
responsible for chronic physical illness, and the individuals with serious diseases or condition
may develop mental health problems like depression, stress, and anxiety. It is estimated that
nearly 15 million people in the United Kingdom live with a minimum of one long lasting mental
health issue. There are different legislation are implanted by the UK government to prioritize
both mental and physical health such as Human Right Act 1998, Health and social care act 2012,
and the mental health Act 1983. Some of the theories surrounding mental and physical health
include behavioural theories, cognitive theories, learning theories, and stress response theories.

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References
Andrews, C.M., Darnell, J.S., McBride, T.D. and Gehlert, S., 2013. Social work and
implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Health & Social Work, 38(2), pp.67-71.
Biddle, S.J. and Asare, M., 2011. Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents:
a review of reviews. British journal of sports medicine, 45(11), pp.886-895.
De Hert, M., Correll, C.U., Bobes, J., Cetkovich‐Bakmas, M.A.R.C.E.L.O., Cohen, D.A.N.,
Asai, I., Detraux, J., Gautam, S., MÖLLER, H.J., Ndetei, D.M. and Newcomer, J.W., 2011.
Physical illness in patients with severe mental disorders. I. Prevalence, impact of medications
and disparities in health care. World Psychiatry, 10(1), pp.52-77.
Dobson, K.S. and Dozois, D.J. eds., 2019. Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Guilford
Publications.
Kavanagh, A., 2009. Constitutional Review under the UK Human Rights Act. Cambridge
University Press.
Kemp, A.H. and Quintana, D.S., 2013. The relationship between mental and physical health:
insights from the study of heart rate variability. International Journal of
Psychophysiology, 89(3), pp.288-296.
Keown, P., Murphy, H., McKenna, D. and McKinnon, I., 2018. Changes in the use of the Mental
Health Act 1983 in England 1984/85 to 2015/16. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 213(4),
pp.595-599.

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Mental Health Foundation (2016). Fundamental facts about mental health 2016 [online].
Available from: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/fundamental-facts-about-mental-
health-2016
Parr, C., 2018. Mental health first aid is only part of the solution. British Journal of School
Nursing, 13(4), pp.166-168.
Public Health England, 2018. Wellbeing and mental health: Applying all about health [online].
Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-in-mental-health-
applying-all-our-health/wellbeing-in-mental-health-applying-all-our-health]
Rice, V.H., 2012. Theories of stress and its relationship to health. Handbook of stress, coping,
and health: Implications for nursing research, theory, and practice, pp.22-42.
Speed, E. and Gabe, J., 2013. The Health and Social Care Act for England 2012: the extension of
‘new professionalism’. Critical Social Policy, 33(3), pp.564-574.
Youell, B., 2018. The learning relationship: Psychoanalytic thinking in education. Routledge.