1. Promoting Mental Health Improvement
Module 1
Understanding mental health improvement

2. Aims of the course Course objectives
Module 1
Aims of the course
Course objectives
Increase understanding of mental health improvement.
Explore concepts of mental health and how it can be promoted.
Consider individual roles and responsibilities in promoting mental health improvement.
Develop skills in planning and evaluating mental health promotion activities. 1.

3. Introduction to mental health improvement
Learning aims
To explore:
the meaning of mental health improvement (MHI)
concepts in MHI
positive mental health for all
factors that influence mental health
values and attitudes. 2.

4. Who is this course for? Do you:
offer services to members of the public?
have management responsibility for staff or volunteers?
work in health-related professions?
take part in education or training? 3.

5. Mental health promotion and improvement
Means:
raising awareness of the benefits of building resilience
preventing mental illness by reducing risk factors and learning coping strategies
supporting those experiencing mental illness to increase wellbeing
promoting the recovery message
reducing stigma and discrimination.
It is about everyone...including us. 4.

6. Understanding mental health
Mental health is not the same as mental illness.
Everyone has mental health.
Mental health promotion encourages positive mental health for all.
Positive mental health is ‘a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community’. (World Health Organization, 2004) 5.

7. The dual axis model of mental health
Good mental health and wellbeing
Has a diagnosis of a mental health problem and has positive mental health
No diagnosable illness or disorder and positive mental health
Has a diagnosis of a mental health problem and poor mental health
No diagnosable illness or disorder but poor mental health
Has mental illness
No mental illness
Poor mental health and wellbeing
(Tudor, K. (1996). Mental Health Promotion: Paradigms and practice. Routledge, London, New York.) 6.

8. A new approach to mental health
Good mental health
MH improvement at population level
Risk factors can reduce mental health and risk illness
Mental illness
Recovery-oriented practice
No mental illness
Services traditionally moved people this way
Poor mental health 7.

9. Mental health promotion
Society
Community
Individual 8.

10. Mapping mental health: MacDonald and O’Hara (1998). 9.

11. Promoting and diminishing mental health: 10 elements
Promotion
Self-esteem
Environmental quality
Emotional literacy
Self-management skills
Social participation
Demotion
Emotional abuse
Environmental deprivation
Emotional negligence
Stress
Social alienation
10.

12. Areas of influence: mental health promotion
Social inclusion
Equality
Reduce poverty
Housing
Safety
Environment
Social support
Inclusion
Participation
Education
Workplace
Society
Community
Individual
Resilience
Coping skills
Self-esteem
Self-management
Emotional literacy
Parenting 11

13. Understanding recovery
Mental health problems are common.
Mental illness is not for life.
People recover and stay well.
Promoting good mental health = promoting recovery.
Factors that support recovery also improve mental health.
12.

14. Recovery Recovery is a journey.
The person’s identity is not the illness.
Recovery is not the absence of symptoms.
The person should be active in managing their own recovery.
Recovery is not a return to life before the illness.
The aim is to live a satisfying and fulfilling life whether there are symptoms or not.
13.

15. Promoting recovery Belief in self Developing positive identity
Meaningful activity
Positive relationships with others and environment
Understanding mental health and wellbeing
Understanding the illness and its treatments
Active engagement in strategies to stay well
Learning coping skills
14.

16. Values and attitudes Legislation does not of itself change attitudes.
Employers are wary of mental health problems.
Negative attitudes increase taboo.
Disclosure is a problem.
15.

17. Mental health promotion
Mental health promotion means:
understanding the issues
opening the discussion
breaking down taboos
owning our own mental health.
‘It isn’t all about them...’
16.