Mental Health & Illness

Mental health (Definition)

The successful adaptation to stressors from the internal or external environment, evidenced by thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are age-appropriate and congruent with local and cultural norms

Psychosis (definition)

significant thought disturbance in which reality testing is impaired

What may a patient with psychosis present with?

delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior

Will a patient with psychosis always exhibit distress?

NO

they exhibit minimal distress (flat, bland, or inappropriate tone)

Anosognosia

Being unaware of any psychological problems (common in psychosis)

How can we help a patient in psychosis?

help connect them with reality

How can we help a patient that is non-psychotic?

Therapeutic Communication

Important aspects of mental HEALTH

• You can function with the stress

• You can adapt to stressors

  • feelings don’t cause sustained distress

• Motivation toward self-actualization

Mental Illness Definition

MALADAPTIVE responses to stressors from the internal or external environment, evidenced by thoughts, feeling, and behaviors that are incongruent with the local and cultural norms and interfere with the individual’s functioning