Mental health promotion-overview

Abstract

To attain the state of complete health, mental well-being is essential. Mental health contributes in enhancing the quality of life. To achieve the same, promotion of mental health is of utmost importance apart from preventing mental illnesses and their early diagnosis and treatment. The tenants of mental health promotion are the same as that of health promotion in general. They are building healthy public policy, developing personal skills, creating supportive environments, reorienting health services, strengthening community action. Mental health promotion interventions not only lead to reduction of risk factors for mental illnesses, but it also leads to overall better health, social and economical advancements. There need to be separate interventions for childhood, adult age, and elderly populations, for, e.g., pre-school educational and psychosocial interventions, changing school ecology, reducing the strain of unemployment, stress prevention programs at the workplace, and improving the mental health of the elderly. The three key strategies for mental health promotion are advocacy, empowerment, and social support. Mental health promotion needs an intersectoral approach. Those working collaboratively need to: Build on existing activity in sectors, settings, and organizations; Create different partnerships for different purposes, at varying levels; and create collaborative action "horizontally” within government departments and organizations, patients and between those who are expert in policy, practice, and research.