Download World Health Organization

Judy – here are a host of different definitions from very reputable sources. I have had
Mitch from our group find these for you so that you can share the contextual
framework within which I have done my best to synthesise all these possibilities
within some very clear and up to date definitions. Those definitions are found at the
bottom of this list . Cheers
Institute of Medicine
Definitions found from: Prevention of Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Among
Children, Youth, and Young Adults: Research Advances and Promising Interventions,
from http://www.iom.edu/Activities/MentalHealth/YouthMentalDisorders.aspx
Mental Disorder: A diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder
Mental Health Intervention: Characterized by a focus on well-being rather than
prevention of illness and disorder, although it may help to decrease the likelihood of
disorder.
Mental Illness: A condition that meets the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria
Mental Health: Mental health is developmental. It means to gradually develop social,
emotional, cognitive and other competencies. Failure to reach developmental
milestones can be one of the first signs of a disorder – as well as a key to the pathway to
interventions that can redirect negative patterns to the disorder.
Mental Health Promotion: Interventions that aim to enhance the ability to achieve
developmentally appropriate tasks (developmental competencies) and a positive sense
of self-esteem, well-being and social inclusion and to strengthen the ability to cope with
adversity.
World Health Organization
Found scattered throughout website
Mental Disorder: Mental disorders comprise a broad range of problems, with different
symptoms. However, they are generally characterized by some combination of
abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. Examples are
schizophrenia, depression, mental retardation and disorders due to drug abuse. Most of
these disorders can be successfully treated.
Health Promotion: Mental health promotion involves actions to create living conditions
and environments that support mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain
healthy lifestyles. These include a range of actions to increase the chances of more
people experiencing better mental health.
Mental Health: Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly
related to the mental well-being component included in the WHO's definition of health:
"A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence
of disease". It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental
disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders.
Mental Health Wellness: See definition of Mental Health
Mental Health intervention/prevention: Reduce incidence, prevalence, recurrence of
mental disorders, the time spent with symptoms, or the risk condition for a mental
illness, preventing or delaying recurrences and also decreasing the impact of illness in
the affected person, their families and the society.
National Institute of Mental Health
Found scattered throughout website
Mental Disorder: Mental disorders can be defined as a disruption of neural circuits.
They appear to be disorders of brain circuits, in contrast to classical neurological
disorders in which focal lesions are apparent.
Mental Illness: A health condition that changes a person’s thinking, feelings or behavior
and that causes the person distress and difficulty in functioning.
Mental Health: Refers to our cognitive and emotional well-being. It’s about how a
person thinks, feels and behaves.
Mental Health Wellness: Mental wellness is prompted through a number of
preventions, such as physical activity, good nutrition, adequate rest and sleep, optimal
medication management and stress reduction.
Stan’s Synthetic Definitions:
Mental Disorder: A mental disorder is a medical illness diagnosed using internationally
recognized criteria (International Classification of Disease; Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual). It is thought to arise from a complex interaction between genetic and
environmental factors that impact brain development from the time of conception and
that result in substantial perturbations in brain function, producing a variety of
emotional, behavioral, cognitive, perceptual and somatic disturbances leading to
functional impairment in many domains of life. Mental disorders require treatments
from appropriately trained providers using best evidence based methods.
Mental Health: Mental health is the ability of the individual to successfully meet the
challenges of life and adapt to stress and various life circumstances. It does not mean a
lack of distress.
Mental Health Intervention: Any activity by an individual or a group designed and
appropriately demonstrated to help enhance mental health and possibly prevent mental
disorders or negative psychological and social outcomes.
Mental Health Promotion: See mental health intervention
Mental Wellbeing: See mental health
Mental Distress: The expected and usual emotional, cognitive, behavioral, perceptual
and somatic response of an individual to external or internal stress. It is a signal that
adaptation is required and it attenuates once sufficient adaptation or removal of the
stressor has occurred. Mental distress does not require medical treatments and
responds to common and usual personal and social mechanism of support.
Mental Health Problem: Substantial and persistent mental distress leading to
functional impairment but not meeting diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. It is a
signal that adaptation is failing and that extraordinary assistance may be required.
Medical treatments are sometimes applied if other methods of amelioration are not
proving to be successful.
Mental Health Treatment: A best evidence based intervention given by appropriately
trained and socially sanctioned providers to individuals with a mental disorder.
Note: It may be very useful for readers to check out the resource: Evidence Based
Medicine that can be found on our website: www.teenmentalhealth.org