World Mental Health Day - Weeks, Months, Years (and Tears: or trying to find them)

Prompted by World Mental Health Day posted below are some thoughts related to each of the domains of Hodges' model in respect of mental health and health and social care in general.

individual

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INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic -------------------------------  mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

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group-population

Reflection is an important human ability. It can be variously described as - reasoning, problem solving, introspection ... but an ability of self-reflect and critique our circumstances in a balanced, mature, objective way is an important skill that should ideally be shaped like so many others in childhood. Education and health literacy matters. Evidence for reflection and reflective practice for nurses and other health professionals remains rather sparse and contested. There can be ethical challenges and assessment and measurement of reflection and reflective practice is problematic. Hodges' model can support individual reflection providing a framework to facilitate person centred, integrated and holistic care. Globally there is no generic conceptual framework. Here is a candidate!

The parity of esteem debate that is so often heard in the political domain, becomes a stark fact of life to the individual in their physical and mental health. The two must be integrated. Policy makers look to the SCIENCES domain to find the technical and analytical tools to study demographic trends and produce national statistics.  Health providers are increasingly having to deliver services for individuals and programmes for population health. Data and Big Data all contribute through national governments to regional centers and the WHO.

Far from the binary logic of maths and the technical wonders it gives rise to, here in the SOCIOLOGICAL domain the YES or NO to having next of kin, partner, family and friends is pivotal from a mental health perspective.  There is an irony that the size and stability of someone's social network is an indicator of their staying well; while social media can act as a force for good, or a negative force aimed at those vulnerable to bullying and abuse. Effective communication is situated and ultimately determined by context: personal, local, glocal and global.

In this domain, whichever corner you turn to, it is politicised: be it funding for services; the word 'recovery'; the very existence and acknowledgement of mental health allied to human rights and service provision; employment and welfare; policy for access, diversity, equity, gender, equality.... mental health is manifest with political dimensions. How are the needs of specific groups met, children, youths, women, men...? Mental health law is crucial for personal and public safety. How this is conducted and governed is a measure of a modern state and please note the distance from the INTRA- INTERPERSONAL domain at upper left.

Thanks to @MHChat and community for reminder #WorldMentalHealthDay #WMHD16