NCM 117 - Psychiatric Nursing Lecture 1 (Prelims)
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PSYCHIATRIC NURSING
HEALTH (WHO) – It is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-
being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.
MENTAL HYGIENE
▪ The branch of psychiatry that deals with the science and practice
of maintaining and restoring mental health, and of preventing
mental disorder through education, early treatment, and public
health measures.
▪ Science of maintaining mental health and preventing disorders to
help people function at their full mental potential.
6 Techniques to Take Care of Our Mental Hygiene
by: Edward G. Brown
1. Transcend the environment
2. Cultivate constructive acceptance
3. Visualize the ideal self
4. Use positive affirmation
5. Practice psychological counterpunching
6. Change your internal computer chip
Mental Health
▪ It is a state of emotional, psychological and social wellness
evidence by satisfying interpersonal relationships, effective
behavior and coping, a positive self-concept and emotional
stability.
▪ It is a psychological state of well-being, characterized by
continuing personal growth, a sense of purpose in life, self-
acceptance, and positive relations with others.
▪ It is the absence of mental illness.
▪ It is the ability to solve problems, fulfill one’s capacity for love and
work, cope with crisis without assistance beyond the support of
family and friends, and maintain a state of well-being by enjoying
life’s setting goals and realistic limits, and becoming independent,
interdependent, or dependent as the need arises without
permanently losing one’s independence.
Factors Influencing Mental Health
✓ Inherited characteristics
✓ Nurturing childhood
✓ Life’s circumstances
Ways To Maintain Mental Health
✓ Good interpersonal communication
✓ Ego defense mechanisms
✓ Significant others or support people.
✓ Involvement in physical activities
Characteristics Of Mental Health
✓ Accepts self and others
✓ Is able to cope with or tolerate stress
✓ Can return to normal functioning if temporarily disturbed
✓ Is able to form close and lasting relationship
✓ Uses sound judgment to make decisions.
✓ Accepts responsibility for actions
✓ Is optimistic
✓ Recognizes limitations (abilities and deficiencies)
✓ Can function effectively and independently
✓ Is able to distinguish imagined circumstances from reality
✓ Is able to develop potential talents to fullest extent
✓ Is able to solve problems
✓ Can delay gratification
✓ It reflects a person’s approach to life by communicating emotions,
giving and receiving, working alone as well as with others,
accepting authority, displaying a sense of humor, and coping
successfully with emotional conflict.
MENTAL DISORDER (APA)
▪ It is a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome
or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with
present distress or disability or with a significantly increased risk of
suffering death, pain, disability or an important loss of freedom.
Characteristics of Mental Illness
✓ Feels inadequate
✓ Has poor self- concept
✓ Is unable to cope
✓ Exhibits maladaptive behavior
✓ Is unable to establish a meaningful relationship
✓ Displays poor judgment
✓ Is irresponsible or unable to accept responsibility for actions
✓ Is pessimistic
✓ Does not recognize limitations, exhibits dependency needs
because of feelings of inadequacy.
✓ Is unable to perceive reality
✓ Does not recognize potentials and talents because of poor self-
concept.
✓ Avoids problems rather than coping with them or attempting to
solve them
✓ Desires or demands immediate gratification
✓ It reflects a person’s inability to cope with stress, resulting in
disruption, disorganization, inappropriate reactions, unacceptable
behavior, and the inability to respond according to the person’s
expectations and the demands of society.
PSYCHIATRY
▪ It is the science of curing or healing of the psyche.
▪ It is the medical specialty that is derived from the study, diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of mental disorders.
PSYCHIATRIC NURSING
▪ It is the ‘diagnosis and treatment’ of human responses to actual
and potential mental health problems.
▪ It is a specialized area of nursing practice, employing theories of
human behavior as its science and purposeful use of self as its art.
(ANA).
▪ It is an interpersonal process that strives to promote and maintain
behavior which contributes to integrated functioning. (Gail Stuart).
▪ It is an interpersonal process whereby the professional nurse
practitioner assists an individual, family and community to
promote health, to prevent or cope with the experience of mental
illness and suffering and if necessar y to find meaning in these
experiences. (Travelbee).
