Health is wealth as we all have heard this title many times. Health is combination of two main parts that is physical health and mental health and they both are important to keep the person strong and healthy. health education plays a very important role in our society. Healthy living is very important to be healthy. This type of education teach us what are the benefits of being healthy and what precautions should be taken to keep our self healthy and fit. It is a professional mode of educations by the professors and teachers. Health education is combination of health and education. It is a construction of healthy body with healthy soul. There are group of people which are involved in this education process to promote the healthy living. Health education is given very much priority in the coming time as the economy of a country is depend upon the health and the well living of the people.
Health education programs are the most important part of healthy living society. There are various health programs organize for us to be healthy and few are discussed below for you:
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1. National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) 2. National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) 3. Weight-control Information Network (WIN) 4. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) 5. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
And many more are there which can develop our healthy living. There are many colleges and institutes where the health education program is being taught and in fact they are given internships to be the part of their institutes.
Health education careers are very useful as you maintain the health of thousands of people as a health care specialist. You should have good knowledge about your course and the rescues made in it. Career in this field can help many people to become strong and work on there health. The health is not only about being physically strong but also mentally strong matters too. If you feel that you should gather more knowledge about the career in health then you can opt for the health education degree which can provide you a wide range of health education on this topic. These Health Educationists can also have great hand in the disciplines like:
1. Nursing 2. Occupational Therapy 3. Healthcare Management 4. Public Health 5. Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine 6. Physical Therapy, Social Work.
These health care professionals can also have great chances to get employment opportunities in Health schools services and also in the training institutes.
Nutrition health education is the most important part of the health system as many people in our country are not aware of what nutrition is more important to be taking and at what time. The nutrition heath education gives you knowledge about the right nutrient for your body that is required. You can also have great career opportunity in this field as you can become the nutritionist in the gyms and can become the consultant’s institutes. Proper nutrition is very important part of every one’s body so as its knowledge.
Now days, health education careers is considered as most useful ways to train people to concern about their health. You can also look for such health education programs to try your hand in health education career. nutrition health education. Get lots possible information on nutrition health education that may boost your career in health.
Health is wealth as we all have heard this title many times. Health is combination of two main parts that is physical health and mental health and they both are important to keep the person strong and healthy. health education plays a very important role in our society. Healthy living is very important to be healthy. This type of education teach us what are the benefits of being healthy and what precautions should be taken to keep our self healthy and fit. It is a professional mode of educations by the professors and teachers. Health education is combination of health and education. It is a construction of healthy body with healthy soul. There are group of people which are involved in this education process to promote the healthy living. Health education is given very much priority in the coming time as the economy of a country is depend upon the health and the well living of the people.
Health education programs are the most important part of healthy living society. There are various health programs organize for us to be healthy and few are discussed below for you:
]]>
1. National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) 2. National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) 3. Weight-control Information Network (WIN) 4. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) 5. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
And many more are there which can develop our healthy living. There are many colleges and institutes where the health education program is being taught and in fact they are given internships to be the part of their institutes.
Health education careers are very useful as you maintain the health of thousands of people as a health care specialist. You should have good knowledge about your course and the rescues made in it. Career in this field can help many people to become strong and work on there health. The health is not only about being physically strong but also mentally strong matters too. If you feel that you should gather more knowledge about the career in health then you can opt for the health education degree which can provide you a wide range of health education on this topic. These Health Educationists can also have great hand in the disciplines like:
1. Nursing 2. Occupational Therapy 3. Healthcare Management 4. Public Health 5. Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine 6. Physical Therapy, Social Work.
These health care professionals can also have great chances to get employment opportunities in Health schools services and also in the training institutes.
Nutrition health education is the most important part of the health system as many people in our country are not aware of what nutrition is more important to be taking and at what time. The nutrition heath education gives you knowledge about the right nutrient for your body that is required. You can also have great career opportunity in this field as you can become the nutritionist in the gyms and can become the consultant’s institutes. Proper nutrition is very important part of every one’s body so as its knowledge.
Now days, health education careers is considered as most useful ways to train people to concern about their health. You can also look for such health education programs to try your hand in health education career. nutrition health education. Get lots possible information on nutrition health education that may boost your career in health.
People are getting aware of their health. So, health education has become today’s need. Health education certification allows practitioners to implement, design and assess health care activities that can improve the health and wellbeing of their clients, and to teach others in their field of study. You must get together the standard of competence established by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), as well as successfully complete a CHES examination. Professional certifications point out competence and proficiency, and health education certificates are often sought by working professionals for continued educational development.
Health education activities play pivotal role in providing health education to different level persons particularly kids and children. Health education activities assist everyone to know about the activities which are required for being healthy. Health education activities compromise of a variety of health and wellness topics such as self-awareness, conflict resolution, resiliency, self-esteem, yoga and alternative healing. Elementary health education activities train you about the basic need of health. You receive the help of health education resources for the successful exposition of elementary health education activities. You can systematize an expo for elementary health education activities. You can use CD, pamphlets, video games to provide knowledge on good eating habit, balanced diet, managing their weight and many others. You can also use video games relates to health education activities for kids. Children health education activities focus on providing the children with skills in recognizing high-salt and high-saturated fat foods, preparing such foods, resisting pressures to eat such foods, increasing aerobic activity and providing support to peers and family in attempting such changes.
Health education nutrition assists everyone whether they are kids, teen, parents, teacher, and community leader and many other health practiceners. The chief objective of health education nutrition is to inspire children and their families to make healthy choices. Health education nutrition helps in promoting healthy lifestyle practices through fun, interactive nutrition health education games and activities for kids, teens and the community. The classroom teaching is another medium for providing health education nutrition. Health education nutrition assist your classroom efforts in educating students the importance of eating a variety of healthy foods, the function of the digestive system, how to measure servings, how to identify parts of food labels and the various food groups, and much more.
There are many professions in the health care industry which require or prefer applicants with a health education certificate or a degree in Health Sciences. Health education certificate or a degree in health sciences can significantly increase the expected salary range of any health care professional. With proper health education certificates, professionals are allowed to work in schools, colleges, businesses, governmental agencies, community health centers, hospitals, private practices, and other health care facilities. Individuals having a health education certificate may seek a career in a wide range of positions, like health organizer, teacher, health program manager, patient educator, prevention specialist, nutritionist, trainer, and numerous others.
Video showing the importance of media in the lives of youth both as a risk and potential protective factor. Video produced by Youth Empowerment in Action (YEA)! a program of the Center for Character and Citizenship funded by the Misouri Foundation for Health. Video Rating: 4 / 5
Health education is the occupation of educating people about health. Sometimes degrees in health education are also known as wellness studies. Health education includes environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health. Health education degrees programs train graduates to encourage good health within their communities. Health educators take classes to learn about the importance of exercise, diet, vitamins and many other topics.
Health education degrees are offered from Associates to PhDs. The courses taken will vary depending upon the type of degree being pursued; while general courses about health are taken at the associate’s level, at the master’s level, students would be able to specialize in a certain area like Health Promotion Management. A master’s degree Health Education allows students to pursue leadership and management positions in places such as hospitals and clinics.
You will have lots of health education career options. Individuals having health education degrees play a crucial role in many organizations in various settings to improve our nation’s health. You can work at various positions in various organizations. Health Care Settings include hospitals (for-profit and public), medical care clinics, home health agencies, HMOs and PPOs. Here, a health educator trains employees how to be healthy. Patient education positions are far and few between because insurance companies do not cover the costs.
Public Health Agencies are authorized, tax funded, government agencies. They offer police protection, educational systems, as well as clean air and water. Public health departments make available health services and are organized by a city, county, state, or federal government. School Health Education engages all strategies, activities, and services offered by, in, or in association with schools that are designed to promote students’ physical, emotional and social development. School health involves teaching students about health and health related behaviors. Programs and curriculum are based on the school’s expectations and health. You can work for NGO.
Candidates having higher degrees in health education can hold typically two types of positions. You as health educators hold including academic, or faculty or health educator in a student health service or wellness center. As a faculty member, the health educator naturally has three major responsibilities: teaching, community and professional service, and scholarly research. As a health educator in a university health service or wellness center, the major responsibility is to plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion and education programs for program participants as health education lessons. Health education lessons depend upon the level of health education.
Work site Health Promotion is a mixture of educational, organizational and environmental activities designed to improve the health and safety of employees and their families. These work site wellness programs offer an additional setting for health educators and allow them to reach segments of the population that are not easily reached through traditional community health programs. Some work site health promotion activities consist of smoking cessation, stress management, bulletin boards, newsletters, and much more. You can also work independently on contract basis for various organizations.
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It has been observed that the recent economic growth in the Asian cities indicate that there has been a breakdown of traditional support systems such as the family because of rapid urbanization and modernization. Moreover, a large number of people are living below the poverty line in impoverished environment in urban and rural communities. Their acute needs for housing, food, health, education, and incomes are the very forces that push adolescents to look for a means of livelihood on the streets, engage in prostitution, be hooked up with crime/drug syndicates, or become victims of sexual and physical abuse. It is a battle of bare struggle for daily survival and contributes in every ways they can. Any measure to penalize parents of such children will only result in further abuse and oppression of people who are already disadvantaged. Such children struggle hard in getting the most essential requirements to meet the basic needs of life and such children need special attention and educational intervention. These disadvantaged adolescents are generally malnourished and often anemic; many of them physically stunted, suffer psychologically from undue family pressures and abuses and are neglected at home. They tend to develop low self-esteem from broken families, single-headed households because of the death, separation, or labor migration of one of their parents. Moreover, they live in slums and squatter communities, sub-human conditions and are susceptible to crime syndicates and gang conflicts, substance/drug abuse, and gambling.
In the developing and under developed countries like India and Thailand a large percentage of population live below the poverty line and adolescents from such environment face difficulties in getting access to good education. It is therefore felt that in both the surround adolescents are of in the process of development and failure to meet their developmental need have lend to safe and serial destructions behaviors. Adolescents lack necessary life skills for cape up in to the realities and challenges of life. Adolescents accords for the largest portion of the world’s population and have been on an increasing trend and there are “230 million Indian adolescent in the age of group of 4 to 19” that (Population and Health IndoShare, 2006). Moreover, it is expected that this age group will continue to grow reaching over “214 million by 2020” (United Nations (UN) 2000) due to has traditionally been a male dominated society and has a strong son preference in most part of but Indian girls tend to be discriminated against by their families and also demographic trends indicate deep-rooted gender discrimination. In India, the condition of disadvantaged adolescents resembled that of their centers pail Thailand. Indian Young adolescents are facings serious problem of lack of access to reliable knowledge on the process of growing up reproductive health practices and value system. There has been a need to provide education on the developmental changes and needs during teenagers. This may reduce the risk of future.
Today, almost every Indian and Thai whether rich or poor, young or old, is exposed to much that is foreign, largely because in the last two decades India and Thailand has become one of the region’s most popular tourists destinations. At times, the growing economy and favorable investment opportunities have also attracted many foreign multinationals, which continue to add to the already fair large expatriate community. However, despite the intensity of their exposure to “foreign” influences, particularly western cultures and lifestyles, Indian and Thai culture remains a solid influence within family life and early childhood. From birth, Indian and Thai adolescents are still much more deeply immersed in culture than they are exposed to foreign influences despite the fast-paced changes that have been affecting Indian and Thai adolescents. The adolescents of deferred families are emotionally disturbed and driven adrift as wanderers, delinquent children with im-permissive behaviors such as loitering, gambling, drug addiction, crime, truancy, prostitution, and begging, illegal dealings. As the consequence of these adverse behaviors, cases of illegal pregnancy, baby abandonment, and HIV/AIDS infection are becoming more and more severe.
There also reported, “Thai Children are spending more time in talking and chatting on the phone and the trendiest models of mobile phones, love hanging out with their friends at night, the drugs problem and the loss of Thai identity and shopping for brand name products. The latest fashion among the hobbies of many of today’s Thai children is they are becoming increasingly violent and blaming society and their own families for their behavior and involve in premature sex, drugs and aggressiveness”. “The study found that despite the well-to-do family backgrounds of the teens surveyed, most of them shared a common problem of loneliness, depressive tendencies and a need for love”. The gap between parents and children is greater than ever before, arising from broken families or from families which faille to inculcate morals in their children because they havenless time for their children and had left them to the peril of sick and violent society in Thailand (Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, Thongbai Thongpao 2002), (Tong Thum Struggles, 2006)
With the best intention and efforts of the education as a social instrument, it is possible to promote the complete welfare of disadvantaged population. Among the several types of disadvantaged adolescents, Adolescents forced to enter the labour market, adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS and adolescents affected by narcotic drugs need special attention. They have trouble in getting proper guidance to overcome personal problems and require proper guidance and counseling to become aware of the ill effects narcotic drugs, labour market and HIV/AIDS. It may not be possible to develop awareness in the expected manner through normal school curriculums. Hence, a separate educational intervention, which is nothing but a planned programme of educational guidance, organized to meet the scientific and psychological needs of disadvantaged adolescents in the age group of 13-16. Hence, in this study, an attempt will be made to study the educational adjustment of disadvantaged adolescents and to find out the impact of a structured educational intervention programme in developing proper awareness and attitude towards reproductive health, drugs, sexuality and values.
The present study examined the impact of an educational intervention programme on the knowledge and attitude on disadvantaged adolescents in Northern India and Thailand. The study intends to assess and compare the knowledge about the process of growing up, HIV/AIDS awareness, values and attitude of teen-age students staying in the schools. Reproductive health education is a key strategy for promoting preventive measures among teenagers.
METHOS
The sample for the study consisted of 225 disadvantaged adolescents who included 125 adolescents from India (Chennai Himmat Slum area, Jammu region) and Thailand (Yong People Develop Chiang Mai and Teresa Anusorn Foundation (Ban Teresa) Chiang Rai, Province). The sample populations of disadvantaged adolescents are residents of orphanages and slum area and studying in high school classes in the age of groups from 13 to 16 years. Data was collected by administering knowledge test consisted of items on process of growing up HIV/AIDS, reproductive organs and their functions family planning and parenting and attitude scale to measure beliefs and practices about sexuality and abstinence. An experimental design consisted of experimental and control group was formed. Questionnaires were translated from English to Hindi and Thai, (mother tongue of the respondent), then back in to English to ensure that no meaning was lost in translation. There were use two groups of learner: both the groups were given Pre-Test as well as Post-Test, where experimental group were given intervention programme and control group was not be given any intervention programme.
Control group: – there were in two states: ten administrators conducted face-to-face interviews and Focus groups with disadvantaged adolescent in India and Thailand.
First state, in India country; 10 Indian administrators were called the Indian disadvantaged adolescents from there house at Slum area (Jammu), meeting for data collected were an adjustment questionnaire in each of person and groups by Hindi (mother tongue of the respondent).
Second state, in Thailand country: 125 questionnaires in Thai (mother tongue of the respondent) were administered to the Thai disadvantaged adolescent of two orphanages, I collected later the questionnaires.
Intervention / Treatment Programme
Experts: Facilitators who were willing to participate in the study were invited for receiving community sensitization, booklet distribution, and CD training;
Experimental group: 200 students (and also inmates) belonging to Channai Himmat, Slum area (Jammu, India), Teresa Anusorn Foundation (Ban Teresa), and Yong People Develop (Thailand) who had got least scores namely, were given one day training programme on intervention or treatment as;
In the morning: the orientation and participants programme concentrated on basic issues such as general framework of adolescent growth, and consisted of discussions and demonstrations. The training programme practiced the activities to develop the knowledge level and the attitude about HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health education
In the afternoon until evening: the revised questionnaires were administered to the experimental group in 3 sessions as: (a) the personal details. (b) The knowledge level and attitude were administered to find out themselves and whenever they had doubt in understanding the items, the administrators made them easy by giving supplementary examples. In addition, (c) group discussed for preparation of suggestive measures to improve and policies.
Design of the study
An educational intervention programme consisting of awareness activities presented through media presentation, discussion and interaction was presented to the experimental group. Universals and multivariate analysis of the data were used to assess the impact of interventions and to identify the predictors of change in knowledge and attitude. Significant changes in terms of gain between pre-test and post-test was observed.
Analysis
The completed questionnaires were collated and entered into the computer. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS. After verification and reduction of data, descriptive frequencies were completed. This was followed by uni-variate and multi-variety procedures to assess the impact of the interventions and to identify other predictors of change in knowledge and attitude. Analysis was stratified by sex shown how responses to the variables of knowledge and attitude, differ boys, girls, age, and education. Descriptive statistics was used to profile the study population. Knowledge and attitude was then used to explore the demographic variables associated with HIV/AIDS, drug abused and reproductive Health Education. The following statistical techniques were applied in the present project: Paired Samples “T”-test and “F”-test.
FINDINGS
The demographic profile of the 250 Indian and Thai respondent questionnaires is shown the relationships between demographic characteristics of Indian and Thai were founds Indian boys (54.40%) less than Thai boys (56%), and Indian girls (45.60%) more than Thai girls (44%). In the same age group of Indian and Thai 15 years old, and the same of the secondary school of Indian: (Standard: 9) and Thai: (Grades 3), had significant .05 is shown in Table 1.
Answers were grouped in comparing scores from Indian and Thai disadvantage adolescent after received a treatment on knowledge and attitude about HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health education, all participating (N= 200) were group interviewed and after the intervention had significant difference is (0.05), are shown in Table 2-16.
The findings also revealed significant differences between boys and girls in knowledge and attitude towards reproductive health education. Implications of the study for the awareness programmes were suggested.
DISCUSSION
In many Northern states of India and Thailand, the HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health needs of Indian and Thai disadvantaged adolescents are either poorly understood or not fully appreciated. Evidence is growing that this neglect can seriously jeopardize the HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and reproductive health education needs and future well-being of them.
The policies addressed the effectiveness of the programmed to highlights what there needs to be done to promote and protect to the disadvantaged adolescent in India and Thailand in the future as: all schools should develop textbooks making learning interesting by following extensive community sensitization in support of adolescent reproductive health education appropriate in Indian and Thai cultural and tradition. Because of Indian and Thai culture and tradition, adolescents kept learning by them long time ago that, made them grow up in the wrong life and have been against morality.
Indian and Thai adolescent problems erupt from families and by themselves after they have been sexually abused or because their families could not understand adolescent behavior and teach them about reproductive health education and sexual health education. Such as should improve in knowledge and attitude among school-going adolescents with the media modern of families. In addition, it was found that sexually abused violated in Indian and Thai adolescents should learn and practice self-protection and should gather knowledge of the Child Rights and much more.
India disadvantaged adolescents
1. Indian disadvantaged adolescents are neglected from home, school and there country of the knowledge. They tend to undeveloped of the confidents and very poorly of the knowledge, attitude about Reproductive Health, drug and HIV/AIDS. Thus as, should to improve and increase and learn the knowledge attitude and understanding of disadvantaged adolescents
2. In India, the responsible organizations both governmental and non-governmental of India have to develop policies for adolescent and should to include HIV/AIDS education and health programme in schools curriculums. In addition, those reproductive health educational services for adolescent girls are especially needed in schools and families.
3. Parents, families, teachers and administrators in orphanages or schools should be encouraged to discuss or give guidance and approval about reproductive health education, drug and HIV/AIDS with their disadvantaged adolescent.
Thailand disadvantaged adolescents
1. Should to improve and increase the knowledge attitude and understanding of disadvantaged adolescents in Northern about reproductive health education and sexual health education.
2. Especially, in Northern, Thailand having spread of higher Drug and HIV/AIDS, thus as should to teach or train to get about the knowledge attitude and understanding of reproductive health to adolescents and parents more then other.
3. The reproductive and sexual health education should be included in the curriculum for the second level – primary education (Grades 4-6), Third level – secondary education (Grades 1-3) and Fourth level – secondary education (Grades 4-6). It is too late to start from Third level – secondary education (Grades 1-3) in Thailand thus; the Ministry of Education has to prepare a new policy to put this subject at the Basic Education Curriculum Standard as soon as possible.
4. It appears that in Thailand media has caused a change in sex related values among adolescents. With the misuse of Internet in getting information on sex related issue supplemented by the use of Cell phone, TV, VCD, DVD and booklets is increasing Crime problems of sexually abused. Thus, the qualities of the textbooks or booklets to be distributed to the adolescents.
TABLE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I thank to Dr. Y. N. Sridhar, Guide of Research for me. I would like too many helpful and thank the following students, Mr. Kasame Sakonllapap, Mr. Santi Jongkongka, Mr. Prasarn Ruansang and people for their supported. I thankfulness to Father Carlo Luzzi, Mother Elisa Cavana, Father Niphot Thiengwiharn and my family, for contributing to this study by providing funding.
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Project HOPE has been working to improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Namibia. Project HOPE provides OVC caregivers and community volunteers with parenting skills training to better cope with the needs of their expanded families. Caregivers are also provided with small loans to start or expand businesses in order to provide the resources to apply the lessons learned through the education. In this video, Project HOPE staff are training OVC caregivers in Okahao in Northern Namibia about HIV prevention. Video Rating: 0 / 5
Health Education as a core course for Teachers’ Education: to enhance the Mental Health of students
By
Akintunde, P. G. (Ph.D)
Department of Vocational & Special Education
University of Calabar
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
And
Olanipekun, O. Fola
Olabisi Onabanjo University
Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria
Abstract
This paper is primarily concerned with the role of teachers in enhancement of mental health of students. It discuses the factual picture of the functions of the teachers in a changing social and education environment, identifying the social community in the actualization of the human need (mental health) that are otherwise ignored. It highlights the complex expectation of the public from the role of teachers. The expectation makes the duties of teachers diffused; they in some measures serve as social workers and perform in addition to duties other than classroom teaching. Their responsibilities for social training in a changing environment, particularly in the misconception of mental health are discussed and recommendation made.
Key Words: Health education for teachers’ education, educating teachers in mental health, health education a necessity for teachers.
Introduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) (1946) adopts a definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity”, at the International Health Conference, New York; 19-22 June, 1946 signed on 22 July 1946 by the representative of 61 States (WHO official records No.2 100). It enters into force on 7th April 1948, thereby declaring health as a fundamental human right.
The complex nature of public expectation of teachers’ duties necessitates the need for them to have a social training that will make them meet the challenge resulting from changing environment. School health education aims at constituting healthy learning experiences, healthy environment (physical and mental health) and positive interpersonal relationships between Teachers and students, students and students inside and outside the school environment.
Healthful school living which consists of emotional health, healthful interpersonal relationships, among others provide a safe and healthful environment. The three fold goal of environmental school health education is healthy people in healthy communities in a healthy environment.
Health lies in the functional interaction of the individual and his environment and not determined in terms of the individual isolation. A clinical picture shows the interplay of psychological, physiological and structural factors. The moment a man falls ill, he regresses in an infantile type of psychological condition, a type of adoption neurosis which is normal part of the patient’s reaction to his illness (Canestrari, 1963).
However, understanding of mental health by individual teacher and the society at large would be helpful in the conversion of weird and wild experience at early stage to greatness and responsibility in later life. Teachers are expected to have motivational impact on their students. Teachers have more vital role to play in student stress management. Students need to be educated on the effects of stress on achievement, and understand human behavior and how it affects other people in the environment (Olanipekun, 2006).
Key Words: Health education for teachers’ education, educating teachers in mental health, health education a necessity for teachers.
Mental Health
Mental health is a term to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of mental disorders. It may include an individual’s ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience (About.com, 2006). It is regarded as expression of ones emotions which signifies a successful adaptation to a range of demands.
World Health Organization (2005) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his/her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his/her community”. However, the organization recognizes the fact that a complete definition may not be available because of cultural, religion and general environmental influences on determination, recognition of mental health and disorders. World Health Research (2001) explains that definition of mental health depend on cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories because they all affect how mental health is defined.
Mental Disorders
The definition of mental disorders is a key issue for mental health and for users and providers of mental health services. Most international clinical documents use the term “Mental Disorders” and some define it as a psychological or behavioral pattern associated with distress or disability.
Mental disorders are conceptualized as disorders of the brain circuits likely caused by development processes shaped by a complex interplay of genetics and experience. It is psychological or behavior pattern associated with distress or disability that occurs in an individual and is not a part of normal development or culture (Yolken and Torrey, 1995).
The recognition and understanding of mental health condition has changed over time and across culture, there are still variations in the definition, assessment and classification of mental disorders, although standard guideline criteria are widely accepted. Diagnoses are made by psychiatrists or clinical psychologists using various methods, often relying on observation and questioning in interviews. Treatments are provided by various mental health professionals.
Yolken and Torrey (1995) records that there are some diagnoses, such as childhood conduct disorder or adult antisocial personality disorder or psychopath, which are defined by or inherently associated with conduct problems and violence. There are conflicting findings about the extent to which certain specific symptoms, notably some kinds of psychosis (hallucination or delusions) that can occur in disorder such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder or mood disorder, are linked to an increased risk of serious violence on average.
Recently, the field of Global Mental Health has emerged, defined as ‘the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving mental health for all people’ (Patel and Prince, 2010). The mediating factors of violence acts, however, are most consistently found to be mainly socio-demographic and socio-economic factors such as age, gender, lower socioeconomic status and in particular substance abuse (including alcoholism) to which some people may be particularly vulnerable (Stuart, 2003).
Types of Mental Disorders
Mental disorders are in categories. There are many facets of human behaviors and personality that can become disorder. This paper sum them from the classifications given by Yolken and Torrey (1995), Kitchener and Jorm (2002) and Keyes (2002).
Anxiety disorder: when anxiety or fear interferes with normal functioning. This may include phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsession, compulsive disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Affective disorders: Affective (emotion/mood) process can become disorders. These are mood disorder (unusual intense and sustained sadness, melancholia or despair) known as major depression or clinical depression (milder but still prolonged depression can be diagnosed as dysthymia).
Bipolar disorders (manic depression): It involves abnormally “high or pressured mood states, known as mania/hypomania, alternating with normal/depressed mood. Yolken and Torrey (1995) states that whether unipolar and bipolar mood phenomena represent distinct categories of disorder or whether they usually mix and merge together along a dimension or spectrum of mood is under debate in the scientific literature.
Pattern of belief, language use and perception can become disorder. Examples are delusion, thought disorder, and hallucinations. These are referred to as psychotic disorders (schizophrenia and delusional disorder).
Schizoaffective disorder: It is a term use for those individuals showing aspects of both schizophrenia and affective disorders.
Adjustment disorder: This is an inability to sufficiently adjust to life circumstances begins within three months of a particular event or situation, and ends within six months after the stressor stops or is eliminated.
Sexual disorder: gender identification disorder, dyspareunia, and ego-dystonic homosexuality.
Sleep disorder: insomnia
Tic disorder: Tourette’s syndrome, kleptomania, pyromania, gambling, substance dependence or abuse or addiction is in this category.
Conduct disorder: Inability to behave normally with expected discipline in the society. If this continues into adulthood, it may be diagnosed as anti-social personality disorder (psychopath).
Prevalence
Mental disorders are common world wide. WHO (2000) records that one out of three people in most communities report sufficient criteria for at least one at some point in their life.
Sanfford (1978), states that many children have behaviors that conflict with a reasonable school environment which could not be described as a healthful one and invariably affects their performance and the adaptation of others to them. Carter, Briggs-Gowan, and Davis (2004) exclaims that many children exhibit a deviation from age appropriate behaviors which interferes with child’s own growth and development and/or the issue of others.
Causes of mental disorders
Mental disorders can arise from a combination of sources. In many cases there is no single accepted cause currently established. It is commonly belief that mental disorder results from genetic vulnerabilities exposed by environmental stressors.
WHO (2000) reveals that there is a strong relationship between the various forms of severe and complex mental disorder in adulthood and abuse (physical, sexual or emotional) or neglect of children during the developmental years. According to the report ‘children sexual abuse’ alone plays a significant percentage of all mental disorder in adult females, most notable example being eating disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Jefferoate (1969) explains that environment can cause or trigger physical or mental ill-health while psyche influences the development of organic disease in remote parts of the body, and illness begets anxiety and this in turn begets illness. The mental health of an individual depends on the continuous satisfaction of specials requisites in the pattern of his psychological stimulation, the opportunity to give and receive love and affection, to be dependent and be depended upon. When one or more of these is/are missing the level of mental soundness is altered resulting in mental illness.
The following are considered as contributing factors or causes of mental disorder (WHO, 2000; Steadman, Mulvey, Monahan, Robbins, Appelbaum, Grisso, Roth, and Silver, 1998; and Kitchener and Jorm, 2002):
Studies have shown that genes often play an important role in the development of mental disorder, although the reliable identification of connections between specific genes and specific categories of disorder has proven more difficult.
Environmental events surrounding pregnancy and birth have been implicated.
Traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of developing certain mental disorder.
There has been some tentative inconsistent links found to certain viral infections, to substance misuse, and to general physical health.
Social influences have been found to be important, including abuse, bullying and other negative/stressful life experiences.
Wider community vices/problems such as unemployment/employment problems, socio economic inequality, and lack of socio cohesion have been attributed also to mental disorder.
.
Society response to mentally ill people
Response of people to mentally ill persons or people with nervous breakdown is pathetic and unhealthy. A study reported by Times Online (2009) note that assistance given by extended families that often help and supportive religious leaders who listen with kindness and respect often contrast with usual practice in psychiatric diagnosis and medication. Due to lack of proper education and ignorance on causes of mental illness and emotional problems, prevention approach and treatment, the public fail to understand the true nature of many of these mental illnesses and fail to seek the available services. Thus rather than helping to reduce/cushing the effect of the problem or the cause of the problem, the condition of the affected individuals are worsen. Some conditions are not as bad as people look at them and if they are well handled the situation may change for better.
Murray, Lopez, and World Health Organization (1996) reports:
“The burden of mental illness on health and productivity throughout
the world has been profoundly underestimated. Data developed by
the massive Global Burden of disease study, conducted by the WHO,
the World Bank, and Harvard University revealed that mental illness,
including suicide, rank second in the burden of disease in established
market economics, … It further revealed that nearly two third of all
the people with diagnosable mental disorders do not seek treatment. It
is believed that when people understand that mental disorders are not
the result of moral failings or limited will power, but are legitimate
illnesses that are responsive to specific treatments, much of the
negative stereotyping may dissipate”
They report further that the 10 leading causes of disability (counting lost years of healthy life) at age 15-44 were: major depression, alcohol use, road traffic accident, schizophrenia, self inflicted injuries, drug use, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, osteoarthritis, and violence.
Thompson (2010) in his study ‘Addressing Suicide: is treatment more important than therapist?’ reports a study by Dr. Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington who suggested that “type of treatment may make a big difference for people who have borderline personality disorder (BPD), a chronic condition associated with difficulty in effectively managing one’s emotions., multiple suicide attempts, physical self harm (e.g. cutting on oneself) and impulsive, often destructive actions.”
Stigma remains a serious problem, with many cases of human rights violations like chaining or beating experienced by people with mental illness. Perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.Royal College of Psychiatrist reported that research has shown that there is stigma attached to mental illness.
There are on-line psychiatric or mental illness self-diagnose available now stating the weekly changes in individual mental health and quality of life. Report has it that annual expenditure on health in Nigeria is less than 3% of Gross Domestic Product, amounting to per capita, mental health services received only a very small part of this total health budget.
Factors underlying people’ behavior towards mental ill people
Many factors have been attributed to uncaring attitude of people to the mentally ill people. These include:
Predisposition factors: The antecedents to behavior. What provide the rationale or motivation for the behavior (e.g. knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, confidence, and existing skills).
Enabling factors: The conditions in the environment that enable the motivation to be realized. These factors may be availability, accessibility to facilities for caring for the affected (finance, psychiatric care, etc).
Reinforcing factors: What follow the behavior (acceptance of the patient that he/she needs help).
Knowledge: It is necessary for a conscious action to take place; knowledge can be gained from information provided by health professionals, parents, teachers, books and mass medial or other sources through experience.
Belief: A conviction that a phenomenon or object is true or real. Most of them are derived from parents or other respected people in the life of the beholder.
Values: The value given to things tends to cluster within ethnic group and across generations of people sharing a common history and geographical identity.
Attitude: This reflects likes/dislikes towards certain categories of objects, persons/situation. It is sometimes based on limited experience. It may be formed without understanding the whole situation.
Relationships and morality: Clinical conceptions of mental illness also overlap with personal and cultural values in the domain of morality, so much so that it is sometimes argued that separating the two is impossible without fundamentally redefining the essence of being a particular person in a society.
Tilbury and Rapley (2004) and Karasz (2005), agree that in clinical psychiatry, persistent distress and disability indicate an internal disorder requiring treatment; but in order context, the distress and disability can be seen as an indicator of emotional struggle and the need to address social and structural problems. The poor economic situation has affected the standard of living of many people especially those we can class as poor.
The unchecked wide gap between the rich and the poor has resulted in some cases to family disintegration, with adverse effect on children who are being abused. These and other factors have led to increase in mental illness of many young ones within school age.
If their society cannot accommodate them, schools have no choice, and they cannot be discriminated against. Every child has right to education in Nigeria. Therefore schools should learn how to accommodate and integrate them into the system.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves a variety of treatment techniques, often used along with medication. There are many ways of treating mental disorders, some of which are stated below (general and specific):
General
Individual: involving only the patent and the therapist.
Group – involving two or more patient in the therapy at the same time. It gives them the opportunity to share experiences and learns and appreciates how others feel too.
Marital or couples: helping spouses and partners understand why their loved one has a mental disorder, what changes in communication, how behaviors can help and what they can do to cope.
Family/relation: Involvement of family or a close relation that has influence or has much information on the patient in improving the condition of patient is vital and recognized. They need to understand what their loved one is going through, how they themselves can cope, and what they can do to help.
Specific
Psychoanalytic – the first approach, the patient’s thoughts are verbalized including free associations, fantasies, and dreams, from which the analysis formulates the nature of the unconscious conflicts which are causing the patient’s symptoms and character problems. It addresses the underlining psychic conflicts and defenses.
Behavior therapy/applied behavior analysis – focuses on changing maladaptive patterns of behavior to improve emotional responses, cognitions, and interactions with others.
Cognitive behavioral therapy – It is based on modifying the patterns of thought and behavior associated with a particular disorder. It seeks to identify maladaptive cognition, appraisal, beliefs and reactions with the aim of influencing destructive negative emotions and problematic dysfunctional behaviors.
Psychodynamic – a dept psychology with primary aim to reveal the unconscious content of a client’s psyche in an effort to alleviate psychic tension. It gets its root from psychoanalysis.
Existential therapy – It is based on the existential belief that human beings are alone in the world. This association leads to meaninglessness, which can be overcome only by creating one’s own values and by meanings. It is philosophically associated with phenomena.
Systemic therapy or family therapy – a process where a net-work of significant others as well as an individual are addressed.
Humanistic Approach – a psychological approach that is a value oriented, holds a hopeful, constructive view of human beings and of their substantial capacity to be self determining, guided by a conviction that intentionality and ethical values are strong psychological forces, among the basic determinants of human behavior.
Eclectic/integrative approach – a combination of two or more therapy techniques for treatment of mental disorder.
Counseling and co-counseling – a psychological approach too but in this case advice and suggestion are given base on the observation and information available to the counselor(s).
Psycho education – This program provides people with the information to understand and manage their problems.
Creative therapies – This involves art works such as music and drama therapies.
Lifestyle adjustments and supportive measures – personal adjustment to situations.
School connection and nature of teachers’ duties
WHO (2000) reveals that there is a strong relationship between the various forms of severe and complex mental disorder in adulthood and the abuse (physical, sexual/emotional/neglect of children during the developmental years); and records that sexual abuse of children alone plays a significant percentage of the mental disorder in adult females, most notable examples being eating disorders and borderline personality disorder should be a thing of serious concern to our education institutions. There were records of various abuses of children in our environment, many of which could have been averted if they were well enlightened on how to relate in the society, the self protection or prevention of some of the vices in our society and even counseling for victims.
The socio economic and family problems has made many school children and even the grown ups exhibit some emotional and behavioral problems. Children are the life wire of schools. Therefore, identification and management of emotional and behaviorally disturbed children is very important since teachers are dealing with them directly in schools (Akintunde and Akintunde, 2010)). It is not economically possible for each school to have a psychiatrist as a permanent staff. This inability to have such specialist necessitates equipping teachers with essential knowledge capable of assisting in identifying and administering mental health problems to some extent (Akintunde, 2007).
The more teachers know about how to identify the children mental problems the better and easier for them to deal with such situations when they arise. Their relationship with the students and the community will improve and help tremendously in improving the performance of the students. They will even be in position to enlighten parents of these children and the public in general (Akintunde, 2007).
Educating student teachers on mental health through school health education will go a long way not to assist both students and teachers. Teachers are also part of our community; they also operate under the same condition as their students and people in the community. Therefore they are faced with many challenges as those in the community.
Teachers have their personal problems that stress them up upon which they are still expected to accommodate students’ problems most of which are related to mental health problems. In order to make their job easy, they should be armed adequately with enough skills to handle those problems (Sanfford, (1978)).
Although a lay man look at teaching as a job that any man can handle, forgetting that it is a 24hours job, not ending in school hours but continues as carry over after closing hour, the teacher has to prepare for the next day job and also finish assessment/marking of any assignment given to students as home work. The same person has domestic responsibilities to attend to.
In fact he has little or no time for himself talk less of recreation to recuperate him. If he does not know how to manage the situation, he may end up a psychiatric patient. The knowledge of symptoms, identification, management and therapy of mental disorders or illnesses will help him cope and adjust.
The knowledge of mental health will enable the teachers to know how far they can push the students in terms of discipline, academic activities, co-curricular activities and what to do to assist or step down the effect of mental illness on students. There are times that the attitude of some teachers (especially the untrained or half baked ones) can be very tormenting to the life of students. This is getting worse now that teachers indulge in all sorts of corruptions in schools.
Problems associated with integration of children with mental disorders into school system
According to WHO (2000) virtually everybody seems to experience mental disorder at one time or the other. All agents of enhancement of mental health are equally affected mentally too either directly or indirectly. Stress which is a booster of mental illness strikes on everyone; thus, there is need for all and sundry to understand and know how to manage stress.
Guardians’ services render by teachers stops in school but students still interact with the environment outside the school where the school is not in the knowing of the nature of the interaction. What happen to the child after school is not under the control of the school. This condition is worse now that almost all schools are operating as day school except few private schools. There is every possibility of the effort of school being rendered useless by counter interaction of the larger society.
The problem in our society is too heavy for individual to carry; talk less of adding another person’s problem. As a result of this, there is insufficient value base for a committed ethic of care in our society. Thus committed teacher are rare to find.
The differences in background, ethnicity, culture and other attribute that makes individual unique couple with the general society concept and stigma associated with mental illness/disorders makes individual nature complex.
If teachers are to be carried along in alleviating the problem of mental illness in our society, it means a change in teachers’ training curriculum. This is always a problem because generally people do not give in to changes easily. Before you know it Government will also give excuse of lack of money to finance the little alteration the change in curriculum will bring.
Some teachers are bad examples to students and they rather add to the existing problem than solve or reduce it. Whoever cannot manage himself cannot manage others or be a brothers’ keeper. Those in this category needs attention themselves and schools should take appropriate step to help them out before they influence the students.
There is no problem without solution. Sanfford (1978) adopts and adapts some psychotherapy techniques to suggest the following ten aids for teachers to actualize a healthy school environment:
Objectivity – To be objective about self and what to do towards what the student does.
Sharing – To share problems and experiences regularly with colleagues, parents and administrators, through conference, formal and informal meeting.
Feedback – Obtain feedback from observation of the child and suggestions from parents, teachers and administration.
Consultation – Where necessary consult expert like psychologist.
Collaboration – Loan out the child for sometime with other teachers, class and environment, then collate feedback on particular trait being addressed.
Observation – Use some observational techniques such as feedback interaction, analysis and other objective recording system.
Be artistic – Literature, theatres, good films, music and art, may somehow become more meaningful to the teacher when it comes to the issue of their children. People in different community are gradually getting used to using these media as tools for integration and communicative models.
Sense of humor – Maintain sense of humor.
Be Professional – maintain a strict sense of professionalizing while remain the personality the teacher is.
Reinforce – Seek reinforcement and assurance from the children in order to provide them with assurance and solid ground to fall on.
Benefit of making health education a core course for teacher education
The awareness and ability to understand the causes and problems associated with mental disorders goes a long way to prevention, management and treatment of these problems, making teaching and learning conducive, effective and enjoyable. Therefore there are lots to benefit from introducing school health education with emphasis on mental health into teachers curriculum. The summary of the benefits are these:
Teachers will be able to discover themselves and relate well with their colleagues and students.
It will enable teachers to understand their students’ inadequacies and problems.
Teachers will find it easy to assist their students in reducing the effects of their problems on their academic and relationship with other people inside and outside the school.
Students will have confidence in discussing their problems with their teachers, sharing their dreams with them with the aim of getting valuable advice and support from them.
Relationship between teachers and students will be more cordial, helpful and effective.
Both teachers and students will develop the ability to come to terms with the environment, adjust to situations and blend with people, their inadequacies not withstanding.
All these are attributes that can improve on teaching learning and lay solid foundation for development of a whole man in a child to meet society expectation.
References
Akintunde, P. G. (2007), Administrative Phalanx in Education. Calabar: University of
Calabar Press. P. 134-169
Akintunde, P.G. and Akintunde, V.O. (2010), Duties of schools in national moral
development. ArticlesBase SC #1805723
CAMH: Toronto Star Opinion. Editorial: Ending stigma of mental illness.
Canestrari, R (1963), Psychological Training of Medical Practitioners to facilitate good
Doctor – Patient Relationship. Gazetta Sanitaria 12 (6)
Carter, A.S., Briggs-Gowan, M.J., & Davis, N.O. (2004), “Assessment of young
children’s socials emotional development and psychopathology: recent advances and
234next.com/../story.csp (2009), Facts on mental health in Nigeria , April 4, 2009
Dr Akintunde, P.G, is a Senior Lecturer in University of Calabar. He has over 24 articles in reputable Journals and has published seven text books in the areas of Physical and Health Education. He was the Athletics Coach in his University up till 2002 and the Chairman for Nigrian association for Physical, Health Education, recreation, Dance and Sports, Cross River state Chapter till 2008. He is presently working on a game that is philosophical in nature, aiming at inculcating self discipline on participants especially youths.
Mrs Olanipekun O. Fola is a Doctorate Degree student in Environmental Social Health Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria. She is a teacher in a State owned Secondary School.
SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS – Seven year old Marco lives in a small clay brick house with sixteen other family members.
His mother Maria is raising Marco and his three siblings alone. Everyday she makes 400 tortillas to sell at the local market to support her family. She says most of the money she makes she reinvests in corn to make more tortillas. The rest of the money goes to buying food for her family, but she says it’s not enough.
Marco is looking for a sponsor through World Vision to give him access to a better education, proper nutrition and improved health care.
If you’d like to join the ‘World Vision Campaign for Children,’ go to http://www.worldvision.ca/bc
Family Life Education Pasefika (FLEP) is a pacific health organisation based in Auckland, New Zealand. FLEP uses various media including music, drama, dance and arts to enhance dialogue with Pacific communities with which we work. FLEP works in intermediate, secondary & tertiary institutions promoting a positive view of sexual health & well being.
“Random Acts, Island Styles” is our newest project whereby we perform random acts of drama & music out and about in the community. We hope you enjoy our singing McDonalds order, subscribe to follow our upcoming random adventures! Lol
All “Random Acts” concepts are developed and performed by the FLEP educators.
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Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown talks about the Greens policies on the economy, high speed rail, health, education, climate change and forests.
SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS – Seven year old Marco lives in a small clay brick house with sixteen other family members. 
Family Life Education Pasefika (FLEP) is a pacific health organisation based in Auckland, New Zealand. FLEP uses various media including music, drama, dance and arts to enhance dialogue with Pacific communities with which we work. FLEP works in intermediate, secondary & tertiary institutions promoting a positive view of sexual health & well being.