Reflections On What Mental Health Is And How We Maintain Mental Health As Nurses
Submitted by Michelle Broaddus
Tags: health Healthy life mental health nurses stress
When reflecting on what good mental health means, it is important to understand that this is a broad definition of wellbeing and will present differently for each individual. However, several factors are important for an individual's mental health status and contribute to the overall condition of good mental health.
Defining Mental Health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2020), mental health is defined by the ability of individuals to identify their own potential, cope with daily stress, remain productive in society, and continue to contribute to their community. In other words, an individual who has healthy coping strategies will be resilient to everyday stressors and therefore, remain productive and contribute to their community.
Another perspective comes from the US Department of Health and Human Services (2020), which defines mental health as incorporating physical, psychological, and social well-being. Good mental health is a flexible state of well-being that needs to be maintained and will change throughout an individual's life.
According to Fusar-Poli et al. (2020), good mental health can be described as the ability to cope with daily stressors and maintain function and productivity. Furthermore, there are many factors that play an important role in developing and maintaining good mental health. For instance, mental health literacy, family and healthy relationships, coping skills, social skills, sexual health, physical health, meaning of life, and quality of life all play an important role in one's mental health.
Additionally, our state of mental health determines how we will cope with stress in our daily lives. Furthermore, the absence of mental health disorders is not sufficient to determine good mental health status (Fusar-Poli et al., 2020). Therefore, nurses must continue to improve their coping strategies and increase their resilience to stress.
Mental Health as a Continuum
I would argue that mental health is not a condition, but rather exists on a continuum. In other words, we all face painful and challenging times, such as the death of a loved one, the death of a patient, illness, or major life changes. Moreover, there will be times when we will feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed because of challenging work situations or life changes.
Furthermore, an individual may have healthy coping tools, mental health literacy, a robust support network, and the social skills to ask for help, and yet may still experience temporary distress during a challenging time. Therefore, in this example, the individual has good mental health that will evolve on a continuum throughout their life. Nurses in particular face unique stressors that can test even the strongest coping mechanisms, from compassion fatigue to moral distress.
Developing and Maintaining Good Mental Health
Developing and maintaining good mental health requires consistent self-awareness and incorporates the many factors that play an important role in mental health. For instance, self-management skills such as the ability to functionally care for oneself, cope with daily stressors, and critical thinking skills in order to problem solve.
Furthermore, mental health literacy, which includes knowledge of mental health disorders and the resources needed if presented with symptoms of a disorder, is important for the maintenance of good mental health. Moreover, the knowledge of the signs and symptoms to monitor for, and the awareness of where to seek support, are important because we all face challenging times at work and in our lives.
Therefore, knowing how to cope with that stress and the skills needed to reach out for support are critical to maintaining mental health. Additionally, social and emotional intelligence skills are helpful in maintaining good mental health by fostering the ability to connect and maintain meaningful relationships. Finally, the feeling of one's life having a purpose and meaning is critical to good mental health (Fusar-Poli et al., 2020).
Coping Strategies for Managing Stress
There are many coping strategies for managing stress, including connecting with a loved one, getting outside in nature, eating healthy foods, mindfulness meditations and breathing exercises, exercise, and many more. Therefore, an individual who has good mental health consistently practices daily habits that incorporate coping strategies for managing stress because we face stress every day.
Ultimately, mental health exists on a continuum and is not a simple definition. With that being said, mental health is a complex and individualized experience involving the ability to cope with daily stressors and maintain healthy function and productivity while contributing at work and in the community.
In order to maintain good mental health, an individual needs to consistently be self-aware and understand what their needs are. Additionally, it is crucial to know when and how to reach out for support when in need of help. Techniques such as stress first aid can provide structured frameworks for recognizing and responding to stress reactions.
Furthermore, stress is a normal and natural part of life, and in order to be resilient, it is important to be able to cope with stress. With that being said, it is normal and natural to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and sad at times. Without effective coping strategies, nurses risk experiencing burnout or chronic exhaustion at the bedside.
Ultimately, one's resilience to stress and overall mental health status define how an individual will cope with challenges that arise. Thus, mental health is largely dependent on an individual's coping strategies, social skills, community support system, and self-compassion. Healthy work environments, free from lateral violence and bullying and toxic leadership, are also essential for nurses to thrive and maintain their well-being. New nurses transitioning from classroom to clinical practice should be especially mindful of building these coping foundations early in their careers.
References
Fusar-Poli, P., Salazar de Pablo, G., De Micheli, A., Nieman, D. H., Correll, C. U., Kessing, L. V., Pfennig, A., Bechdolf, A., Borgwardt, S., Arango, C., & van Amelsvoort, T. (2020). What is good mental health? A scoping review. European Neuropsychopharmacology: The Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 31, 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.12.105
World Health Organization. (2020). Mental health. WHO urges more investments, services for mental health. https://www.who.int/mental_health/who_urges_investment/en/
United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). What is mental health? https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health