Mental health is an integral part of health which serves as the foundation for the well-being and effective functioning for a person and society. However, nowadays, there are many people who experience anxiety, excessive emotional stress, and mental disorders. Postponing the visit to a doctor and ignoring the symptoms might have dramatic consequences for an individual. Therefore, effective public interventions should be elaborated in order to enhance mental health of society. In the given essay, programs which should be implemented on a local level for promoting emotional health are discussed.
Although mental health problems can affect anyone at any time, they are not equally distributed, and their prevalence varies across social groups. Mental illness can be affected by a variety of psychological, biological, and social factors. It is generally believed that people with the high level of poverty, lack of education, and poor housing are at increased risk of mental diseases. Apart from that, people who have troubles at work and feel like they are often under pressure could also experience anxiety and stress. That is why a variety of social groups should be supported by a community in achieving good mental health.
One may note that it is possible to intervene on the local level to improve the population’s mental health and educate people on how to adapt and maintain healthy lifestyles. Health promotion work should be done in collaboration with a community using program planning and implementation strategies. Firstly, a thorough study regarding the needs and resources of a community should be conducted. Secondly, a plan of action should be made and implemented. Evaluation of the final results is an important step in the further enhancement of the plan.
Promotion and prevention programs are aimed at addressing the needs of different categories of population. In particular, there may be programs designed for mothers during pregnancy and the perinatal period in order to help women deal with postnatal depression and develop parenting skills. Regular visits of nurses and social workers could improve the child-parent attachment, promote breastfeeding, and prevent the low-intellectual development of infants.
Children and teenagers might also be at risk of anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is possible to improve their self-esteem and communication skills through pro-social life in the school community. Teachers could also learn how to treat children with anxiety and help them overcome it. Moreover, parents of children with challenging behavior should be educated on skills and techniques to target the aggressive behavior of children.
Special attention should be paid to working people as they may be particularly affected by stress and anxiety resulting in insomnia and physical health problems. That is why programs aimed at reducing job burnout by providing skills to manage stress and allocate tasks should be established on a local level. Another target group includes people who lost their jobs and might, therefore, face alcoholism and marital stress. These people should be counseled on a regular basis by social workers in order to reduce symptoms of depression and be encouraged to find a new job.
To sum up, promoting mental health in society is of particular importance as it contributes to all aspects of human life and has an intrinsic value for an individual and a community. Programs aimed at helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle may reduce levels of stress and educate individuals on how to cope with it. Pregnant women, new mothers, children, teenagers, and working adults are among people who could benefit from such programs.