By Suleiman Tajudeen
CITIZENS COMPASS–Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It encompasses various aspects of our lives like emotional regulation, thought patterns, relationships and developing effective coping strategies to deal with challenges of life.
Generally, mental health is about how people think, feel, and behave, and how it influences their ability to cope with stress, form relationships and make reasonable choices.
It is important to note that mental health is not just the absence of mental illness but a state of wellbeing where individuals can realize their potentials, work productively and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Primary Health Care (PHC) is a holistic approach to health care that emphasizes the prevention, promotion, and treatment of physical and mental health conditions at community level.
Importance of Mental Health in PHC
Mental health is a critical component of PHC because:
It affects physical and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can have a significant impact on physical health and wellbeing.
Some common mental health conditions are depression and anxiety, which if left untreated, may have serious consequences.
Mental health care is essential for overall health and wellbeing, and PHC providers are well-positioned to attend to this.
Mental health influences social and economic outcomes such as education, employment, and relationships.
Mental health care is a human right, and PHC providers have a responsibility to provide mental health care services to patients.
It improves the quality of life especially for patients and their families.
It reduces health care costs by reducing the need for hospitalization and other costly interventions.
Principles of Mental Health Care in PHC
The key principles of mental health care in PHC include:
Integration with physical health care to ensure that patients receive comprehensive care.
Community-based care: Mental health care should be provided in community-based settings, such as PHC clinics, to ensure that patients receive care in a familiar and supportive environment.
Patient-centered care: Mental health care should be patient-centered which means that patients should be actively involved in their care and treatment planning.
Culturally sensitive care: Mental health care should be culturally sensitive in the sense that care should be tailored to the patient’s cultural background and needs.
Family-centered care: Mental health care should be family-centered to enable families to be involved in care and treatment planning.
Trauma-informed care: Mental health care should be trauma-informed; that care should be sensitive to the patient’s trauma history.
Recovery-oriented care: Mental health care should be recovery-oriented focusing on…
To be continued…
Dr Suleiman Tajudeen is the CEO and Director of clinical psychology, Clear Mind Psychological Consult, Km 15, Badagry Expressway, Ojo, Lagos.
+234 803 402 4457
