Continuum of Mental Health: Summary (Nursing)

00:01 In summary, when we are thinking about the continuum of mental health, it's really important to understand this is a spectrum and anyone of us can appear anywhere on that continuum at any point in our life.

00:17 Being on that continuum and finding yourself in that area that is struggling, does not mean that you have a mental illness, it means that you're struggling, it means that you need help.

00:29 And as we remove some of the stigma from the idea of getting help, we can help more people stay in the zone where they have well-being and they are able to act in their own best interest.

00:43 Now, mental illness occurs in people of all ages, of all races, of all genders, ethnicities, and incomes.

00:51 However, there are areas that we have to have a little bit more awareness because those different categories might come with increased stressors that can impact a person's well-being.

01:07 Prenatal care is extremely important.

01:12 It helps us with early identification of women who might be at risk for perinatal mental illnesses, but it also helps us identify any risk for the women, the way they're eating, the vitamins they're taking, the lifestyle they have so that that fetus, can have a very safe time while it's developing, and be free from the harms of environmental, physical, or emotional stressors.

01:41 Nurses, through our conversations with our clients, we are in a very unique position where we are able to learn about emotional distressors and also identify resources, to be part of those resources that helps that client, that that client does not have to stay in a struggling or a more frightening place, but keep moving towards recovery and optimum mental health.