Concept of Mental Health In The Schools Of Psychology
Hamid Nejat And Mahmood Iravani, ph.D.
The concept of mental health is an aspect of the general concept of health.
The World Health Organization defines health as follows:
Health is not only the lack of disease or disability, but also having physical, psychic, and social perfect health.
Although some experts have supposed that mental health is opposite of mental disorder, its concept is more general of this concept.
For better understanding of the meaning of mental health in different groups, the value systems should be known. So in order to understand different definitions concerning mental health, the value system according to these definitions should be investigated.Freud indicated that a healthy man is a person who successfully passed developmental psychosexual stages.
According to Skinner, man’s mental health is in accordance with behavior which conforms with rules and codes of society. When such a person encounters problems, he uses the technique of behavior modification for improving and standardizing his behavior and others.
Rogers believes that a healthy man is flexible. His experience is always with emotion. He is not prejudiced. He is free and creative. In Ellis’ idea, the characteristics of a healthy man are self-interest, social-interest, self-direction, tolerance, flexibility, self-acceptance, risk, etc.
The quarterly journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume : 1
Year : 2000, Autumn
No.3