MENTAL HEALTH THEORY
Freud defined mental health more in term of the absence of pathology than the presence of valued attributes, probably because he wrote before the concern with positive mental health had taken root. The implicit Freudian concept of psychological health is usually expressed as the “genital character”. As contrasted with the oral or anal character. More details discussion of this may be found in writings of Abraham(1949), reich(1949), jones (1942). Fruedian conception of mental one sees, sexual adequacy as a sign of health, commitment to socially valued activities (work) as sublimations of in fantile urges, and detachment from the "family romance" as white has called the oedipal strunggel.

DIFFICULT ISSUES CONCERNING THE CONCEPT OF MENTAL

One should recognize that precisely the same issue applies to the term “mental health” which presumably means the reverse of “mental health” and many of the argument are also the same. There is no need to reconsider the matter of the adequacy of the disease model here, and its applicability to the opposite term “health”. in order to proceed further with the task of outlining others separated but related issue engendered by the concept of health. It is best here to beg the question of the disease concept, recognizing that what ever resolution of the issue of the disease or adopted will apply equally to the concept of the health. Three sticky issues about mental health must now be raised, including
(1)the problem of value
(2) whether mental health can be properly considered a unitary process or set of unrelated traits and
(3) the role of the environment

CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH FACTS

Young people can have mental, emotional, and behavioral problems that are real, painful, and costly. These problems, often called "disorders," are sources of stress for children and their families, schools, and communities.
The number of young people and their families who are affected by mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders is significant. It is estimated that as many as one in five children and adolescents may have a mental health disorder that can be identified and require treatment.Mental health disorders in children and adolescents are caused by biology, environment, or a combination of the two. Examples of biological factors are genetics, chemical imbalances in the body, and damage to the central nervous system, such as a head injury. Many environmental factors also can affect mental health, including exposure to violence, extreme stress, and the loss of an important person.
Families and communities, working together, can help children and adolescents with mental disorders. A broad range of services is often necessary to meet the needs of these young people and their families.Below are descriptions of particular mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders that may occur during childhood and adolescence. All can have a serious impact on a child's overall health. Some disorders are more common than others, and conditions range from mild to severe. Often, a child has more than one disorder (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999).


THE ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH

As scott(1985) has noted, “attempted adjustment does not necessarily result in success, for success is dependent on the environment does not permit a solution of the problem. This point of scott has most interesting implications. It says that mental health must be person is in actualizing himself or in managing his interpersonal relationship but, rather, in term, of the type of process he is employing.
Typically an effort is made to define mental health without reference to the person circumstances of life.


PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING DIAGNOSES

When a child is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, it is a frightening and confusing experience both for the child and his or her parents. This can become more complicated when mental health professionals use large, undefined words to describe a child's problem. This use of psychological and diagnostic terminology can make parents feel stupid or foolish, so much so, that they may be afraid to ask what it all means. The result is parents who feel as if they are a failure. They may also feel powerless to cope with their child's mental health disorder. This guide is intended to help parents with the complex issue of childhood mental health disorders. Specifically, it is designed to help parents be more knowledgeable about, and make decisions regarding, their child's mental health disorder. The information here touches on only part of the complex issue of childhood mental health disorders. For the sake of simplicity, much was left out to keep the information focused on the needs of parents. In addition, not all researchers and clinicians agree on the best way to understand and treat childhood mental health disorders.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND THE DIAGNOSES OF CHILDREN MENTAL HEALTH Disorders:

Understanding the role that child development plays in childhood mental health disorder will help parents understand how it is diagnosed. Child development provides a standard that the parent and the professional can use to assess and diagnose a childhood mental health disorder. Although child development differs from one child to the next, all children go through similar stages. Children grow at unique rates: physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally. One child may excel in the area of social skills and lack physical grace. Another child may have superior coordination but poor academic proficiency. Development is a fluid process, carrying the child along at different paces. The magic of this fluidity is that a child will "catch-up" to other children if they have minor delays. Usually, no outside help is needed in these cases. Another child, with larger discrepancies, will need interventions to "catch-up" to their peers. On the ladder of child development, these latter children will need a "leg up" in order to reach the next step of development. That is where parents and professionals, working together, come in. Another developmental issue occurs when a disorder, in one area of a child's development, affects other areas of functioning in the child's development.

For example, a child experiencing depression (an emotional developmental area) may have physical complaints (i.e., headaches, stomach aches, or fatigue), academic difficulties (poor grades, no motivation) and social skills deficits (few friends, withdrawn, antisocial). It is important that the mental health professional pays attention to developmental variations and helps the parent understand how one area can affect another. Finally, child development is dynamic and purposeful. Children have a natural curiosity and an even wider capacity for growth and change. This is good news for parents. This capacity allows children to regenerate and heal from childhood traumas that lead to disorders. It is the ally parents and professionals count on to make effective interventions and allows the child to have a normal, healthy life. What this means, in the area of childhood mental health disorders, is that children and their disorders, can change over time. In fact, they are developmentally driven to change. It is the parents and the professional's job to help steer children in the right directions.

A "Tangled Ball of String" The origins of childhood mental health disorders are complex. In some cases, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, cause is fairly straightforward. A child is a victim or witness of a crime or severe accident, shows signs of sleep disturbances, nightmares, and flashbacks, and is given the proper diagnosis (in this case PTSD). Other disorders are not so clear. They are clouded by biological, familial, cultural, interpersonal, and socioeconomic factors, all of which might play a part in the child's diagnoses. A good metaphor for this complexity is a large, tangled ball of string. It is hard to know on which part of the string to pick at to untangle the ball. It might require that you work on various parts of the string, at multiple angles, to unravel the problem. One important string, connected to the well being of the child, is his or her family. Disorders affect members of the family and are affected by those same members.

This is why professionals will say that the family is a system and that the treatment for the disorder may require that all members of that family system be involved, even if they do not have the disorder. As such, the family system may increase or decrease the symptoms of the childhood mental health disorder, much the way a heating systems thermostat regulates the rooms temperature. Too hot and the heat shuts off. Too cold and the heat turns on. Conversely, family members can be affected by another member's mental health disorder. A common example occurs when one child in a home takes a large chunk of a parents time and energy (not to mention finances) to help the child cope with his of her disorder, leaving the other children in the home feeling ignored. Resentment, anger, and aggressive behaviors are typical in siblings of children with mental health disorders and often, must be addressed by the professional working with the family.

DSM-IV: THE DIAGNOSES

When diagnosing a child, mental health professionals use a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, now in the fourth edition (or DSM-IV). The book is divided into sections for adult mental health disorders and "disorders usually first evident in infancy, childhood, or adolescence." Professionals use this book to communicate with one another (and insurance companies) about childhood mental health disorders. It is a classification system for understanding and labeling the defining features of childhood mental health disorders. The DSM-IV defines a mental health disorder "as a clinically significant behavioral and psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one of more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom (1)." Stated simply, a mental health disorder is a problem that affects a child's ability to function in his or her world. An important note, made by the DSM-IV, is that a classification is not about classifying the person or child by his or her mental health disorder.

This clarification can have profound effects on the self-image of the child. Being a problem and having a problem are very different things and create very different reactions from others. Mental health professionals make a diagnosis, based on the classifications listed in the DSM-IV, on five axes or levels of diagnoses.
Axis I is used for Clinical Disorders or Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention. Axis II is used for the listing of Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation. Axis III describes the General Medical Conditions. Axis IV is used for Psychosocial and Environmental Problems

And Axis V is the Global Assessment of Functioning. This multiaxial system provides for a comprehensive format for organizing and describing a child's disorder. While there has been criticisms about the use of the DSM-IV, it is not within the scope of this guide to discuss it. Emphasis is given to parents who need to know what a professional is referring to and using in the diagnosis of their child.


TREATMENT, SUPPORT, SERVICE, AND RESEARCH: SOURCH OF HOPE

Now, more than ever before, there is hope for young people with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Most of the symptoms and distress associated with childhood and adolescent mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders can be alleviated with timely and appropriate treatment and supports.
In addition, researchers are working to gain new scientific insights that will lead to better treatments and cures for mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Innovative studies also are exploring new ways of delivering services to prevent and treat these disorders. Research efforts are expected to lead to more effective use of existing treatments, so children and their families can live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.


Reference:
Barry, Patricia D. 1998. Mental Health and Mental Illness 6 th ed. Philadelphia-New York: Lippincott

Haladay W, Fortinash. 2007. Psychiatric Nursing Care Plans. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Mosby Elsevier

Patricia D. Barry. 1998. Mental Health and Mental illnesss six edition. Lippincott: Philadelphia.

Vaecolis, Elizabeth M., Verna B.C. and Nancy C.S. 2006. Foundation of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach, Fifth Edition. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier

Baumrind, D. (1978). Parental disciplinary patterns and social competence in children. Youth and Society, 9, 238-276.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33166&page=2

http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/55/5/583