Unit IV - Semester II
UNIT IV
MENTAL HEALTH AND
HYGIENE
Mental Health
Mental
health may be defined as the adjustment of the individuals to themselves and
the world at large with a maximum of effectiveness, satisfaction, cheerfulness
and socially considerate behavior and the ability of facing and accepting the
realities of life, with minimum friction and tension.
“Mental
hygiene consists of measures to reduce the incidence of mental illness through
prevention and early treatment and to promote mental health.”
Aims
and Objectives of Mental Hygiene
Crow and Crow suggest three categories of aims and
objectives:
1.
The prevention
2.
The preservation
3.
The cure
1.
Prevention
of mental disorders through an understanding of the relationship that exists
between wholesome personality development and life experiences.
2.
Preservation
of the mental health of the individual and of the group.
3.
The cure of mental illness.
CONFLICT : MEANING
A conflict is a disagreement and
indecision to select one goal between the two goals. Conflict is a natural
phenomenon. For eg., a boy is in a conflict when he has to select one out of
two well-known questions.
Conflict : Types
There are three types of conflicts.
Let us discuss these types of conflicts in detail.
- Approach-Approach
Conflict: It is an inability to take a decision between two
attractive goals. This type of conflict is also known as ‘Plus – Plus’
conflict.
- Avoidance – Avoidance Conflict: It is an inability to take a decision
between two repulsive goals. This type of conflict is also known as
‘minus-minus’ conflict.
For e.g. You do not want
to see a picture. You do not want to go to picnic.
- Approach – Avoidance Conflict: This is a kind of conflict presented by
a goal, which is both attractive and repulsive.
For e.g. You want to eat
ice cream but hesitate to eat as you have cold
UNREST
Meaning
Unrest is a state
of mental irritation or disturbance caused by different factors.the state of
mind is exposed to some anti social behaviour or protest.
Causes
Defective
Education System
The present
education system does not fulfill its proposed aims and nor does it give the
students any practical skill which can make them capable of taking up any job
after their education.
Aimless Life and
Uncertain Future
The present education
does not give the student any such qualifications which may assure to them a certain
future. Now- a-days, there is great unemployment in our country. Consequently,
student unrest and indiscipline has touched it peak.
Economic
Difficulties
The present
higher education has become so expensive that the students find it difficult to
bear this burden. So it is natural for students to agitate.
Excessive Number
of Students in the Class
Generally, the
number of students in every class is so high that the students and teachers are
unable to establish contact with each other, that is, the teachers are unable
to understand the difficulties of individual students.
Defective
Teaching Methods
The
teaching methods in our schools, colleges and universities have become
defective. They do not arouse curiosity in the students for new knowledge nor
do they increase knowledge. The result is that the students do not find the
classes interesting nor are feeling of respect generated towards most of the
teachers who have an indifferent attitude.
Indifference
of the Family-Members
The
influence of the family members on the students is negligible to-day. Parents,
elder brothers or sisters pretend to be so busy that they do not hesitate to
say that they have no time to attend to the studies of their wards.
Unsuitable
Teachers
To-day in our
schools, colleges and universities, we find many such teachers who have no
interest in their teaching work. They are either engaged in petty politics or
in manipulations. Such teachers present a wrong example by their behaviour and
conduct. As such, the students coming in contact with such teachers learn
nothing but roguery.
Student-Union
In our various
educational centres, the students naturally are eager to organise unions and
generally they are provided adequate facilities to do so. But in the process of
organisation and elections of these unions, the interference of the political
elements changes the nature of the student unions in various ways and generates
a sense of indiscipline in the students.
Lack of
Co-curricular and Creative Activities:
The function of
an educational centre is not simply to prepare the students for examinations.
In fact, the aim of education is to develop the entire personality of the
individual harmoniously. This development is not possible only through the
curricular teaching.
Defective
Examination System The examination system is such that the teaching process
has become dependent on it. The passing of examination has become the sole aim
of education. Due to this examination system, the students have begun to think
that there is no need of studying throughout the year and only a little study
near the examination time will be sufficient.
So rest of the
time may be spent recklessly. As a result of this tendency, the students are
left with a lot of unoccupied time which they spend in indisciplined activities
of various types.
Elements of
Indiscipline and disorder Prevailing in the Society
The elements of
indiscipline and anarchy prevailing in the society, in fact are reflected in
the indisciplined behaviour of students.
Solutions
1.
Inclusion of moral values
in the curriculum
2.
A good upbringing by
the parents
3.
Finding the root cause
for the student’s unrest and satisfying their needs.
4.
Regular principal
student meetings help to identify the problem of the students and their
problems could be solved.
5.
Counselling for the
students with unrest
6.
Avoiding immediate
decision by the principal to take action against the students.
ADJUSTMENT
Gates and jersild(1948)
Adjustment is a continual process in which a person
varies his behaviour to produce a more harmonious relationship between himself
and his environment.
Characteristics
of a well-adjusted person
1.
Awareness
of his own strengths and limitations.
2.
Respecting
him and others.
3.
An
adequate level of aspiration.
4.
Satisfaction
of basic needs.
5.
Absence
of a critical or fault-finding attitude.
6.
Flexibility
in behaviour.
7.
The
capacity to deal with adverse circumstances.
8.
A
realistic perception of the world.
9.
A
feeling of ease with his surroundings.
10. A balanced philosophy of life.
MALADJUSTMENT
Meaning
Maladjustment
represents a condition or state in which one feels that one’s needs are not
fulfilled and he has been a failure in establishing harmony with his self and
the environment.
Personal
Cause
Heredity factor : defective mental make up, colour of
the skin, incapabilities
Physical factors: Poor health, physical deformities,
chronic diseases and bodily defects
Environmental
causes
Improper behaviour of parents and elders towards child
Defective home environment
Defective environmental conditions (School and
society)
Role
of teachers in the process of adjustment
—
Balanced
Growth and development
—
Satisfaction
of the basic needs
—
Awareness
of strength and weakness
—
helps
to Set a proper level of inspiration
—
Harmony
with the demands of society and conflicts
—
Providing
healthy environment in the classroom
—
Provision
of guidance and counselling
DEFENCE
MECHANISMS
Defence mechanisms are the
habits by which people satisfy their motives, reduce their tensions and resolve
their conflicts.
1 Repression. Repression is a mechanism in which painful
experiences, conflicts and unfulfilled desires are pushed down into our
unconscious. In this way one unconsciously tries to forget the things that
might make him anxious or uncomfortable.
2 Regression. Regression means going backward or returning to the
past. In this process, an individual tends to regress to his early childhood or
infantile responses in order to save himself from mental conflicts and
tensions. An elder child may regress and start behaving like an infant when a
new sibling is born as he feels neglected.
3 Compensation. This is a mechanism by which an individual tries to
balance or cover up his deficiency in one field by exhibiting his strength in
another field. For example, an unattractive girl who becomes a bookworm to
secure a position in the class is making use of such mechanism in order to
attract attention which she is unable to do with her looks.
4. Rationalization. This is a defence mechanism in which a person
justifies his otherwise unjustified behaviour by giving socially
acceptable reasons for it and thus attempts to defend himself by inventing
plausible excuses to explain his conduct. A child makes use of rationalization
when he tries to extend lamp excuses for his failure. He may blame the teacher
or parents or his poor health and thus try to disguise his own weakness and
deficiency.
5. Projection. Through projection one tries to see or attribute
one’s own inferior impulses and traits in other persons or objects. A student
who has been caught in the examination
for cheating may
satisfy himself by saying that others had also cheated.
6. Identification. In using this mechanism an individual is found to
achieve satisfaction from the success
of other people, groups or institutions by Identification. In using this
mechanism an individual is found to achieve satisfaction from the success of
other people, groups or institutions by identifying himself with them. An
artist who has not yet achieved success in his field may identify himself with
a well-known, well-established artist.
Withdrawal. In using this mechanism an individual tends to
withdraw himself from the situation that causes frustration or failure. He
makes himself feel safe and secure by running away from the problem. For example,
a child, may refuse to participate in games for fear of failure and deceive
himself by believing that he could have done well if he had participated.
8 Sympathism. Sympathism is a defence mechanism in which an
individual tries to get satisfaction by seeking sympathy and pity for his own
failures and inadequacies. Such persons always magnify the difficulties or
obstacles in the path of their success and thus convince others to feel sorry
for them.
MENTAL ILLNESS
Mental
illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that
affect your mood, thinking and behaviour. Examples of mental illness include
depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive
behaviours.
A
mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought
and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands
and routines.
Causes
— Inherited traits
— Environmental exposures before birth.
— Brain chemistry
Symptoms
— Feeling
sad or down
— Confused
thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
— Excessive
fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
— Extreme
mood changes of highs and lows
— Withdrawal
from friends and activities
— Significant
tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
— Detachment
from reality , paranoia or hallucinations
— Inability
to cope with daily problems or stress
— Trouble
understanding and relating to situations and to people
— Alcohol
or drug abuse
— Major
changes in eating habits
— Sex
drive changes
— Excessive
anger, hostility or violence
— Suicidal
thinking
FRUSTRATION
Frustration
means emotional tension resulting from the blocking of a desire- Good, Carter V
Characteristics
Frustration
occurs when goal is blocked
Frustration
lies both in the individual and his environment
Frustration
results in mental tension
Frustration
is that condition in which failure dominates the attempt.
The
intensity of frustration depends upon the significance of the goal and the
strength of the barrier.
Causes
Internal
ž
Physical
abnormality
ž
Conflicting
aims and desires
ž
High
ideals and morality of the individual
ž
Too
high level of aspiration
ž
Lack
of persistence
ž
Lack
of sincerity
External Factors
ž
Natural
calamities
ž
Economic
and financial constraints
ž
Corruption
and favouritism
ž
Absence
of norms and domination of subjectivity
Reaction
Simple reaction
ž Increasing
efforts
ž Improving
trials
ž Adapting
compromising positions
ž Withdrawal
from the situations
ž Submissive
Violent reaction
ž External
aggression
ž Quarrelling
ž Internal
aggression
ž Hatred
for self
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Delinquent children belong to that
category of exceptional children who exhibit considerable deviation in terms of
their social adjustment and are consequently also labelled as socially deviant
or socially handicapped. The term ‘juvenile delinquent’ means a child or minor
who deviates seriously from the norms of his culture or society and commits
murder and robbery or other offences that are strictly age related such as
drinking liquor and indulging in sexual activities.
Causes of Delinquency
1.
Hereditary
factors. The
early researches held heredity to be the main cause fo delinquency. Later
researches concluded that delinquency is not inherited and, therefore it is
wrong to blame heredity for delinquent behavior.
2.
Physiological
factors. A defective
constitution or glandular systems were also thought to be the causes of
delinquent behavior.
3.
Intelligence
factor. Defective
intelligence may lead to delinquency in one situation and may be a barrier to
it in another situation.
4.
Environmental
and social factors.
Environment
outside the Home
The
neighbourhood and the place of social contacts and situations where senior
members of society engage in anti-social activities or the mass media like
newspapers, books, magazines and cinema that acquaint children with immoral and
anti-social acts may also provide temptations for the youngsters to become
delinquent.
Home environment
(i)
A broken home where the
family is incomplete due to death, desertion, separation or divorce;
(ii)
Improper parental
control;
(iii)
Unusual jealousy and
rivalry among siblings or children within the family and reactions like “My
parents gave him more love than they gave me”;
(iv)
The delinquent and
criminal behavior of the parents or other family members;
(v)
Domestic conflicts;
(vi)
Economic difficulties
and poverty of the family;
(vii)
Dull, monotonous and
uninteresting home environment;
(viii)
Denial of reasonable
freedom and independence to the youngsters;
(ix)
Maltreatment and
injustice to the youngsters;
(x)
Lack of proper physical
and emotional security.
School
environment
(i)
Defective curriculum.
(ii)
Improper teaching
methods.
(iii)
Lack of co-curricular
activities.
(iv)
Lack of proper
discipline and control.
(v)
Slackness in
administration and organization.
(vi)
Antisocial or
undesirable behavior of the teacher.
(vii)
Maltreatment and
injustice done to the child.
(viii)
Failure or
backwardness.
Curative measures
1. Establishment of special juvenile courts
with trained magistrates to deal with juvenile delinquents.
2.
Appointment of trained social workers or
probation officers for taking charge of delinquent cases.
3.
Taking the help of clinical
psychologists and psychiatrists for understanding the delinquent behavior of
children.
4.
Establishment of special schools where
special education, correction and rehabilitation is possible.
5.
Provision of keeping the children in the
custody of responsible persons or social agencies.
6.
Establishment of remand homes where
delinquent children may be lodged while awaiting trial or placement in an
approved school or in the custody of a responsible person; or if so directed by
a probation officer prior to employment or on discharge from an approved
school.
MENTAL
HEALTH AND EDUCATION
1.Physical make up and mental health.
Mental health in tied up with the physical health of an
individual. Apart from a well organized programme of games and sports in a
school, there should be a regular programme of yogic exercises. The yogic
exercises help to maintain a sort of psycho-physical balance. They tone up the
endocrine glands, nervous system and the muscular system. When the yogic
exercises are combined with pranayam, the individual enjoys a good physical and
mental health.
2.Meditation.
On the face of it looks strange to suggest mediation for students in the
school. Here it is clarified that meditation need not be done in an elaborate
manner accompanied by several rituals. Meditation is just observance of silence
for a few minutes either in the morning assembly or in a regular period.
Meditation is likely to provide peace of mind and calmness, if practiced
regularly.
3.Emotional
stability of the teacher. It is said in a UNESCO publication entitled
The Education and Training of Teachers: “Various researches show clearly that
the emotional stability of teachers affects that of pupils. Unhappy,
frustrated, dissatisfied teachers cannot help their pupils to become happy,
well-adjusted young people”. The teachers should be mentally alert and stable
to develop alertness and stability in the students.
A
teacher’s personality has a great bearing on the personality development of the
students.
(i)
Love for Children
(ii)
Patience
(iii)
Consistency in the
behavior of the teacher
(iv)
Democratic attitude
(v)
True to his commands
(vi)
Just and impartial
4. Respect for the individuality of the child. A child should not be treated just like dumb driven cattle.
He has his own individuality. He thinks and feels. His sense of respect should not
be injured.
5. Close pupil-teacher contacts. The
teacher is expected to observe the child carefully in and outside the class and
also to know his home environment. This will enable him to understand the child
in a better way.
6.Healthy home and school environment. Unfavorable home and school environment leads to mental conflict
and disorders. It is the responsibility of the school to educate the parents on
the right methods of upbringing children.
7. Medical examination. There should be a regular medical check-up of
the students and follow up action taken to safeguard the health of the
students. Cases requiring special treatment should be sent to child guidance
clinics.
8. Intellectual environment of the school. Sound methods of teaching-learning suited to the individual needs
of the students should be adopted. Activity methods e.g., Play-way, Project
Method, Dalton Method etc, should be encouraged. Special attention may be paid
to the weak students.
9. Provision of co-curricular activities. Properly planned co-curricular activities are very helpful in
providing suitable opportunities to the students to sublimate their instincts.
10. Freedom and self-discipline. A child
who breathes in an environment of freedom develops courage and initiative.
Unregulated punishment results in mental retardation.
11. Proper level of aspiration. Goals set
before the students should be achievable by them. Too high goals may lead to
frustration. While expecting achievement level from the students their
aptitudes and interests along with their limitations and strengths should be
taken into consideration.
12. Checking unhealthy competitions.Students
should not be made to engage themselves in the blind race of excelling others.
This disturbs this mental equilibrium. For winning they may resort to unethical
ways which leads to conflicts.
13. Sex education. It is now increasingly
being realized that there should be a well-drawn up programme of sex education
in schools so that the students develop positive attitudes towards sex.
14. Balanced Curriculum. Curriculum should
be in accordance with 3 A’ s i.e. age, ability and aptitude of the students. A
rigid curriculum does not suit all categories of students.
15. Provision of educational, vocational and personal guidance. It is not essential that a psychologist must be
appointed in every school. Trained teachers may be provided opportunities to
undergo short term courses in guidance. For difficult cases, area counsellors
may provide necessary guidance.
16. Moral education. here is a growing feeling in
different quarters that a comprehensive programme of moral education is very
conducive to the development of a strong character.
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