Mental health definition

It is difficult to obtain marijuana-specific data from DAWN information, since up to four different substances can be recorded for each ED episode. And because a drug-related visit to an ED can have multiple drug mentions, not every reported substance may be, by itself, the cause of the medical emergency. Until DAWN data can provide more marijuana-specific information, many feel that policymakers cannot draw definitive conclusions about the consequences of marijuana use from these reports. DAWN researchers acknowledge this limitation of their data. DAWN, like NHSDA, is directed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

Pharmacies are affected by these rules in two ways. Pharmacies, by definition, deal with PHI (e.g., a prescription itself is PHI). If the pharmacy uses a computer, the information is then electronic and is known as ePHI (Barlas, 2004). HIPAA protects all individually identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral (DHHS, 2003). This covered information includes demographic data, including the individual s physical or mental health (past, present, or future) the health care provided to the individual and payment information and common identifiers (e.g., name, address, birth date, and Social Security Number) that can be used to identify the individual. Pharmacies must have numerous policies and procedures in place to be in compliance with the HIPPA mandates. These include conducting risk assessments, appointing security and privacy officers to ensure compliance, and implementing policies and procedures to detect and prevent security violations. 

Besides the paucity of historic data, another difficnlty associated with mental health studies of disaster victims is the lack of standardization of criteria used for case definitions of mental health disorders following mass trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (6,7). Diagnostic criteria for PTSD, as noted in the fourth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM-IV), should go beyond specified combinations of symptoms to include requirements for symptom duration and the patient s ability to function (6,7). Specifically, for a PTSD diagnosis, the patient must have symptoms for more than 1 month, and the symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impair the patient s ability to function (6,7). In addition, the symptoms must occur after the traumatic event and could not have existed before the event. Unfortunately, many studies have used questionnaires that fail to distinguish new symptoms following traumatic events from previous prevalent symptoms such as sleeplessness that many people have at various times (6). The consequence is that many studies tend to inflate the prevalence of PTSD. 

For example, it is not uncommon when working in a mental health inpatient unit to see medication administered to reduce or eliminate violent or self-destructive behavior. The medication s sedative effect will calm one person immediately and may produce sleep another client of similar age, weight, and height may remain extremely combative. In order to achieve the same result, the second client may require a subsequent dose. Why does this happen There are no definitive or easy explanations for variability in client responses to medications. In many cases the combination of the client s unique biological system coupled with the variability of medications confirms that the use and application of medication is not an exact science. 

Peter E. Nathan, a professor of psychology at the University of Iowa, maintains that mental illnesses are diseases because consensus exists on a definition of psychopathology. It is embodied in DSM-IV, used in this country by more than 500,000 mental health professionals. 5 Rule by the opinion of the greatest numbers. 

Frequent shocks can occnr for several reasons. Most commonly they are due to repetitive episodes of supraventricular tachycardia or ventricular tachycardia, or a lead/lCD sensing problon. The definition of frequent shocks varies among physicians and patients, but more than three shocks within 24 h are probably appropriate and this situation is frequently referred to as electrical storm. Freqnent shocks are associated with depression and reduced mental health. The canses and evaluation of a patient with frequent shocks are summarized in Table 20.6. 

Third, partners must focus on results. Different sectors have articulated results for their own work in the past decade. Whether it is education, mental health, youth development, family support, community organizing, or any other field, each has seen the value of starting with a clear definition of outcomes that can be used as a tool for planning and accountability. In a community school setting, a clear... 

This chapter focuses on children with extreme forms of psychopathology and very poor adaptive functioning. Many school and community mental health settings label this group of children as having serious emotional disturbance (sed) for purposes of funding and access to services, but there is variability in local or state criteria for sed. Common elements of sed definitions generally include the federal definition of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (idea, 1997). As defined by Federal Law (cfr Parts 300 and 303) ... 

While working definitions of cultural competency in community venues have been available for more than a decade, the implementation, measurement, and attainment of cultural competency in clinical practice have been more elusive. It may be argued that cultural competency is a relative concept. That is, unlike other standards to be attained such as licensure or certification, cultural competency is an ongoing process and a dynamic, constantly changing one. In this way, it is possible that a mental health professional working at a school may seem culturally competent at one specific moment but culturally incompetent at another. 

The practical difficulties of viewing output in terms of health achieved is that health is notoriously difficult to define, measure and value. Broad definitions of health, such as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being given by the World Health Organisation, are unhelpful when trying to compare... 

Health can be difficult to define and measure the WHO (World Health Organization) describes it as a state of physical, mental and social well-being. In the past it may have been viewed merely as freedom from disease or injury but this is too limited a definition for modem society. In fact lifestyle factors and our changing environment have given rise to new forms of... 

A complete and up-to-date reproductive history should be obtained and available for all naval personnel (men and women active duty and reservists). Such a history should be updated annually or after a reproductive outcome. This would provide important baseline information and permit study of maternally and paternally mediated effects. The reproductive history should address sexual activity and inactivity, sexual libido, sexual dysfunction, semen analysis, menstruation history, pregnancy intentions, time-to-pregnancy (conception delays, fecundability, infertility), and pregnancy outcomes (e.g., ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous loss, fetal demise, birth size, secondary sex ratios, birth defects, mental retardation, developmental disabilities). Recording this information is in keeping with the definition for reproductive health and the need to address all health aspects of individuals. 

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