For years experts have been advocating the need to develop an individual's health potential, which enables him/her to maintain health and improve his/her effective functioning in difficult situations. A number of positive mental health models have been created, among others: the functional model of mental health, the complete state model of health, the salutogenic model and the model of psychological well-being. They cover both optimal and unfavorable aspects of human functioning. The article presents an authorial program for mental health promotion - "PsychoŻak", which is based on the positive concepts of mental health, a review of empirical reports concerning health promotion and on the target group's expectations. The program is addressed to young adults studying at universities as well as final-year secondary school students. Its aim is to strengthen students' psychological, emotional, somatic, and social well-being. It can be used by higher education institutions and thus be a tool satisfying the demand for mental health promotion at universities.
Our aim was to find out what university students expect of mental health promotion. 610 young people were asked a few open questions. 81% of respondents expressed an interest in mental health promotion activities. They associated promotional activities with physical, social and/or emotional health care. Basically, these positive expectations are in agreement with the biopsychosocial model of mental health formulated by the WHO (2005). No interest in the idea of promotion (11%) is caused by the erroneous assumption that mental health promotion is targeted at people with mental disorders; therefore, a mentally healthy person does not benefit from participating in such a programme.
Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess young adults' mental health. Bearing in mind that mental health and mental disorders can be regarded as two independent dimensions rather than aspects of the same dimension, the article considers both negative and positive attributes of mental health. Methods: The participants were 533 students from eight state universities in Warsaw-309 women and 224 men. The respondents' average age was 22. The study was based on a questionnaire consisting of 20 closed questions. Results: The results obtained on positive indicators of mental health show that the vast majority of students like themselves, know how to enjoy life, have plans for the future and declare the ability to concentrate and work effectively. Such answers were given by 80% of the respondents. More than 75%-both women and men-declared their ease in establishing relationships as well as their openness to challenges and unusual tasks. The most common negative indicators of mental health reported by the students were fatigue, pain, sleep problems, irritability, and unfounded fears. As for problematic behaviours, 12% of the respondents admitted to binge drinking, 10% were affected by nicotinism, and 9% reported using marijuana. Conclusions: The assessment of both negative and positive aspects of mental health in this age group is necessary before any measures aimed at reducing the risk of mental health disorders and exploring young people's potential more effectively are taken.
The aim of the study was to develop and validate a standardized inventory assessing the mental health of young adults. The originality of the proposed approach lies in the fact that the inventory refers to both the positive and negative dimension of mental health. 405 students were examined, including 292 women and 113 men. When assessing the accuracy of the newly created instrument, the covariance of its results with the results of other tools measuring mental health or its aspects: General Health Questionnaire GHQ-28; Questionnaire for Quality of Life Assessment WHOQL-BREF; Questionnaire of Life Orientation by A. Antonowsky was assessed. Additionally, the covariance of personality traits defined by the Big Five Model as well as a temperamental dimensions of Regulative Temperament Theory was assessed. An analysis of the factor structure of the questionnaire was also performed. Although the results of the factor analysis indicate a unidimensional structure of the IZP, the correlation between its two dimensions equals -0.65. In addition, there was a correlation between both the positive dimension of mental health and negative health with neuroticism and emotional reactivity. The results of analyzes of personality and temperamental measures with data obtained using the Mental Health Inventory suggest the utility of the tool in the assessment of mental health indicators in both negative and positive aspect.
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