A wellness approach.

Abstract

There is a significant paradigm in the field of public mental health practice that encompasses a wellness approach. This paper will present a wellness approach by comparing it to the traditional medical model. A personal application of the wellness approach will be discussed.

The Happy Antics programme: Holistic exercise for people with dementia

“…Holistic exercise combines physical exercise with the wellness approach (Swarbrick, 2006) where multi-dimensional factors are taken into consideration, and which includes physical, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental and spiritual dimensions (Swarbrick, 1997;Swarbrick 2006, Copeland, 2002Copeland and Mead, 2004). As an example, a wellness lifestyle can be described as balanced living, where an individual has 4/23 adequate nutrition, sleep and rest, productivity, exercise, participation in meaningful activity, social interaction, and supportive relationships (Swarbrick, 1997).…”

Sharing the Message of Hope, Wellness, and Recovery with Consumers Psychiatric Hospitals

“…In this deficit-based approach, individuals are seen in terms of their illness. Often overlooked are people's interests, skills, abilities, and potential to achieve personal goals (Swarbrick, 2006). This narrowed focus often exacerbates the illness rather than promotes recovery.…”

Educating for Wellness: A Wellness Education Group Intervention for Adults with Chronic Severe Mental Illness Living in the Community

“…The recovery model is an innovative approach to treating chronic illnesses in general, and CSMI in particular, that, without finding a cure, seeks healing through a constant process of recovery (Swarbrick, 2006a(Swarbrick, , 2006b. This model addresses mental illness as a life-long treatable, but not curable, afflic-tion.…”

“…Given the dependence of the CSMI population on the health care system for health promotion information (MacHaffie, 2002), their relationships with health care professionals-including nurses, physicians, psychiatrists and pharmacists-should also be seen as building social relationships, support networks, and sense of community. The presence of a support network is a basic component of health and wellbeing, and community support, friendships, and other relationships are important source of adaptive coping, a fundamental component of recovery (Swarbrick, 2006a(Swarbrick, , 2006b.…”