“Without mental health, there is no health.”
In the NHS – National coordination of mental health policies.
Last October 10, World Mental Health Day, an essential dimension of life in society, both individually and collectively, was once again celebrated.
Although there are still those who insist on devaluing mental health at the expense of physical health, a circumstance to which the remarkable dominance of the biomedical model over decades has little to do, the truth is that without the “first” (mental, as well as social and spiritual) there is no There is luxury and quality of life. a Global Health Organization Almost refers to mental health as “the well-being in which an individual develops personal skills, can cope with life’s stresses, works productively, and is able to make his or her contribution to society.” In the same line of thought, General Directorate of Health Mental health is considered “the ability to adapt to new life circumstances/changes; to overcome crises and resolve emotional losses and emotional conflicts; to have the ability to recognize limits and signs of discomfort; to have a critical sense of reality but also of humour, creativity and the ability to dream; to establish satisfactory relationships with members of society” others; have life projects and, above all, discover the meaning of life” (https://www.dgs.pt/paginas-de-sistema/saude-de-aaz/programa-nacional-para-a-saude-mental/perguntas-e-respostas.aspx).
The Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, in its Article 64, stipulates the right of every individual to health (as a “single” and indivisible fact, as it should be understood as such), and the duty of all, equally, to defend and promote it, the State and the citizens. As for the state and its policies, organizations, services, systems and mechanisms designed to guarantee and implement the right to health protection, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the aforementioned standard make a general reference. As for citizens and their duty in this context (to defend and promote health), a responsibility in which we fully share – as we must all take on the role and function of public health agents and perform it regularly – we believe that this task is only viable and possible through institution and “application.” “Practical” for an effective culture of health literacy, and in this case mental. for every Health literacy the from Understands “the cognitive and social skill set and ability of a person to access, understand, and use information in order to promote and maintain good health.” In a quick sectoral look at the topic (health literacy), and based on the premise that only an informed person can make better decisions, Mental health literacy It essentially allows citizens to: obtain reliable information about various issues related to mental health; Explain the signs and symptoms of mental illness; Recognizing the signs of the disease and the subsequent timely search for care adapted to each reality or situation; Allow better use of health services; dismantling myths and prejudices around mental illness (essential in the fight against stigma and social exclusion); Involving the population in decision-making on issues related to mental health (participation in building public policies in the field of mental health, for example).
The idea put forward here is therefore based on the recognition of citizens’ right to mental health, but also on its connection to the “global obligation” (“public duty”) to defend and promote it. In fact, rights and duties in the field of health are also and always socially constructed facts, were they not the result of continuous interactions and negotiations between members of a given society. It is true that at the purely technical, specialist and operational level, “health is health”, but when it comes to truly defending and promoting it, it should concern everyone, without exception!
