What is Health?
Mentally, Physically, Spiritually & Socially
Kelsey Whiting
University of Massachusetts Boston
Author Note
This paper was prepared for Nursing 212, Section 4, taught by Professor Peterson.
Health was once a very basic word with simply one meaning. For many years health professionals defined health as “the absence of diagnosable disease”, and it was as simple as that (Murdaugh, Parsons & Pender, 2006, p. 6). If you didn’t have a disease then you were considered healthy. In today’s world, that is just one of the many meanings of the word “health”. The world is so diverse, composed of different social, ethnic, cultural, and religious groups whom all have different values and beliefs. These different opinions have allowed the medical field to grow which has ultimately helped shape a multitude of definitions for the word “health”. We now understand that there are different degrees as to how healthy someone is. Just because two people lack disease does not mean that they are equally as healthy (Murdaugh, Parsons & Pender, 2006, p. 6). There are many characteristics of a given person that allow them to fall on a spectrum of healthiness. The medical field no longer defines the word health in as basic of a form as “the absence of diagnosable disease”, but rather as a compositions many components; mental, physical, emotional, and social.
Mental health is a person’s state with regard to their psychological well-being. It is important to have good
‘Health’ is a very broad notion, affected by a wide range of individual characteristics, behaviours and contextual factors.
In 1946 the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition integrates the main concepts of health and identifies that health can be viewed differently by individuals and groups (Bowden, 2006). Health and well-being are the result of a combination of physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors (Dunkley, 2000a).
As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘health’ is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948). The health and wellbeing of individuals is generally determined by their circumstances and environment, a phenomenon referred to as the social determinants of health. WHO describes the social determinants of health as:
Naidoo and Wills(2001, p.47) “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ - WHO (1946).” This definition falls into a holistic way of defining health, which believes that there are more areas to look at when thinking of health than just simply the absence of a disease. It considers the cause of why someone is ill and not just simply about ’fixing it’.
But over the past few decades, the definititon and concept of health has evolved to encompass more elements than just the physical well-being of a person. This is partly attributed to various researches and studies that have taken place around the world in the last 60 years. Already in 1948, the World Health Organization declared that health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organisation, 2011)
The definition of health is fluid, ever changing and carries different meanings across individuals, societies and cultures. Although it is difficult
Health can define in many different ways. Dr Roslyn Franklin defines health as “A multilayered social and ecological phenomenon created in the context of community life. (Dr. Franklin. R, C 2016) The dimensions of health include physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and social health. During the first week our reflections included what we believed being healthy meant. I listed enjoying being the ideal weight for my height, participating in regular exercise and eating the right foods. This is how I defined being healthy. Through our PHP, nutrition, physical activity, relationships and
“Don’t treat the disease, treat the patient” [9]. The concept of health has seemed to become complex in definition over the centuries as science improves. “Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”-World Health Definition of Health (1948) [9]
In modern society there is a general consensus that ‘good health’ is something that everyone wants to experience and that each individual knows what this involves. Because there are so many different definitions of health and ill health it can become a very complicated concept. Walsh (2011) states that “In sociological terms ‘health’ and ‘illness’ are contested concepts. This means that the general meaning of these words should not be taken for granted.
Mental health has been a recurring topic in present society and it is a very large section of health care in general. Health can be termed as an absence of disease, but it really is much more than that and should encompass every facet of the human, mind and body. The WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being in which an individual can function properly and productively, cope with life stressors, and contribute to community. Mental health is dependent on many factors, mainly social, biological, and psychological (WHO). A mental disorder is a condition of alterations
The World Health Organisation defined health: “State of complete physical and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” (WHO, 1946 p.100). Many factors influence health such as family traits, behaviours, access to quality healthcare and environment (quality of air, bad/good water and housing conditions) (WHO, 1946). The holistic view of health combines the mind (mental), body (physical), emotional and spiritual elements to a person (Ewes & Simnett, 2003).
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948.)
(WHO, 1948) describes health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity’? There are other dimensions of health such as physical health, mental health and emotional health which can be broken down and looked at individually.
The WHO organisation state that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.(WHO, 2016)