People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion
Issue addressed:To quantify people's perceptions of mental health identified in qualitative research and to inform mental health promotion communication strategies.Method:A statewide telephone survey of 1,500 adults was conducted in Western Australia using a structured questionnaire containing...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Australian Health Promotion Association
2007
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| Online Access: | http://www.healthpromotion.org.au/journal/previous/2007_1/article8.php http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11649 |
| _version_ | 1848747862672801792 |
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| author | Donovan, Robert Nadine, H. Jalleh, Geoffrey Silburn, Sven Zubrick, Stephen Williams, Anwen |
| author_facet | Donovan, Robert Nadine, H. Jalleh, Geoffrey Silburn, Sven Zubrick, Stephen Williams, Anwen |
| author_sort | Donovan, Robert |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Issue addressed:To quantify people's perceptions of mental health identified in qualitative research and to inform mental health promotion communication strategies.Method:A statewide telephone survey of 1,500 adults was conducted in Western Australia using a structured questionnaire containing both open and closed-ended questions.Results:The vast majority of people had negative (or illness) connotations to the words 'mental health', but had positive connotations to the term 'mentally healthy person'. The three factors perceived to contribute most to being mentally healthy were: having good friends to talk problems over with; keeping one's mind active; and the opportunity to have control over one's life. The three factors perceived to contribute most to being mentally unhealthy were: excessive use of alcohol or drugs; having no friends or support network; and life crises or traumas. The phrase 'being content with who you are' best summed up good mental health. Older people generally placed greater emphasis than younger people on cognitive functioning and keeping physically healthy for good mental health.Conclusions:People's beliefs about factors influencing mental health are consistent with much of the literature. Communication components of mental health promotion interventions based on the data reported here would be viewed as credible and relevant by most people. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:55:54Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-11649 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:55:54Z |
| publishDate | 2007 |
| publisher | Australian Health Promotion Association |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-116492017-01-30T11:26:08Z People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion Donovan, Robert Nadine, H. Jalleh, Geoffrey Silburn, Sven Zubrick, Stephen Williams, Anwen Issue addressed:To quantify people's perceptions of mental health identified in qualitative research and to inform mental health promotion communication strategies.Method:A statewide telephone survey of 1,500 adults was conducted in Western Australia using a structured questionnaire containing both open and closed-ended questions.Results:The vast majority of people had negative (or illness) connotations to the words 'mental health', but had positive connotations to the term 'mentally healthy person'. The three factors perceived to contribute most to being mentally healthy were: having good friends to talk problems over with; keeping one's mind active; and the opportunity to have control over one's life. The three factors perceived to contribute most to being mentally unhealthy were: excessive use of alcohol or drugs; having no friends or support network; and life crises or traumas. The phrase 'being content with who you are' best summed up good mental health. Older people generally placed greater emphasis than younger people on cognitive functioning and keeping physically healthy for good mental health.Conclusions:People's beliefs about factors influencing mental health are consistent with much of the literature. Communication components of mental health promotion interventions based on the data reported here would be viewed as credible and relevant by most people. 2007 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11649 http://www.healthpromotion.org.au/journal/previous/2007_1/article8.php Australian Health Promotion Association restricted |
| spellingShingle | Donovan, Robert Nadine, H. Jalleh, Geoffrey Silburn, Sven Zubrick, Stephen Williams, Anwen People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| title | People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| title_full | People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| title_fullStr | People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| title_full_unstemmed | People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| title_short | People's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| title_sort | people's beliefs about factors contributing to mental health: implications for mental health promotion |
| url | http://www.healthpromotion.org.au/journal/previous/2007_1/article8.php http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11649 |