The notion of quality health care has always been one of the most commonly used yet underdefined goals of health providers. Although everyone has an objective to secure the best possible care for patients, the definition of “best care” varies greatly from one professional to another. However, the one thing that has become universally accepted over the past years is the understanding of the extent to which finding a balance between mental and physical health matters for positive outcomes. Thus, when considering both emotional and physical health prerequisites, it may be outlined that one’s wellness is not binary, as it is located on a spectrum of human states. The primary aim of the present paper is to dwell on the notion of the health-illness continuum in health care as well as to demonstrate its significance on a personal example.
Primarily, it is necessary to outline the definition of the health-illness continuum. According to the researchers, the concept was first introduced in 1972 by John W. Travis as a graphic means of presenting one’s health condition (Van Erp Taalman Kip & Hutschemaekers, 2018). Thus, on a scale from high-level wellness to premature death, people may assess their health condition in combination with their emotional perception of the environment. Such an approach contributed significantly to both health care professionals’ and patients’ reevaluation of their mental health as a significant wellness factor. This perspective is extremely important to consider because, in many cases, people’s attitude toward health and wellness is something more important than direct medical intervention. For example, when a chronically ill patient follows the medication prescription patterns but they do not feel satisfied mentally, the chances of achieving wellness and living longer are reduced (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). Hence, once this aspect is overlooked by medical professionals, patients could obtain insufficient care in terms of their well-being.
When speaking of the health care provider’s perspective of the health-illness continuum, one may claim that finding a balance on a journey towards high-level wellness is one of the most important objectives in the context of professional intervention. Thus, since the process of care always revolves around the patient’s well-being, promoting mental health and self-actualization is an integral part of treatment. Frequently, when cooperating with medical professionals, individuals think that they are only preoccupied with their physical health indicators, so they do not tend to share their emotional experiences with them. In such cases, it is the nurse’s primary task to ensure trust and a meaningful connection between the patient and the practitioner. One of the ways to achieve this is to promote the dignity of individuals in order to encourage them to take proper care of themselves outside the medical facility because the way to a healthy life starts from one’s acknowledgment of personal worth and value (CDC, 2018). In such a way, both patients and nurses will pool their efforts in order to pass the neutral zone of the health-illness continuum and strive for complete contentment.
It goes without saying that prior to promoting well-being among patients, it is crucial to reflect on a personal position within the health-illness spectrum. When speaking of the obstacles standing in the way of experiencing high-level wellness, the primary issue would be the amount of stress and its impact on mental health. Being a health worker is a responsibility that sometimes occupies every thought in the human mind. For this reason, the pressure to make the best possible decisions creates a strain of anxiety and restlessness. While I understand that stress is a full-scale prerequisite for the emergence of chronic diseases and mental disorders, sometimes I still find it hard to draw a line between emotional well-being and professional challenges. Another issue is the lack of attention dedicated to personal physical health due to preoccupation with other people’s well-being on a daily basis. Thus, considering the aforementioned specifics, I would conclude that my current state of health is somewhere in between a neutral point and wellness.
In order to achieve wellness, one has to find a way to secure social, physical, and mental domains. Considering these aspects, it is difficult to define an all-encompassing solution that would benefit everyone. Thus, the most important aspect of reaching high-level wellness is striving for self-actualization through making an effort to get to know one’s preferences, desires, and things that bring contentment. Some of the common recommendations that would benefit everyone include regular medical check-ups, physical activity, and therapy, as they account for one’s health condition awareness, whereas physical activity also stimulates dopamine release (CDC, 2018). Another important resource is socialization, as it helps people perceive the opinions and worldview of others, stimulating them to reconsider their attitude towards some life aspects and find more options for self-awareness. Thus, it may be concluded that experiencing the journey of the health-illness continuum is a highly complicated endeavor with rewarding results. Thus, in order to strive for wellness, individuals are to cooperate with medical professionals who secure their well-being. Medical workers, in their turn, have to ensure proper support while paying attention to personal health conditions.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2018). Well-being concepts. Web.
Van Erp Taalman Kip, R. M., & Hutschemaekers, G. J. (2018). Health, well‐being, and psychopathology in a clinical population: Structure and discriminant validity of Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC‐SF). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(10), 1719-1729.