Benchmark – Human Experience across the Health-Illness Continuum
The Health-Illness Continuum
Health takes into consideration the physical, social, and mental aspects of a person’s life. It is, therefore, characterized by a lack of illnesses, the capacity to recover from diseases, and healthy body functioning. As introduced by John W. Travis, the health-illness continuum is used to describe health and illness along a continuum with optimum health and wellness on one extreme end and feeble health and diseases, including death, on the other. The middle is the neutral zone, where there is neither health nor illness. This continuum is used to illustrate that a person’s overall wellbeing does not depend on the absence of diseases only but other aspects, including social, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. It indicates that the lack of signs and symptoms of diseases does not guarantee health.
The graphic representation of the continuum involves arrows pointing to the right and the left (Henriques, 2015). Pointers to the right indicate* wellness can be obtained through education, growth, awareness, and assessment, while those to the right pinpoint disability, disease signs and symptoms, and lack of information as the reasons for the decrease in wellbeing. The model thus promotes a change of lifestyle through the recommendations in the right to achieve and maintain health and wellbeing. Without a change in lifestyle, people will remain in the neutral zone where they are only healthy because of the treatments they receive.
Importance to Healthcare Providers
The health-illness continuum is beneficial to health care professionals, including nurses, as it helps them visualize* the health and progress of their patients. Nurses can identify which side of the health-illness continuum a patient falls on as well as their actual illness and can, therefore, offer them individualized and effective treatment. Also, the nurses can prepare a treatment plan in conjunction with the patient to steadily improve their health conditions and use the graph to assess the resulting improvement (Nursing Fundamentals, 2015). Moreover, the nurses are required to teach their patients the health-illness continuum and how to use it so that the patients can refer to it to assess their progress toward achieving optimum wellness. Both the nurses and patients are thus in a position to identify a decrease in overall health and to offer and seek professional help, respectively. The continuum also promotes awareness of specific health conditions not portrayed* via signs and symptoms. It further enhances proper lifestyle choices among patients as they have an overall view on what it means to be emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and environmentally healthy and also illustrates* the relationship between the different health aspects. The health-illness continuum is, therefore, relevant* in treatment*, improving* health and maintaining* healthy conditions.
Reflection on the State of Health
The state of health of a person includes their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. I do not suffer from any long-term disease, and I have not contracted any illnesses for a while now. I am physically healthy, and I do not take any medications. My environmental and spiritual health are also okay. However, I have been having mental and emotional challenges, which consequently affect my social health as well. I struggle with anxiety, which sometimes leads to depression, I am unable to understand and express my feelings, and I have problems relating to other people. Since I recognized these challenges, I have taken various steps as advised by my doctor, including regular exercising, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and drinking a lot of water (Mayo Clinic, 2020). I have also learned to recognize warning signs for anxiety attacks and to distract myself through activities I enjoy doing, such as listening to music while taking a walk. Also, the doctor saw no need for medication as the measures I have taken have led to remarkable improvement. I can, therefore, classify myself on the right side, a little shy of the extreme end of the health-illness continuum because regardless of my current health condition, my health and wellness do not depend on medication only but informed life choices.
Achieving Health and Wellness
A healthy lifestyle based on informed choices is the first primary step towards overall wellbeing. This includes activities that boost body functions*, improve immunity, and do not impact the body negatively. A balanced diet, for example, is essential as it provides the body with the energy required and relevant nutrients. Regular check-ups are also necessary for ensuring that any illness is identified and examined as early as possible, after which any prescribed medication and treatment should be taken seriously (Cloninger, Salloum, & Mezzich, 2015). Moreover, regular exercise helps in achieving and maintaining* a good state of health. For social, mental, and emotional health, interaction with other people, are important as they help in identifying and filling any gaps present. Meditation and therapy also help promote mental health. Additionally, access to quality care from qualified health care professionals ensures appropriate treatment, thus promoting wellness. The government and community can also promote health and wellness by ensuring everyone has access to affordable medical care and taking care of each other wellness communally, respectively.
References
Cloninger, R. C., Salloum, I. M., & Mezzich, J. E. (2015). The Dynamic Origins of Positive Health and Wellbeing. NCBI.
Henriques, G. (2015). Understanding the Human Health-Illness Continuum. Psychology Today.
Mayo Clinic. (2020). Mental Illness. Mayo Clinic.
Nursing Fundamentals. (2015). The Health-Illness Continuum. Brookside Press.
The Health-Illness Continuum
Health takes into consideration the physical, social, and mental aspects of a person’s life. It is, therefore, characterized by a lack of illnesses, the capacity to recover from diseases, and healthy body functioning. As introduced by John W. Travis, the health-illness continuum is used to describe health and illness along a continuum with optimum health and wellness on one extreme end and feeble health and diseases, including death, on the other. The middle is the neutral zone, where there is neither health nor illness. This continuum is used to illustrate that a person’s overall wellbeing does not depend on the absence of diseases only but other aspects, including social, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. It indicates that the lack of signs and symptoms of diseases does not guarantee health.
The graphic representation of the continuum involves arrows pointing to the right and the left (Henriques, 2015). Pointers to the right indicate* wellness can be obtained through education, growth, awareness, and assessment, while those to the right pinpoint disability, disease signs and symptoms, and lack of information as the reasons for the decrease in wellbeing. The model thus promotes a change of lifestyle through the recommendations in the right to achieve and maintain health and wellbeing. Without a change in lifestyle, people will remain in the neutral zone where they are only healthy because of the treatments they receive.
Importance to Healthcare Providers
The health-illness continuum is beneficial to health care professionals, including nurses, as it helps them visualize* the health and progress of their patients. Nurses can identify which side of the health-illness continuum a patient falls on as well as their actual illness and can, therefore, offer them individualized and effective treatment. Also, the nurses can prepare a treatment plan in conjunction with the patient to steadily improve their health conditions and use the graph to assess the resulting improvement (Nursing Fundamentals, 2015). Moreover, the nurses are required to teach their patients the health-illness continuum and how to use it so that the patients can refer to it to assess their progress toward achieving optimum wellness. Both the nurses and patients are thus in a position to identify a decrease in overall health and to offer and seek professional help, respectively. The continuum also promotes awareness of specific health conditions not portrayed* via signs and symptoms. It further enhances proper lifestyle choices among patients as they have an overall view on what it means to be emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and environmentally healthy and also illustrates* the relationship between the different health aspects. The health-illness continuum is, therefore, relevant* in treatment*, improving* health and maintaining* healthy conditions.
Reflection on the State of Health
The state of health of a person includes their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. I do not suffer from any long-term disease, and I have not contracted any illnesses for a while now. I am physically healthy, and I do not take any medications. My environmental and spiritual health are also okay. However, I have been having mental and emotional challenges, which consequently affect my social health as well. I struggle with anxiety, which sometimes leads to depression, I am unable to understand and express my feelings, and I have problems relating to other people. Since I recognized these challenges, I have taken various steps as advised by my doctor, including regular exercising, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and drinking a lot of water (Mayo Clinic, 2020). I have also learned to recognize warning signs for anxiety attacks and to distract myself through activities I enjoy doing, such as listening to music while taking a walk. Also, the doctor saw no need for medication as the measures I have taken have led to remarkable improvement. I can, therefore, classify myself on the right side, a little shy of the extreme end of the health-illness continuum because regardless of my current health condition, my health and wellness do not depend on medication only but informed life choices.
Achieving Health and Wellness
A healthy lifestyle based on informed choices is the first primary step towards overall wellbeing. This includes activities that boost body functions*, improve immunity, and do not impact the body negatively. A balanced diet, for example, is essential as it provides the body with the energy required and relevant nutrients. Regular check-ups are also necessary for ensuring that any illness is identified and examined as early as possible, after which any prescribed medication and treatment should be taken seriously (Cloninger, Salloum, & Mezzich, 2015). Moreover, regular exercise helps in achieving and maintaining* a good state of health. For social, mental, and emotional health, interaction with other people, are important as they help in identifying and filling any gaps present. Meditation and therapy also help promote mental health. Additionally, access to quality care from qualified health care professionals ensures appropriate treatment, thus promoting wellness. The government and community can also promote health and wellness by ensuring everyone has access to affordable medical care and taking care of each other wellness communally, respectively.
References
Cloninger, R. C., Salloum, I. M., & Mezzich, J. E. (2015). The Dynamic Origins of Positive Health and Wellbeing. NCBI.
Henriques, G. (2015). Understanding the Human Health-Illness Continuum. Psychology Today.
Mayo Clinic. (2020). Mental Illness. Mayo Clinic.
Nursing Fundamentals. (2015). The Health-Illness Continuum. Brookside Press.