How does mental health promote healing?

Mental well-being is a state of psychological health that encompasses the ability to manage emotions, cope with difficulties, feel satisfied with one’s life and develop one’s potential. Although the mind and body are often considered separate, mental and physical health are in fact closely linked. Good mental health can have a positive impact on your physical health. In turn, poor mental health can have a negative impact on your physical health.

Mental well-being can promote recovery in several ways:

Strengthening the immune system :

Mental well-being can reduce stress levels, which are a risk factor for infection and inflammation. It can also stimulate the production of certain hormones, such as oxytocin or endorphins, which have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

Improving treatment compliance:

It can increase patients’ motivation, self-confidence and autonomy, making them more inclined to follow medical recommendations, take their medication, exercise or adopt a healthy diet.

Fostering resilience :

mental well-being can help patients to overcome hardship, accept their situation, find meaning in their experience and project themselves into the future. Just as it can support the development of psychosocial skills, such as communication, cooperation and creativity, which are useful for coping with challenges.

How can we improve a patient’s mental well-being?

• • Small gestures towards the patient’s well-being are simple, human gestures that can make all the difference in the course of care. They aim to create a climate of trust, respect and benevolence between the patient and the care team, and to reduce stress, anxiety and isolation. They can cover all stages of hospitalization, from booking an appointment to discharge.

• • Adapted activities are ways of entertaining, distracting and stimulating hospitalized patients, taking into account their abilities, desires and interests. For example, reading is a great way to get away from it all, to cultivate and entertain yourself, and to exercise your memory and imagination. Music brings her joy, relaxation, emotion and creativity. Games offer fun, challenge, conviviality and competition. Art therapy gives her expression, self-esteem, beauty and healing. These activities are designed to break up monotony, encourage social interaction, preserve identity and boost morale.

• • Contact with loved ones is essential for hospitalized patients, providing support, affection, reassurance and motivation. It helps patients feel less alone, less cut off from the outside world, and more involved in their family, social and professional lives. This can be done by various means, depending on the possibilities and preferences of the patient and his or her family: telephone, videoconference or visit.

• • Emotional expression is a key factor in the mental well-being of hospitalized patients, enabling them to release their stress, anxiety, sadness, anger, frustration, etc. It can be expressed to caregivers, psychologists, family members or other trusted individuals. It can also use media such as a newspaper, a drawing, music, etc. They need to feel listened to, understood, respected and supported, without being judged, criticized or made to feel guilty.

Conclusion

Mental well-being is a key factor in recovery from illness or injury. Mental well-being can have beneficial effects on the immune system, treatment adherence and resilience. There are many ways to improve a patient’s mental well-being, such as mindfulness, gratitude or pleasurable activities. It’s important to take care of your mental well-being, not only to recover faster, but also to live better.