Knowledge for welfare and health 1

Monitoring Positive Mental Health

Environments: MMHE

Building Up Good Mental Health

Guidelines based on existing knowledge
Ville Lehtinen

National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and

Health
Knowledge for welfare and health 2

Aims of the manual

•Present a relevant theoretical
framework for constructive mental health
work by describing the most important
concepts in this context;
•Make explicit the impact of certain
social and environmental (”structural”)
factors on positive mental health by
reviewing the main research findings
presented during the last decades;
•Provide recommendations to health
authorities for relevant mental health
actions especially at the regional level.
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and
Health
Knowledge for welfare and health 3

Target group for the manual

•Regional health and mental health
authorities and decision makers
•Mental health and public health
professionals
•Students of the European Master
REGHEALTH
•Not specifically the research
community
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and
Health
Knowledge for welfare and health 4

The guiding principles for

writing the manual
•The 31 structural indicators in 8 domains,
as presented by the MINDFUL Project, as
starting point
•Not too long: the main text about 30-40
pages
•A manual for lay people, not a scientific
review
•Style and tuning: easy to read; not too
technical
•Based on
National sufficient
Research reasearch
and Development evidence
Centre for Welfare and
Health
Knowledge for welfare and health 5

The main sections of the

manual
•Introduction: Environmental changes and
mental health
•Basic concepts: mental health;
determinants of mental health; promotion of
mental health; structural indicators in the
context of mental health policy
•Structural determinants of mental
health: societal and environmental factors;
age and setting related factors
•Conclusions and recommendations
•Annexes: Examples of effective
interventions; selected literature; the MMHE
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and
questionnaire
Health
Knowledge for welfare and health 6

Summary of the feed-

back
Comments from only two partners :
•The decision makers have not time to read
long reports; can the size of the manual be
reduced?
•Clarify the relationship between health
promotion and mental health
•Is it possible to make a graphic
presentation of the main concepts?
•The questionnaire should be revised!
Additional feedback more than
welcome! National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and
Health