6 Definitions

Question 1

Health

Answer 1

Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (The World Health Organisation)

Question 2

Ill Health

Answer 2

Ill health is a state in which an individual is unable to function normally because of the presence of something negative like disease or the absence of something positive like nutrition.

Question 3

Disease

Answer 3

Disease is a diagnostic label given to a set of signs or symptoms which are usually long term eg CHD, cancer or Alzheimer’s.

Question 4

Stress Related Illness

Answer 4

A stress related illness refers to physical symptoms which result from the physiological effects that occur when a person feels obnoxious and unable to cope with stressors like work, financial or family problems eg headaches, palpitations and stomach problems.

Question 5

Mental Health

Answer 5

Mental health is not just the absence of mental illness but a form of subjective well being in which an individual feels able to cope with life.

Question 6

Mental Illness

Answer 6

Mental illness refers to a psychological condition that is characterised by behaviour which is abnormal and is often linked to chemical changes in the brain eg depression.