Week 1
Health and the
Individual
Chapter 7
Welcome to Week 1
• Ice Breaker-Draw a Picture of a
Significant Event.
• Each student draws a recent event in
which they partook (or something
recent that happened to them)
• Exchange drawings with a partner.
• The pairs can either introduce
themselves to one another and
discuss the events and then introduce
each other to the larger group while
describing one another’s events to
the class.
• Discuss the key concepts of health,
Learning wellness, illness, disease, and disability.
Objectives
• Explain the main models of health.
Health
• Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 as “a state of complete physical, mental,
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
• In 1986, WHO expanded its concept of health adding to its definition “the ability to identify and to
realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with environment. Health is a positive
concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capabilities.”
Wellness
• Good health and sense of well-being on many levels (i.e. emotional as well as physical), as described
or experienced by an individual
• Goes beyond having good health and considers how a person feels about their health as well as their
quality of life
• The concept of wellness embraces several categories, known as the dimensions of wellness. The
number of elements and how they are labelled may vary in different wellness models
Dimensions
of Wellness
Dimensions of Wellness
Physical wellness: Maintaining a healthy body
Mental wellness: Being in relative harmony with the dimensions of health and wellness
Emotional wellness: Displaying an ability to understand oneself and recognize personal strengths
and limitations
Intellectual wellness: Displaying an ability to make informed decisions that are appropriate and
beneficial
Social wellness: Relating effectively to others
Spiritual wellness: Personal and frequently involves a search for a sense of purpose
Environmental wellness: Engaging in a lifestyle that is friendly to the environment
Occupational wellness: Occurs when a person feels secure, confident, and valued in his or her
workplace
Illness
• Often used to denote the presence of disease
• Can also refer to how a person feels about his or her health, whether or not a disease is present
• A person may feel ill as a result of tiredness, stress, or both
Disease
A condition in which a person’s bodily or mental functions are different from normal. May also be
used to describe a group of symptoms which are not related to a clear-cut disease process.
A mental disease (such as schizophrenia) has a biological or biochemical explanation and results in
behavioural or psychological alterations.
Disability
A physical or mental incapacity that differs from what is perceived as normal function. A disability
can result from an illness or accident or be genetic in nature.
A disability can be physical, sensory, cognitive, or intellectual.
The language used to describe people with a disability has moved toward more sensitive
terminology.
People with disabilities are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as all other members of
society.
Health Models
• A health model is a concept of an approach to care, including the development of a treatment plan
and involvement and communication with a patient.
• Examples of health models include:
• The Medical Model, which was founded on the idea that health is the absence of disease.
• The Holistic Model, which considers all parts of the person and focuses on the positive aspects of
health.
• The Indigenous Wholistic Theory for Health considers the mental, physical, cultural, and spiritual
well being of not only the individual, but of the entire community
• The Wellness Model, which builds on the medical and holistic models and considers health a
process that continues to evolve and to progress toward a future state of improved health. This
model is most common in our current health care climate.
Health Models
• The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) is also a health model
• The ICF was introduced in the 1980s by the World Health Organization
• As a model, the ICF holds that disabilities are common and that everyone will experience some
type of disability during their lifespan
• This model considers the social components of living with a disability and it emphasizes the
effects of a disability rather than the cause
Week 1 Housekeeping
• Week 1 Discussion
• ParticipACTION activity
• Case Study 1