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Mental Health: The Bigger Picture

29 October 2020 | Story Carmine Nieman | Photo Pexels

self-care_web read more — The Division of Organisational Development (OD) and Employee Wellness has developed numerous interventions to enhance employees' holistic well-being and to impact the university's climate and employee functioning.

October is Mental Health Awareness Month; everyone must understand what mental health is and what can be done to help improve mental health. Creating a better understanding, raising awareness, and distributing resources may be the ultimate solution to improve overall mental health and well-being.

The definition of mental health is broad and may be confusing or overwhelming for some individuals. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is defined as: “a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. Other definitions describe mental health as a set of symptoms of positive functioning and feelings, representing an individual’s well-being (Keyes, 2002).

The existing broad definitions of mental health may be less confusing or overwhelming when individuals know what is included or excluded in this definition. Mental health, similar to mental ill health, can be defined as a set of symptoms present at a specific level (Keyes, 2002). Still, the difference is that mental health symptoms overlap with the distinction between the social and cognitive functioning of an individual (Keyes, 2002). Therefore, mental health and well-being can be defined as more than just the absence of psychopathology; it is also the presence of emotional, psychological, and social well-being (Keyes, 2002, 2005). Furthermore, mental health should be seen in relation to all the other areas of well-being: social, spiritual, financial, environmental, physical, and occupational. Well-being is a holistic approach, and therefore all the areas of well-being influence each other either positively or negatively. This concept is usually misunderstood, but it is crucial to improving well-being and health. For instance, occupational well-being is one of the most important social determining factors of mental health, since the environment at work and the organisation can have a profound effect on the mental health and well-being of employees (World Health Organisation, 2020). On the opposite side, negative mental health damages an individual’s cognitive, behavioural, emotional, social, and interpersonal functioning (World Health Organisation, 2020).

There is a bigger picture to mental health than most people realise. Mental health should be a priority for every individual. Still, it is essential to broaden the understanding of mental health and broaden the approach to increasing mental health. Mental health is part of a holistic well-being approach, focusing on all the well-being areas that influence each other. It is imperative to focus on a holistic approach to disease prevention and health promotion, which is dynamic and results in high energy and performance and an enhanced quality of life.

The Division of Organisational Development (OD) and Employee Wellness has developed numerous interventions to enhance employees' holistic well-being and to impact the university's climate and employee functioning. The following holistically focused interventions are available to improve employee well-being:

• Workout@Home online

• Psychological and emotional debriefing sessions

• Well-being webinars

• Self-care workshop

• Thriving, not just surviving campaign

• MBTI team development sessions

• Coping with COVID-19 presentations

• #StayWellStayStrong

• I am Employee Wellness Programme

• CareWays

• Talent management

• Culture and engagement initiatives

• OD and research initiatives

Improving mental health should not be seen in isolation, but rather in collaboration with other well-being areas. We hope that your understanding of mental health has been enhanced by the bigger picture, namely holistic well-being. It is essential to see the bigger picture when it comes to mental health, since this may help to improve overall health and well-being. We also hope that you will create awareness of mental health and utilise and distribute the available resources we offer.

News Archive

UFS launches history book

2007-02-02


Attending the launch of the UFS history book were, from the left: Prof Stef Coetzee, Prof Francois Retief, Prof Wynand Mouton, Mr Pieter Cox (Chairperson on Sasol) and Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS). Profs Coetzee, Retief and Mouton are former rectors of the UFS.
UFS launches history book The University of the Free State (UFS) today launched its history book titled, From Grey to Gold, on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. “The history of the UFS is one of faith, hope, struggle and determination. The book tells a fascinating story that stretches over a 100 years. It is divided into five main phases, which tells about the growth of the UFS from a poor Free State community to a mature university. Interesting stories about student days, sport, rag and hostel activities are included in each phase,” Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor said during the launch of the book. “One cannot know where you are going if you don’t know where you are coming from. You have a clearer idea of the issues facing an institution if you know the history. A book like this one is also an important source of reference for staff on the campus,” said Prof Fourie. The first research for the book was done from 1999-2003 by Prof Leo Barnard from the Department of History and a team of researchers. They also compiled the first manuscript. During the last three years, Prof Fourie was closely involved with the writing of the final phase and finishing off the history book project. “It was an honour to be so closely involved with the story of the UFS because now I have a better understanding of the institution, its people, its culture and its way of thinking. For any rector of a university, such an understanding of its institution is a requirement,” Prof Fourie said. The book is partly sponsored by Sasol. During the launch of the book, Mr Pieter Cox, Chairperson of Sasol said the company and the UFS have been partners for 57 years. “Both Sasol and the UFS are striving for excellence – Sasol for excellence in technology and the UFS for excellence in education,” said Mr Cox. “It was an easy decision when the UFS approached Sasol for financial support of the history book. Its a formidable piece of work, something Prof Fourie and the UFS can be proud of,” said Mr Cox. The book consists of more than 500 pages with hundreds of photos and a wide range of supplements of office-bearers, awards and achievements (including national and sporting colours). A timeline framework, putting the history of the UFS in context with the history of the Free State, South Africa and of the world, is also included. Besides the supplements, the history book also tells the story of amongst others the establishment of the UFS; the role of its founding fathers; black pioneers of transformation; the establishment and development of academic departments and faculties; student numbers; pioneers and trends in research; academic entrepreneurs; campus issues and campus politics; interesting facts and stories about student life (rag, intervarsity and cheerleaders, sport and the Springboks, hostel traditions); the admission of black students and anguish about race; language and culture; the development of the Main Campus; the Tickey and the Banana and much more. Emphasis is placed on a very high level of quality. “It is not every day that the university becomes hundred years old and the institution will be measured by the quality of the book. We cannot say the UFS is a university of excellence if the book does not reflect that,” Ms Edma Pelzer, Director: Physical Resources and Special Projects said. Ms Pelzer managed the project as part of the last mentioned part of her portfolio. The search for photographs was an important aspect of the book and it was a big task to find photographs and write captions. It took almost a year to translate and prepare the English edition and almost ten months to ensure the accuracy thereof, especially to correctly translate the typical Free State and UFS terminology and naturally to complete the English manuscript’s layout and proofreading. In the mean time the cover pages were designed and in September 2006 the manuscript went into the final print process. The Afrikaans title is: Van Sink tot Sandsteen tot Graniet. The cost of the book is R380 per copy. Those who already ordered the book will soon receive their copy. Orders can be placed by contacting Mr Dawid Kriel at UFS Marketing on 051 401 3409 or on the UFS web site at www.ufs.ac.za. The book is also available at Van Schaik Book Store on the Thakaneng Bridge, UFS Main Campus and at Fascination Books in Mimosa Mall, Bloemfontein. Media release Issued by: Lacea Loader Media Representative Tel: (051) 401-2584 Cell: 083 645 2454 E-mail: loaderl@mail.uovs.ac.za 2 February 2007

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