Biological aspects of mental health nursing / A. Shupikai Rinomhota, Paul Marshall ; foreword by Kevin Gournay.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. The quest for holistic care in theory and practice -- The Ongoing Debate -- Rationale for Holistic Care -- The Challenge -- 2. The concept of homeostasis -- Founders of the Homeostatic Concept -- What is Homeostasis? -- The Internal Environment -- Open and Closed Systems -- Structural and Functional Requirements for Homeostasis -- Feedback Mechanisms -- The Phenomenon of Inbuilt Error -- Regulation and Maintenance of Homeostasis -- Cartesian Philosophy and Reductionism -- Mental Well-being -- Homeostasis in Health Care -- Influences of the External Environment on Homeostasis -- 3. Neuroanatomy and neurofunction -- Organisation of the Nervous System -- The Central Nervous System -- The Cerebrum and Cerebral Cortex -- Cerebrum: While Matter -- Cerebrum: Internal Grey Matter Structures -- The Autonomic Nervous System -- Neurotransmitters and the Nerve Impulse -- Neuropathology and Schizophrenia -- Neurochemistry and Affective Disorders -- 4. Brain metabolism, hormonal activity and mental health -- The Metabolism of Glucose -- Hypoglycaemia and Brain Function -- Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) Axis -- Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) Axis -- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) -- Light Therapy -- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) -- Depression and the Menopause -- 5. Genetic aspects -- Genetic Terminology -- Family Studies -- Adoption Studies -- Twin Studies -- Schizophrenia -- Alcoholism -- Anxiety Disorders -- Affective Disorder -- 6. Immune mechanisms and mental illness -- The Immune System the Essential Components -- Immune Function and Depression -- Immune Function and Schizophrenia -- Immune System and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) -- AIDS Dementia and Other AIDS-related Neuropsychiatric Disorders -- 7. Nutrition and mental health -- Theories Associated with Food Intake and Appetite Control -- Effects of Nutritional Factors on Mood and Psychosocial Functioning -- The Role of Folate (Folic Acid) in Depression -- Nutrition and Schizophrenia -- Eating Disorders -- Role of Vitamins and Minerals -- Alcohol Consumption and Nutritional Status -- Food Sensitivity and Hyperactivity (Clinical Ecology) -- 8. Psychopharmacology -- How Do Psychotropic Drugs Alter Brain Activity? -- Drugs Used in the Treatment of Depression -- Antidepressants and Clinical Effectiveness: the Mechanism? -- Drugs Used in the Psychoses and Related Disorders -- Drugs Used for Anxiety -- Psychopharmacology and Elderly People -- 9. Sleep and sensory functioning -- Sleep Architecture -- Function of Sleep -- Physiological Basis of Sleep Sleep and Circadian Rhythms -- Insomnia -- Sleep and Affective Disorder -- Sleep and Delirium -- Sleep and Elderly People -- Sleep and the Use of Hypnotics -- Hypnotics and Sleep Architecture -- Hypnotics: Unwanted Side-effects -- Non-pharmacological Interventions -- Narcolepsy -- 10. Stress, the individual and mental health -- The Biopsychosocial Aspects of Stress -- Neuroendocrine Interaction as a Stress Response -- The Unified Stress Model -- Stress, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Immune Response -- The General Adaptation Syndrome -- 11. The ageing process and mental health -- Characteristics of Physical Ageing -- Characteristics of Mental Ageing -- Physiological Theories of Ageing -- The Ageing Process and Pathophysiology of the Brain -- Changes in Sensory Functioning -- Alzheimer-type Dementia (ATD) -- Other Dementias -- Depression in Elderly People -- Nutrition in Elderly People -- Sleep Disorders and Ageing -- 12. Conclusion.

This text provides the mental health nurse with an overview of the neurobiological causes of mental illness, and of the associated implications for the client, the family and the nurse.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.