THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HOLISTIC AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY MODEL FOR THE PROMOTION OF MENTAL HEALTH OF ADOLESCENTS IN A SPECIFIC TOWNSHIP IN SWAZILAND.
Abstract
Author(s): Siphepho Jameson S. & HlopheLondiwe D.
Adolescents hold the future of every nation and it is vital to ensure that they are socially integrated beings. The complexity of adolescence however may prove to be a stumbling block in ensuring tha t they grow to be holistically well individuals. The aim of the paper is to discuss a model of holistic and multidisciplinary promotion of the mental health of adolescents in a specific township in Swaziland. The model came up as a result of a study aimed at developing a model for psychiatric nurses to assist families, adolescents and organization including teachers to reintegrate mentally disintegrated adolescents into the family and community and to develop strategies for implementation and evaluation of the model following an observation made by families in a previous study in which adolescents were found to lack a supportive environment. A model with its strategies was developed and as per this article a three steps process in model development was discussed. In conclusion, it was recommended that the model strategies be used to promote mental health of adolescents in and out of school in the specific township or in the country, Swaziland at large. Key words: Adolescent, development, holistic, mental health, multidisciplinary.
