[Mental health and nursing]

World Health Organization, contributing to the International Nurses Day proposes that mental health should be taught as a special subject, parallel to the subjects of psychiatry and psychiatric nursing. Mental health is a dynamic process though one can not ignore the role of heredity to it. Research has shown that sex, nationality, social status and occupation do influence mental health to a great extend. The first formative years of life, family relations, school experiences and the events of life are decisive factors for the mental health state, of an individual. Alcoholism and drug addiction form a permanent threat on mental health in the context of community mental health and psychiatric care. There can be certain interventions in the field of prevention: (a) early interventions, (b) help to people to overcome stressful situations, (c) help to people in the old age, (d) policy making to face alcoholism and drug addiction. The role of community psychiatric nurse, in the prevention of mental disease is very important. The reorientation of our educational programmes according to the directions given by the World Health Organization will enable us to meet our challenge and new role in 1992.