Orem's nursing theory and positive mental health: practical considerations

The impetus for the authors' development of this article was their growing awareness of the failure of some nurses to recognize positive mental health behaviors of patients. The authors also were aware of the absence of readily applicable criterion measures of positive mental health. This awareness led to the formulation and investigation of two questions: What human behaviors constitute adequate criterion measures of positive mental health of adults? Do adult persons in health care, including nursing situations, reveal evidence of positive mental health?