WARNING: SELF-MANAGEMENT MUST NOT BE CONFUSED WITH SELF MEDICATION.
IN MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT IT MUST BE EXECUTED IN COLLABORATION WITH
WITH A PROFESSIONAL.
This refers to an active engagement of the health care consumer in dealing with his or her disorder, meaning that the person with the disorder is an active participant in care, rather than someone who simply follows recommendations and complies with the treatment plan developed by a health professional. According to an organization that promotes care for chronic disorders, self-management is defined as follows:
Patients must take better care of themselves to keep their chronic illnesses under control, and need to be trained in proven methods of minimizing complications, symptoms and disability…But effective self-management means more than telling patients what to do. It means giving patients a central role in determining their care, one that fosters a sense of responsibility for their own health.
Using a collaborative approach, providers and patients work together to
1. define problems
2. set priorities,
3. establish goals
4. create treatment plans and
5. solve problems along the way.
In order for self-management of a disorder to be possible, the person needs access to appropriate information so that he or she can be sufficiently well-informed to participate actively in managing the disorder. This emphasis on access to health information contrasts with the older model in which the person relies entirely upon the health professional’s understanding of the disorder.