THE MODERN SCIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH

The creation of dianetics is a milestone for Man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his inventions of the wheel and arch. Dianetics (Gr., dianoua -- thought) is the science of mind. Far simpler than physics or chemistry, it compares with them in the exactness of its axioms and is on a considerably higher echelon of usefulness. The hidden source of all psycho-somatic ills and human aberration has been discovered and skills have been developed for their invariable cure. Dianetics is actually a family of sciences embracing the various humanities and translating them into usefully precise definitions. The present volume deals with Individual.

Dianetics and  is a handbook containing the necessary  skills  both  for   the  handling of interpersonal relations and the treatment of the mind. With the techniques presented in this handbook the psychiatrist, psycho-analyst and intelligent layman can successfully and invariably treat all psycho-somatic ills and inorganic aberrations. More importantly, the skills offered  in  this  handbook will produce the dianetic clear, an optimum individual with intelligence considerably greater than the current normal, or the dianetic release, an individual who has been freed from his major anxieties or illnesses.  The release can be done in less than twenty hours of work and is a state superior to any produced by several years of psychoanalysis, since the release will not release.

Dianetics is an exact science and its application is on the order of, but simpler than, engineering. Its axioms should not be confused with theories since they demonstrably exist as natural laws hitherto undiscovered. Man has known many portions of dianetics in the past thousands of years, but the data was not evaluated for importance, was not organized into a body of precise knowledge. In addition to things known, if not evaluated, dianetics includes a large number of new discoveries of its own about thought and the mind.

The axioms may be found on Page 42 of this volume. Understood and applied, they embrace the field of human endeavor and thought and yield precision results. The first contribution of dianetics is the discovery that the problems of thought and mental function can be resolved within the bounds of the finite universe, which is to say that all data needful to the solution of mental action and Man’s endeavor can be measured, sensed and experienced as scientific truths independent of mysticism or metaphysics. The various axioms are not assumptions or theories -- the case of past ideas about the mind -- but are laws which can be subjected to the most vigorous laboratory and clinical tests. The first law of dianetics is a statement of the dynamic principle of existence.  

Ethnicity and health

Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups generally have worse health than the overall population, although some BME groups fare much worse than others, and patterns vary from one health condition to the next. Evidence suggests that the poorer socio-economic position of BME groups is the main factor driving ethnic health inequalities. Several policies have aimed to tackle health inequalities in recent years, although to date, ethnicity has not been a consistent focus. This POSTnote reviews the evidence on ethnic health inequalities, the causes and policy options.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity results from many aspects of difference which  are socially and politically important in the UK.  These include race, culture, religion and nationality, which impact on a person’s identity and how they are seen by others. People identify with ethnic groups at many different levels. They may see themselves as British, Asian, Indian, Punjabi and Glaswegian at different times and in different circumstances. However, to allow data to be collected and analysed on a large scale, ethnicity is often treated as a fixed characteristic. BME groups are usually classified by the methods used in the UK census, which asks people to indicate to which of 16 ethnic groups they feel they belong.

Health inequalities

Health inequalities are differences in health status that are driven by inequalities in society. Health is shaped by many different factors, such as lifestyle, material wealth, educational attainment, job security, housing conditions, psycho-social stress, discrimination and the health services. Health inequalities represent the cumulative effect of these factors over the life-course; they can be passed on from one generation to the next through maternal influences on baby and child development. 

Ethnic health inequalities Large-scale surveys like the Health Survey for England show that BME groups as a whole are more likely to report ill-health, and that ill-health among BME people starts at a younger age than in the White British. There is more variation in the rates of some diseases by ethnicity than by other socio-economic factors. However, patterns of ethnic variation in health are extremely diverse, and inter-link with many overlapping factors: 

• Some BME groups experience worse health than others. For example, surveys commonly show that Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black-Caribbean people report the poorest health, with Indian, East African Asian and Black African people reporting the same health as White British, and Chinese people reporting better health. 

• Patterns of ethnic inequalities in health vary from one health condition to the next. For example, BME groups tend to have higher rates of cardio-vascular disease than White British people, but lower rates of many cancers.

• Ethnic differences in health vary across age groups, so that the greatest variation by ethnicity is seen among the elderly.

• Ethnic differences in health vary between men and women, as well as between geographic areas. 

• Ethnic differences in health may vary between generations. For example, in some BME groups, rates of ill-health are worse among those born in the UK than in first generation migrants.  

Commission to Build a Healthier America

America is a country founded in the pursuit of a vision, the realization of an ideal. In words that are built into our national DNA, all of us are created equal, endowed with the inherent and inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. None of that is possible without good health. Unfortunately, today, when it comes to health and health care, we are not all equal, are we?

The health of America depends on the health of all Americans. And when huge numbers of us are left behind, more of the nation’s future is left behind as well. What would the signers of the Declaration of Independence think of our country today if they knew that where you live predicts your life expectancy, your health is poorer if you are poorer, and your baby is much more likely to die if you haven’t finished high school? Life isn’t just better at the top, it’s longer and healthier. The problem is real. But in the United States, where disparities in health are enormous, the problem has been largely anonymous. America’s public debate on “health” has mostly centered on access to and affordability of care, even though a large body of evidence tells us that whether or not a person gets sick in the first place in most cases has little to do with seeing a doctor. A far greater determinant is the sometimes toxic relationship between how we live our lives and the economic, social and physical environments that surround us. Some of the factors affecting our health we certainly can influence on our own; many of the factors, however, are outside our individual control.For more than a generation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has pioneered the research and knowledge that brings us to this understanding. Now it’s time to chart the way forward, identify workable solutions and motivate others to act.

  

Differences in health along social, economic and racial or ethnic lines are  known as “health disparities” or “social disparities in health.” New research presented in this report—and supported by previous studies—indicates that these differences are keeping America from reaching its potential. They represent preventable illness and loss of life and compromise Americans’ quality of life and our productivity as a nation.The conclusions of this report suggest that reducing America’s large and persistent health disparities requires taking a broader, deeper look at how health is shaped across lifetimes and generations. Finding solutions to avoidable differences in health requires looking beyond the medical care system to acknowledge and address the many other factors that also can determine a person’s health.

This report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:

•           Examines the roles of personal and societal responsibilities for health within the contexts in which people live, work and learn which influence both the choices people have and their ability tomake healthy choices.

•           Reviews evidence of the lasting impact that physical and social environments have on a child’s health and on his or her chances of becoming a healthy adult.

•           Reveals new national evidence of differences in health across income and education groups, and how they relate to differences in health by race or ethnicity.

•           Provides new evidence of the economic and human costs of social differences in health, including the life stories of three American families who are trying to make healthy choices but face major obstacles.

•           Offers a framework for finding solutions by applying current knowledge about the underlying causes of social disparities in health.