HOLISTIC INDIVIDUAL HEALTH

Introduction
The human body is dynamic, which means for it to be healthy, several factors have to be
considered. In other words, the health of a human body is a function of food intake, interpersonal
relations, the environment, human activities, and the psycho-socioeconomic factors among
others (Tomljenovi}, 2014). However, the modern medical healthcare environment deals with a
single aspect of health at a time. For this reason, individuals have to visit several medical
professionals for them to get complete care. In this respect, my interest in this topic emanates
from the fact that only a few medical institutions offer holistic individual health. It means that
when an individual visits a health facility, it is practically hard to receive the required treatment
for his or her physical, mental, spiritual, and social needs. Ostensibly, these health needs are
related to the wellbeing of an individual. Take for instance stress, which is a psychological need
but can cause physical symptoms such as headache or muscle pain. While I may have little
professional experience in holistic individual health, I believe it can be used to solve numerous
medical-related problems.

Ventegodt, S., Kandel, I., Ervin, D. A., & Merrick, J. (2016). Concepts of Holistic Care. Health
Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities across the Lifespan,
1935-1941.
The purpose of this article is to examine the concept of holistic healthcare. Taking
holistic to mean totality, this article examines healthcare from a physical, social, economic, and
spiritual perspective. According to the authors, the idea of holistic health is not new, with ancient
scholars such as Socrates warning against treating one part of the body. This is because the
treated part can never be well unless the whole is well. In modern medicine, holistic healthcare is

HOLISTIC INDIVIDUAL HEALTH 3
incorporated into the global quality of life theories, which examine human health from all
perspectives.
The rationale for including this article in the study is because it offers the foundation of
basic health. This means that it enlightens individuals not only on the roots of holistic health but
a modern approach to it. The authors conclude that holistic health can be the solution to
individuals seeking to achieve an optimal quality of life (Ventegodt, Kandel, Ervin, & Merrick,
2016).

Dharmshaktu, N. (2018). Holistic Health and Wellbeing: How to Achieve it. International
Journal of Preventive, Curative & Community Medicine, 4(2), 1-3.
The purpose of this article is to examine ways of achieving holistic health. Dharmshaktu
(2018) argues that holistic health is in line with the definition of health offered by the World
Health Organization (WHO), which entails a state of complete physical, mental, social
wellbeing, and not merely absence of disease or infirmity. From this definition, the solution to
the healthcare problem lies in embracing holistic health, which begins by addressing the entire
health of an individual. The article argues that the stakeholders should advocate for holistic
health, and develop inter-sectoral policies for achieving quality health.
This article is useful in this study because it examines health from a global perspective. In
other words, achieving the required quality of life begins by changing existing policies and
approaches towards healthcare. The author concludes that states need to develop a separate cadre
of supportive public health specialists to guide and support the administration of healthcare
service even at the community level.

HOLISTIC INDIVIDUAL HEALTH 4
Sainju, N. K. (2018). Holistic approach to health. Journal of Kathmandu Medical College, 1(23),
1-3.
The purpose of this article is to examine approaches to holistic health, which include
alternative and complementary medicine. The idea behind complementary medicine is to
supplement pharmaceutical medicines and other forms of medical therapy such as surgery.
Sainju (2018) argues that the human body should have a balance between the physical, mental,
and social domains for it to attain optimal health. She further asserts that individuals that have
achieved holistic health tend to feel healthier, happier, and live to their full potential.
The rationale for selecting this article is because it offers practical solutions to how
individuals can live a more fulfilled life. While it appreciates the contribution of physical
healthcare services, it offers alternatives to supplement this approach. For this reason, the author
concludes that patients need to be treated as individuals as opposed to a collection of symptoms.

Sim, J. A., Kim, J. W., & Yun, Y. H. (2016). Holistic Approach to Health Behaviors and Health
Status and their Association in the General Korean Population. Annals of Psychiatry and
Mental Health, 4(3), 1-10.
This article examines the socio-demographic characteristics that correlate with the
maintenance of health behavior with the Korean population. Sim, Kim, & Yun (2016) argue that
good health status is achievable through such behaviors as healthy diets and regular exercise.
This correlation is not limited only to physical health but rather to mental and social health.
However, in most populations, there is no balance between physical, mental, and social health.
This is because while they complement each other, it is hard to achieve one without
compromising the other.

HOLISTIC INDIVIDUAL HEALTH 5
This article will be useful in the study because it offers practical solutions as obtained
from the Korean population. Adopting such methods means that people can achieve holistic
health even in their current healthcare setting. The authors conclude that states need to come up
with more health promotion programs by raising awareness of the concerned parties.
Conclusion
The main lesson from developing the annotated bibliography is that there is an urgent
need to embark on holistic individual health. The WHO recognizes the need for holistic health
among communities, but there are no enough policies and procedures in place to implement it.
As a result, individuals address one health issue such as physical health, without understanding
the interconnectedness among physical, mental, spiritual, and social health. However, this does
not mean that individuals should not seek healthcare if only one issue is being addressed. On the
contrary, it means that there is a need to balance between all aspects of health. The sources
selected have assisted me in understanding the need for holistic health, and the urgency the
stakeholders need to address the issues at hand.

HOLISTIC INDIVIDUAL HEALTH 6

References

Dharmshaktu, N. (2018). Holistic Health and Wellbeing: How to Achieve it. International
Journal of Preventive, Curative & Community Medicine, 4(2), 1-3.
Sainju, N. K. (2018). Holistic approach to health. Journal of Kathmandu Medical College, 1(23),
1-3.
Sim, J. A., Kim, J. W., & Yun, Y. H. (2016). Holistic Approach to Health Behaviors and Health
Status and their Association in the General Korean Population. Annals of Psychiatry and
Mental Health, 4(3), 1-10.
Tomljenovi}, A. (2014). Holistic Approach to Human Health and Disease: Life Circumstances
and Inner Processing. Collegium Antropologicum, 38(2), 787-792.
Ventegodt, S., Kandel, I., Ervin, D. A., & Merrick, J. (2016). Concepts of Holistic Care. Health
Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities across the Lifespan,
1935-1941.