The premise of this article is that the major conceptual approach to mental health in the 21st century is grounded in molecular biology. We introduce and discuss three aspects of molecular biology: the concept of neuroplasticity with attention to kindling and the sensitization effect, the effects of life events on brain and behavior, and the interaction of genes and the environment. Subsequent to each of these sections we include a discussion of the implications that these ideas have to nursing practice. In view of the implications that molecular biology has for psychiatric nursing research and practice, we conclude with a call for a re-conceptualization of the psychiatric mental health nursing enterprise and the need for a conceptual model that is comprehensive, integrative, and dynamic.
Copyright 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company