MENTAL HEALTH 101

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can contribute to his or her community”. Mental health is being socially, cognitively and emotionally healthy. To function to the best of our ability we need to address our mental health and treat mental illnesses if they occur.

• Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders.
• Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health.
• Mental health is determined by a range of socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors.
• Cost-effective public health and intersectoral strategies and interventions exist to promote, protect and restore mental health.

Mental illness (or Mental disorder) is different to mental health. Mental illness includes a range of conditions which causes serious disorder in a person's behavior or thinking. A mental illness significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. They primarily include conditions such as depression, anxiety, dementia, autism and substance use disorders.

‘Mental health’ and ‘mental illness’ are increasingly being used as if they mean the same thing, but they do not. Everyone has mental health, just like everyone has health. As the World Health Organization says, “There is no health without mental health.” In a lifetime, not all people will experience a mental illness, but everyone will eventually face a challenge with their mental well-being just like we all have challenges with our physical well-being.

Mental well-being means the same as mental health. They consist of our emotions, feelings, ability to solve problems and overcome difficulties, social connections, and our understanding of the world around us.

New terms like ‘positive mental health’, ‘mental well being’, and ‘subjective well being’ are considered for mental health to develop a clearer difference between mental health and mental illness.

There are many different mental illnesses, and they have different symptoms that could impact peoples’ lives in many different ways. There are different degrees of health. People move on a range from great/good health to normal/stable health to poor health to illness or disability. Some people have good health and have no problems going about their lives. On the other hand, some people experience serious health problems, and their health has a very negative impact on their life. Some people have serious health problems that last for a long time, and others have serious health problems that resolve very quickly. Many people fall somewhere in the middle—they’re generally in good health, though the occasional problem may come up.

Just as someone who feels unwell may not have a serious illness, people may have poor mental health without a mental illness. There are days in life we feel down, or stressed out, or overwhelmed by something that’s happening in our lives. Good mental health does not mean feeling happy and confident all the time and ignoring any problems. It’s about living and coping well despite problems. Thus, an important part of good mental health is the ability to look at problems or concerns realistically.

We should not take our mental health for granted. Just like our physical health, we need to take some action to stay happy and mentally healthy. Many things that are good for our physical health are also good for our mental health.

Here are some ways you can keep yourself mentally healthy:

• Getting a good amount of sleep
• Eating well
• Avoiding alcohol, smoking and drug use
• Managing stress
• Staying active and exercising regularly
• Connecting with others and being social