What Is Mental Health?: Home Learning Material For Psychology Students
What Is Mental Health?: Home Learning Material For Psychology Students
What Is Mental Health?: Home Learning Material For Psychology Students
Definition
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is all about how
people think, feel, and behave. People sometimes use the term “mental health” to mean the
Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and physical health.
However, this link also works in the other direction. Factors in people’s lives, interpersonal
connections, and physical factors can all contribute to mental health disruptions.
Looking after mental health can preserve a person’s ability to enjoy life. Doing this involves
reaching a balance between life activities, responsibilities, and efforts to achieve
psychological resilience.
Conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety can all affect mental health and disrupt a
person’s routine.
Although the term mental health is in common use, many conditions that doctors recognize as
psychological disorders have physical roots.
In this article, we explain what people mean by mental health and mental illness. We also
describe the most common types of mental disorders, including their early signs and how to
treat them.
Mental health disorders are one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S.
“Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities,
can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a
contribution to his or her community.”
The WHO stress that mental health is “more than just the absence of mental disorders or
disabilities.” Peak mental health is about not only avoiding active conditions but also looking
after ongoing wellness and happiness.
In the United States, the National Alliance on Mental Illness estimate that almost 1 in 5
adults experience mental health problems each year.
In 2017, an estimated 11.2 million adults in the U.S., or about 4.5% of adults, had a severe
psychological condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Risk factors
Everyone has some risk of developing a mental health disorder, no matter their age, sex,
income, or ethnicity.
In the U.S. and much of the developed world, mental disorders are one of the leading
causes of disability.
Social and financial circumstances, biological factors, and lifestyle choices can all shape a
person’s mental health.
A large proportion of people with a mental health disorder have more than one condition at a
time.
It is important to note that good mental health depends on a delicate balance of factors and
that several elements of life and the world at large can work together to contribute to
disorders.
A 2015 study of 903 families in Iran identified several socioeconomic causes of mental health
conditions, including poverty and living on the outskirts of a large city.
The researchers also explained the difference in the availability and quality of mental health
treatment for certain groups in terms of modifiable factors, which can change over time, and
nonmodifiable factors, which are permanent.
occupation
education
housing quality
gender
age
ethnicity
The study lists gender as both a modifiable and nonmodifiable factor. The researchers found
that being female increased the risk of low mental health status by 3.96 times.
People with a “weak economic status” also scored highest for mental health conditions in this
study.
The NIMH suggest that genetic family history can increase the likelihood of mental health
conditions, as certain genes and gene variants put a person at higher risk.
Having a gene with links to a mental health disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia,
does not guarantee that a condition will develop. Likewise, people without related genes or a
family history of mental illness can still have mental health issues.
Mental health conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety may develop due to
underlying, life-changing physical health problems, such as cancer, diabetes, and chronic
pain.
Common disorders
anxiety disorders
mood disorders
schizophrenia disorders
Anxiety disorders
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are
the most common type of mental illness.
People with these conditions have severe fear or anxiety, which relates to certain objects or
situations. Most people with an anxiety disorder will try to avoid exposure to whatever
triggers their anxiety.
restlessness
fatigue
tense muscles
interrupted sleep
A bout of anxiety symptoms does not necessarily need a specific trigger in people with GAD.
They may experience excessive anxiety on encountering everyday situations that do not
present a direct danger, such as chores or keeping appointments. A person with GAD may
sometimes feel anxiety with no trigger at all.
Panic disorders
People with a panic disorder experience regular panic attacks, which involve sudden,
overwhelming terror or a sense of imminent disaster and death.
Phobias
Phobias are deeply personal, and doctors do not know every type. There could be thousands
of phobias, and what might seem unusual to one person may be a severe problem that
dominates daily life for another.
People with OCD have obsessions and compulsions. In other words, they experience
constant, stressful thoughts and a powerful urge to perform repetitive acts, such as hand
washing.
PTSD can occur after a person experiences or witnesses a deeply stressful or traumatic event.
During this type of event, the person thinks that their life or other people’s lives are in
danger. They may feel afraid or that they have no control over what is happening.
Mood disorders
People may also refer to mood disorders as affective disorders or depressive disorders.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): Reduced daylight triggers during the fall, winter,
and early spring months trigger this type of major depression. It is most common in
countries far from the equator.
Schizophrenia disorders
Mental health authorities are still trying to determine whether schizophrenia is a single
disorder or a group of related illnesses. It is a highly complex condition.
Schizophrenia has negative and positive symptoms. Positive symptoms include delusions,
thought disorders, and hallucinations. Negative symptoms include withdrawal, lack of
motivation, and a flat or inappropriate mood.
Early signs
There is no physical test or scan that reliably indicates whether a person has developed a
mental illness. However, people should look out for the following as possible signs of a
mental health disorder:
feeling hopeless
being confused
being unable to complete daily tasks, such as getting to work or cooking a meal
hearing voices
experiencing delusions
Treatment
There are various methods for managing mental health problems. Treatment is highly
individual, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Some strategies or treatments are more successful in combination with others. A person
living with a chronic mental disorder may choose different options at various stages in their
life.
The individual needs to work closely with a doctor who can help them identify their needs
and provide them with suitable treatment.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and some primary care physicians carry out
this type of treatment.
It can help people understand the root of their mental illness and start to work on more
healthful thought patterns that support everyday living and reduce the risk of isolation and
self-harm.
Medication
Some of these medications work by boosting the body’s absorption of feel-good chemicals,
such as serotonin, from the brain. Other drugs either boost the overall levels of these
chemicals or prevent their degradation or destruction.
Self-help
A person coping with mental health difficulties will usually need to make changes to their
lifestyle to facilitate wellness.
Such changes might include reducing alcohol intake, sleeping more, and eating a balanced,
nutritious diet. People may need to take time away from work or resolve issues with personal
relationships that may be causing damage to their mental health.
People with conditions such as an anxiety or depressive disorder may benefit from relaxation
techniques, which include deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness.
Having a support network, whether via self-help groups or close friends and family, can also
be essential to recovery from mental illness.
Suicide prevention
If you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person:
Call 911 or the local emergency number, or text TALK to 741741 to communicate
with a trained crisis counselor.