How do you define mental health?
How do you define mental health?
Although there isn’t an easy answer to this question, it all boils down to how we think, feel, and behave. Mental health specialists have the tools to help people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and other conditions.
In the United States, the National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that almost 1 in 5 adults experience mental health problems each year.
That means that for 20% of the adult population, mental health affects their daily living, relationships, and physical health.
The opposite is also true. Factors in people’s lives, interpersonal connections, and physical factors can affect people’s mental illnesses.
So how do you define mental health? Let’s take a look at what people mean when they say they have a mental illness.
Table of Contents
Risk Factors for Mental Health Conditions
Early Warning Signs & Symptoms
Mental health care and treatment
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is a state of mental well-being. It enables people to cope with stresses in life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.
It is an important component of health and well-being. It underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships, and shape the world around us.
Having good mental health is a basic human right. It is crucial to personal, community, and socio-economic development.
Mental health and well-being is more than the absence of mental disorders. It is a range of different emotional states.
Different people experience mental health and mental illness differently. People experience mental health with varying degrees of difficulty and distress. Each case has potentially very different social and clinical outcomes.
Mental health conditions include mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities, and other mental states. These other states can be rife with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm.
People with mental health conditions are more likely to experience lower levels of mental well-being. However, this is not always or necessarily the case.
Mental Health Conditions
Mental illnesses are disorders. They range from mild to severe. These mental illnesses affect a person’s thinking, mood, and behavior.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness.
Many factors contribute to conditions relating to mental illness. These include…
Biological factors
This includes genes or brain chemistry
Life experiences
This includes trauma, abuse, or bullying
Family history of mental illness
A serious mental illness, abbreviated as SMI, is a mental illness that is so severe, it interferes with a person’s life and ability to function.
Despite common misperceptions, people don’t have an SMI by choice. It is not a weakness or a character flaw.
An SMI is not something that just “passes”. You can’t “snap out of” it with willpower.
Doctors group together specific mental disorders due to the features they have in common. Some types of mental disorders are as follows:
Anxiety disorders
Mood disorders
Schizophrenia disorders
Anxiety Disorders
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses.
People with anxiety disorders have severe fear or anxiety related to certain objects or situations. Most people with these conditions avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety.
Examples include…
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Phobias
OCD
PTSD
Mood Disorders
People may refer to mood disorders as affective disorders or depressive disorders.
People with mood disorders have significant mood changes. These generally involve either mania or depression.
Examples of mood disorders include…
Major Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Schizophrenia Disorders
The term schizophrenia often refers to a spectrum of disorders. Such disorders have characteristics of psychotic features and other severe symptoms. Schizophrenic disorders are highly complex conditions.
According to NIMH, signs of schizophrenia typically develop between the ages of 16 and 30. Patients have thoughts that appear fragmented. Sufferers may also find it hard to process information.
Schizophrenia has positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms include delusions, thought disorders, and hallucinations. Negative symptoms include withdrawal, lack of motivation, and a flat or inappropriate mood.
Risk Factors for Mental Health Conditions
Everyone, no matter what age, ethnicity, or gender, is at some risk of developing a mental health disorder. In much of the developed world, including the united states, mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability.
Social and financial circumstances, negative childhood experiences, biological factors, and underlying medical conditions can all affect a person’s mental health.
Many people with mental health disorders experience more than one condition at the same time.
It is important to note that good mental health depends on a very specific balance of factors. Several elements may contribute to someone developing a disorder.
Early Warning Signs & Symptoms
It is difficult to know sometimes if someone is dealing with mental illness. Sometimes you just can’t be sure.
Experiencing one or more of the following feelings/behaviors can be an early warning sign of mental illness…
Eating or sleeping too much or too little
Pulling away from people and usual activities
Having low or no energy
Feeling numb or like nothing matters
Having unexplained aches and pains
Feeling helpless or hopeless
Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
Yelling or fighting with family and friends
Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
Thinking of harming yourself or others
Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school
Talking about mental health is difficult for many people. If you think you or someone you know exhibits many of the signs listed above, talk to your doctor about the symptoms present.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing a mental health disorder requires many steps. A doctor might begin the process by looking at a person’s medical history. They will also perform a thorough physical exam to rule out physical conditions or issues that can be causing the symptoms.
There is no medical test that can diagnose mental disorders. That said, doctors may order a series of laboratory tests such as imaging and bloodwork to screen for underlying causes.
Doctors will also conduct a psychological evaluation. These include questions that ask about a person’s symptoms, experiences, and how everything impacted the patient’s life.
Sometimes, a doctor may ask a person to fill out a questionnaire about their mental health. This helps the doctor get a better idea about the patient’s thoughts, feelings, and patterns of behavior.
To make a diagnosis, most mental health specialists use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This manual contains descriptions and specific criteria to qualify for a diagnosis.
Mental health care and treatment
There are various methods for managing problems and symptoms related to mental illness. Treatment is highly personalized, and what works for one person may not work for someone else.
Some treatments are more successful in combination with others. A person suffering from a chronic mental disorder may choose different options at various stages in their life.
Whatever the treatment options, the patient needs to work closely with a doctor who can help them identify their needs and provide suitable treatment.
Treatment options include…
Psychotherapy, or talking therapies
Medication
Self-help
Tips for Living Well with a Mental Health Condition
Having a mental health condition can make it hard to work, keep up with classwork, stick to a regular schedule, have healthy relationships, socialize, maintain hygiene, and other basic daily tasks.
With early and consistent treatment, it is possible to manage mental health conditions. It is possible to overcome challenges and lead a meaningful productive life.
With modern medicine, there are new tools, evidence-based treatments, and social support systems. These help people feel better and pursue their goals.
Some of these tips, tools, and strategies include…
Stick to a treatment plan.
Even if you feel better, don’t stop going to therapy. Don’t stop taking your medication without a doctor’s guidance. Work with a doctor to safely adjust doses or types of medication if needed to continue a treatment plan.
Keep your primary care physician updated.
Primary care physicians are an important part of long-term management. This is true even if you also see a psychiatrist.
Learn about the condition.
Education on mental health conditions can help you stick to your treatment plan. Education can also help your loved ones be more supportive and compassionate.
Practice good self-care.
Control stress and anxiety with activities such as meditation or mindfulness; eat healthy and exercise; and get enough sleep.
Reach out to family and friends.
Maintaining relationships with others is important, especially if you have poor mental health. In times of crisis or rough spells, reach out to them for support and help.
Develop coping skills.
Establishing healthy coping skills with the help of a doctor can help people deal with stress and anxiety easier.
Get enough sleep.
Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and overall health. Getting consistently poor sleep affects anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.
Suicide Prevention
If you know someone who you think is at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person, take the following actions…
Ask the tough question: “Are you considering suicide?”
Listen to the person without judgment.
Call 911 or the local emergency number or text TALK to 741741 to communicate with a trained crisis counselor.
Stay with the person until professional help arrives.
Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours per day at 988.
Conclusion
The term mental health refers to a person’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It affects how people react to stressors, make choices, and engage with others.
Mental health is more than just the absence of mental health problems. It is the ability to manage existing conditions and stressors while maintaining ongoing wellness and happiness.
Factors such as stress, depression, and anxiety can all negatively affect mental health and disrupt a person’s routine.
