About Mental Health (2024)

About Mental Health (1)

What is mental health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.1 Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

About Mental Health (2)

Why is mental health important for overall health?

Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. For example, depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness.2

About Mental Health (3)

Can your mental health change over time?

Yes, it’s important to remember that a person’s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors. When the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted. For example, if someone is working long hours, caring for a relative, or experiencing economic hardship, they may experience poor mental health.

About Mental Health (4)

How common are mental illnesses?

Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States.

  • More than1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness.
  • Over 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.5
  • About 1 in 25 U.S. adults lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.6

About Mental Health (5)

What causes mental illness?

There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, such as

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse (for example, child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc.)
  • Experiences related to other ongoing (chronic) medical conditions, such as a traumatic brain injury, cancer, or diabetes
  • Biological factors or chemical imbalances in the brain
  • Use of alcohol or drugs
  • Having feelings of loneliness or isolation
About Mental Health (2024)

FAQs

What is mental health best answer? ›

What is mental health? Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.

How do I explain my mental health? ›

Focus on how you feel, rather than what diagnosis you might meet. Try to explain how you've been feeling over the past few months or weeks, and anything that has changed. Use words and descriptions that feel natural to you – you don't have to say specific things to get help.

How does mental illness affect your life? ›

Mental illness is a leading cause of disability. Untreated mental illness can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Complications sometimes linked to mental illness include: Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life.

Can you describe your mental health? ›

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.

How do you describe good mental health? ›

Good mental health is when you feel you can manage day to day stresses, work productively, use your abilities and contribute to society. Good mental health is a key part of feeling happy with life, being connected to other people and having a sense of meaning.

What are 3 facts about mental health? ›

Myth: Mental health issues can't affect me.
  • One in 5 American adults experienced a mental health condition in a given year.
  • One in 6 young people have experienced a major depressive episode.
  • One in 20 Americans have lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.
Apr 24, 2023

What is the 12 question mental health? ›

The 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) (Goldberg & Williams, 1988) consists of 12 items, each one assessing the severity of a mental problem over the past few weeks using a 4-point Likert-type scale (from 0 to 3). The score was used to generate a total score ranging from 0 to 36.

What are 5 mental health issues? ›

On this page
  • Anxiety disorders.
  • Behavioural and emotional disorders in children.
  • Bipolar affective disorder.
  • Depression.
  • Dissociation and dissociative disorders.
  • Eating disorders.
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder.
  • Paranoia.

How can I write about mental health? ›

Choose Your Words Carefully
  1. Focus on the person, not the condition. The basic concept is that the mental health condition (or physical or other condition) is only one aspect of a person's life, not the defining characteristic. ...
  2. Be specific. Mental illness is a general condition. ...
  3. Avoid derogatory language.

What is mental health in a simple sentence? ›

Examples from Collins dictionaries

He feared for her mental health. Don't overlook mental health. All of a sudden their careers and mental health start to crumble. She worked her way up, qualifying in midwifery, then completing a diploma in mental health. Treatment can reduce the prevalence of mental health problems.

What is the mental health in a short paragraph? ›

Mental health determines how you think, feel and act. Good mental health is when you feel positive about yourself and cope well with the everyday pressures. If you experience issues dealing with everyday problems, it could be a sign of a mental health problem and should be addressed immediately.

What causes bad mental health? ›

severe or long-term stress. having a long-term physical health condition. unemployment or losing your job. homelessness or poor housing.

How to tell if someone is mentally ill? ›

If they don't seem to be going away after about 2 weeks, it's best to seek help.
  1. Feeling anxious or worried. ...
  2. Feeling depressed or unhappy. ...
  3. Emotional outbursts. ...
  4. Sleep problems. ...
  5. Weight or appetite changes. ...
  6. Being more quiet or withdrawn than usual. ...
  7. Substance abuse. ...
  8. Feeling guilty or worthless.

How to define mental health? ›

The term "mental health" encompasses our social, psychological and emotional well-being and impacts the way we feel, think and behave. It influences how we connect with others, how we make decisions and many other aspects of daily life.

What is the best way to explain mental illness? ›

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses can be associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.

What is a simple explanation of mental illness? ›

Mental illness is a general term for a group of illnesses that may impact on a person's thoughts, perceptions, feelings and behaviours. Mental health issues and illnesses can affect working and personal relationships. Counselling, medication, or both can help you treat mental illness.

What is a good conclusion for mental health? ›

A healthy mental state is essential for all learners to thrive in school and in their daily lives. Positive mental well-being lies on a continuum along which individuals shift in relation to life stressors and biological and psychological factors.

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