Mental Health Week 2017 – What is Mental Health?

We came across the below on the www.beyondblue.org.au website and given that it is Mental Health Week (8-14 October 2017), we thought it would be a great time to share and keep this important conversation moving:

What is mental health?

It’s an expression we use every day, so it might surprise you that the term ‘mental health’ is frequently misunderstood.

‘Mental health’ is often used as a substitute for mental health conditions – such as depressionanxiety conditions, schizophrenia, and others.

According to the World Health Organization, however, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”

So rather than being about ‘what’s the problem?’ it’s really about ‘what’s going well?’

The benefits of staying well

Research shows that high levels of mental health are associated with increased learning, creativity and productivity, more pro-social behaviour and positive social relationships, and with improved physical health and life expectancy. In contrast, mental health conditions can cause distress, impact on day-to-day functioning and relationships, and are associated with poor physical health and premature death from suicide.

But it’s important to remember that mental health is complex. The fact that someone is not experiencing a mental health condition doesn’t necessarily mean their mental health is flourishing. Likewise, it’s possible to be diagnosed with a mental health condition while feeling well in many aspects of life.

Ultimately, mental health is about being cognitively, emotionally and socially healthy – the way we think, feel and develop relationships – and not merely the absence of a mental health condition.