Lack of Awareness and Understanding towards Mental Health Problems and Illness as a Social Issue



What is Mental Health?

Emotional, psychological, and social well-being all contribute to our mental health. It has an impact on how we think, feel, and act. It also influences how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make healthy choices.


Mental health is an important aspect of overall well-being. "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity," according to the World Health Organization's constitution. This definition implies that mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.

Mental Illness

A mental illness is a disorder that significantly impairs a person's cognitive, emotional, or social capacities and is diagnosed by a medical expert. Mental illnesses come in a variety of forms and severity levels. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, personality disorders  and addictive behaviours.



Mental Health Problems

A mental health condition can impair a person's cognitive, emotional, or social capacities without meeting the diagnostic criteria for a recognized mental disorder. Mental health issues are more common as a result of life pressures, and they are usually milder and last less time than mental diseases. These issues usually go away with time or when the individual's circumstances change. However, if mental health issues persist or worsen, they may progress to become a mental illness.



Mental Health Illness is a Real illness


Mental illnesses are just as real as diseases like cancer or heart disease. People who understand that mental illness is not a weakness or a character flaw are more likely to seek care. Depression is one of the most frequent mental health issues.



10 FACTS ON MENTAL HEALTH (INFOGRAPHIC)

BY BETTINA VAN WYLICH-MUXOLL | DEC 11, 2015 | MHEALTH | https://www.monsenso.com/10-facts-on-mental-health-infographic/


Research by Ana Maria Reyes and Juni Gonzales, infographic by Pamela Ramos, ABS-CBN News https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/multimedia/infographic/10/12/17/mental-health-of-filipin


Research by Ana Maria Reyes and Juni Gonzales, infographic by Pamela Ramos, ABS-CBN News https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/multimedia/infographic/10/12/17/mental-health-of-filipinos 

Importance of Mental Health Awareness 


Having awareness towards mental health can assist a person understand symptoms, have more behavioral resources, find professional treatment, and help break the stigma towards mental health. Having awareness and adequate mental health care, more people can receive support and give support. 


Mental Health as a Social Issue 


Poor mental health not only damages a person's capacity to live a healthy life and carry out school, work, or family commitments; it can also lead to physical and social issues with catastrophic consequences. Public health specialists assist individuals and communities in overcoming mental health difficulties by advocating for prevention and establishing effective interventions.



References


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, June 28). About mental health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm


Mental Health at Work. (2016). What is Mental Health? YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/G0zJGDokyWQ.


Psych2go. (2020). 10 Common Mental Illness Crash Course. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/IaSpas9hWNQ.


What is mental health awareness and why does it matter? - port st. lucie. Port St. Lucie Hospital, Inc. | Florida Mental Health Services. (2020, December 23). Retrieved from https://www.portstluciehospitalinc.com/what-is-mental-health-awareness-and-why-does-it-matter/


World Health Organization. (2018, March 30). Mental health: Strengthening our response. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response


Understanding Mental Health as a public health issue. Online Public Health & Healthcare Administration Degrees. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/mental-health-public-health/


Understanding Mental Health and mental illness. Everymind. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://everymind.org.au/mental-health/understanding-mental-health







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