What do we mean by mental health?

by | 28 Sep 2023 | Mental Health, Wellbeing

The term mental health is widely used, yet there is confusion about the term.  It is often used when people mean poor mental health or mental illness, rather than mental wellness.  

 

What is health?

Our overall health is an outcome of our physical, mental, and social wellbeing.  The World Health Organisation definition talks about a complete state, which it could be argued is impossible to clearly define and measure.  We also know that the three elements are linked and interconnected in a myriad of ways.

We have long worked to look after our physical health, and science has enabled a vast number of physical illnesses to be prevented, treated, and managed.

In recent years we have seen more consideration of the other two elements – mental and social.  The social element is about our need to connect with others in a meaningful way.  We are not designed to live in isolation, and it is important to proactively build and appreciate authentic meaningful relationships in all areas of our life.

The third element is mental health.  Discussion has been prompted in part  by the impact of the pandemic, but rising levels of mental illness were a considerable issue for society before the pandemic.

The 2023 CIPD Survey on Health and Wellbeing found absence levels are the highest for over ten years, with the reasons for the highest levels of absence consistent with previous years and due to mental ill health, musculoskeletal injuries, acute medical conditions, and stress.  Disputedly stress could be categorised with mental ill health making it the highest cause of long term absence. 

Raising awareness of mental health

Tuesday 10 October is World Mental Health Day where social media will be awash with posts and events with the collective aim of increasing awareness of mental health.  The theme this year is ‘Mental Health is a universal human right’.  Everyone, everywhere has a right to mental health, meaning a state of positive psychological wellbeing.  Striving for this, research has created models depicting the elements necessary for psychological health. Alongside that it means an absence of factors that negatively impact our mental health as well as access to care and support when mental ill health is experienced.  This needs to focus on a preventative, proactive approach as multiple areas of our lives impact our mental wellbeing – our work, our relationships, where and how we live (our basic needs for survival are met and we feel safe), inclusion, and freedom.

Something I talk about a lot is the need to broaden our understanding of mental health and think carefully about the language we use.  When we hear people talk about mental health they are often (invariably?) describing experiences of poor mental health.  The term mental health seems to have become synonymous with mental illness.  Yet mental health is a broad continuum.  It does include poor mental health and severe mental illness at the negative end of the spectrum, but it goes up to very positive states of flourishing and thriving, as enabling and energised states.

I notice in the media you hear the phrase ‘it affects my mental health’ as meaning in a negative way, whereas previously we may have said something was stressful, or made us anxious.  Stress and anxiety are a normal and natural response to a perceived threat.  Although there is a link between prolonged stress and anxiety disorders and depression, everyday stress is very different to the levels that people experience with a diagnosed anxiety disorder.

I have seen and experienced the impact on lives of mental illness, the level of distress and suffering it causes, both for the person and those around them.  We should never underestimate this.  Going back to the definition of health we need mental health as much as physical health to be well.  Measurements of disability by the WHO evidence that the more severe mental illness cause a high level of disablement than pretty much any physical illness.

How we can help

World Mental Health Day provides a focus for raising awareness of mental health and mental ill health. 

  • Notice the language you use relating to mental health. Check that it encompasses the continuum. Talk about positive mental health or mental wellness; poor mental health, when mental health has lowered but there is no diagnosed illness; and differentiate this from mental illness.  
  • Start a conversation with people to increase this awareness so we reposition our language.
  • As an ongoing action, remember to check in with people. Ask them how they are in a way that genuinely invites a answer and give time and attention to their response.

 

If you would like to learn more about mental health and mental ill health, including raising awareness and reducing the associated stigma, we run a range of MHFA England accredited courses from Mental Health Awareness to Mental Health First Aid.  

 

Contact us below for more details

To learn more please contact us on 01202 612 326 or through the options below. We’ll discuss details and how we can help you or your organisation.

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