Mental Health and its Importance

Sachh Foundation

Jun 21, 20204 min read

Updated: Jul 8, 2020

Mental Health and its Importance

By Claudia Simone Ene

What is mental health, and what are the factors that shape a person's mental condition?

Mental Health connects to emotional, behavioral, and cognitive comfort, which refers to how people feel, act, and think, affecting everyday activities, relationships, and physical health. According to the World Health Organization, Mental Health is defined as "a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can make a contribution to his or her community." An increase in cases of mental health issues has been shown through an analysis from 2007 to 2014 regarding children, adolescents, and working-age adults in the UK. Millions of people have mental health conditions globally, and it estimates that one in four persons will struggle with such problems during their life. Unfortunately, mental health problems are severe and can lead to death if not treated in time. They are among ten dominant causes of disability in developed and less developed countries, but also a leading cause of death among young people. In today's world, when everything happens at a fast pace, everyone can suffer from mental health disorders despite their sex, age, ethnicity, or income.

Many factors shape a person's mental condition, such as:

1. Biological factors: genes and brain chemistry.

2. Life experiences: trauma or abuse.

3. Family history of mental health problems.

4. Adjustable factors such as socioeconomic conditions, occupation, education, housing quality.

What are the most common types of mental health disorders?

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), widespread mental health problems include depression, GAD (Generalized anxiety disorder), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Anxiety disorders are the most common types of mental health disorders, depression, and GAD, causing restlessness, fatigue, tense muscles, and interrupted sleep, leading to excessive anxiety.

Phobias

There are different types of phobia:

Simple phobias involve fear of specific objects or animals.

Social phobia is the fear of being subject to the judgment of others.

Agoraphobia is a fear of not getting out of certain situations (fear of being in an elevator).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is explained by obsessions, experiencing stressful thoughts, and a high desire to do repetitive acts.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears after a person experiences a traumatic event.

What are the warning signs of a mental disorder?

Mental health problems are frequent nowadays, and people can treat such issues if they recognize early warning signs and ask for advice from the entitled persons.

Some of the warning signs of mental health problems are:

Sleeping and eating too much or too little.
Refusing to meet people and do some of the usual activities.
Feeling sad, helpless, hopeless, angry, worried, or scared.
Having low energy.
Showing negative emotions and being distracted most of the time.
Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual.
Having pessimistic thoughts and thinking about causing physical harm to themselves or others.
Hearing voices or having delusions.

Importance of Mental Health

As mentioned earlier in the blog, mental health is a global interest because it affects everyone no matter their age, sex, ethnicity, religion, or financial situation. People with such problems face stigma, exclusion, rejection, discrimination, and experience high levels of abuse in different environments. Low mental health is a cause, but also a consequence of so many problems that society struggles to face, such as poverty, weakening education level, ill-health, violence, and gender inequality. Mental health is essential not only for individuals but also for communities and the economy of any state.

Through better mental health, people can:

Achieve their full potential and inspire individuals with impressive stories.
Work productively and efficiently for themselves and the entire society.
Have useful social contacts and longevity.

How to stay in an excellent mental health shape?

A big part of keeping a good mental health shape is to take care of their actions and thoughts and to follow simple rules which bring joy and well-being in everyone's lives:

Sleep between 6 and 8 hours a night
Eat well
Get plenty of sunlight and manage the source of Vitamin D that is important for the body and brain.
Avoid alcohol, smoking, and drugs.
Exercise daily sports and practice activities that you enjoy.
Connect with people and learn new skills.
Ask for help if anything unusual happens to you.

How is mental health subject being supported by laws and official authorities?

Still, mental health is one of the most neglected development issues, and there is an expanding awareness within the international community regarding this matter.

One of the authorities promoting well-being is The World Health Organization through the Quality Rights Tool Kit based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The guide provides information on human rights and quality standards and aims to help countries improve the quality of human rights in mental health and social care facilities.

To focus on the urgent need to pay attention to mental health development, worldwide governments and NGOs support the population's mental health through programs, courses, and training that prioritize and prevent mental health looking into the future.