What does mental health means?
Our psychological, emotional, and social well-being are all parts of our mental health. In other words, it affects how we feel, think, and act every day. Our ability to make decisions, handle stress, and interact with others in our life are all influenced by our mental health.
A balanced life requires maintaining good mental health. Over 40 million persons in the United States have mental health challenges each year, as per the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). It’s crucial to keep in mind that our mental health is a form of health and is just as crucial as our physical fitness.
Mental health is a condition of mental wellness that allows people to manage life’s stressors, develop their potential, study and work effectively, and give back to their communities. It is a crucial element of fitness and well-being that supports both our individual and group capacity to decide, form connections, and influence the world we live in. A core human right is an access to mental health. Additionally, it is essential for socioeconomic, communal, and personal development.
The scarcity of mental diseases is only one aspect of mental wellness. It has varying degrees of difficulty and distress, is experienced differently by each individual, and may have extremely different social and clinical outcomes. It exists on a complex continuum.
Mental health conditions include mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities as well as other mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or stake of self-harm. People with mental health conditions are more likely to experience lower levels of mental well-being, but this is not constantly or necessarily the case.
Why mental health is important?
Your life depends on your emotional and mental health, which has an impact on your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Being emotionally balanced can increase efficiency and effectiveness in tasks like jobs, education, or caring. It helps you adjust to changes in your life and deal with hardship. It also has a big impact on your healthy relationships.
How you can improve your mental health?
You can take the following actions to enhance your mental health:
maintaining a healthy diet
Exercising
taking breaks and some me-time
a restful night of sleep
Discretion with others
When is a good time to reach out for help?
You should always prioritize your mental well-being and emotions. Your general mental health and well-being can benefit from talking to a specialist. There are numerous mental health and behavioral therapists who specialize in a wide range of behavioral health issues, including PTSD, anxiety, mood habits, depression, lgbtq+, and more.
What to do if you start to feel changes in your overall mental health
Different people can be affected by mental health issues in various ways. There are always methods to seek the support you need if you start to notice changes in your general happiness and interpersonal relationships.
Doctor on demand by including Health
We have certified therapists and psychiatrists at Doctor On Demand by Included Health who specialize in depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and more. Speaking with someone other than your own relatives and friends may be beneficial. Anytime in days of the year, including holidays, we are available around the clock and whenever you need us.
Here are some ways you can get help
Connect with other people, your family and friends. Emotional support can be obtained by reaching out to and being open with other individuals in your life.
Educate yourself on mental wellness. You have access to a wide variety of materials if you want to learn more about emotional well-being. Depression Association and Anxiety of America, Psychology Today, and the National Institute of Mental Health are a few examples.
A mental health exam can help you identify whether stress, anxiety, or unhappiness may be affecting your life. You can take the free, personal online mental health checkup provided by Doctor On Demand at any time.
WHO Response
The “Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030,” aims to improve mental health by strengthening effective leadership and governance, providing comprehensive, integrated, and strengthening information systems, evidence, and responsive community-based care, implementing promotion and prevention strategies and research, being implemented by all WHO Member States. Insufficient progress was made toward the agreed-upon action plan’s targets in 2020, according to WHO’s “Mental health atlas 2020” study of national performance.
All nations are urged to hasten the execution of the action plan by the WHO’s “World mental health report: changing mental health for all.” By concentrating on these three “paths to transformation,” it contends that all nations may make significant advancements in improving the mental health of their citizens:
increase the importance placed on mental health by people, communities, and governments, and match that importance with dedication, participation, and investment from all parties, across all fields;
strengthen the mental health care so that the full range of mental health needs is met through a social-based network of convenient, affordable, and high-quality services and supports; and reshape the physical, social, and economic characteristics of environments in homes, schools, workplaces, and the larger community to better protect mental health and prevent mental health conditions.
Protecting and advancing human rights, empowering those with lived experience, and guaranteeing a multistakeholder and multisectoral process are all priorities for WHO.
In order to strengthen a group response to mental health and facilitate a change toward improved mental health for all, WHO continues to work on a national and international level, especially in humanitarian circumstances, to offer governments and supporters the evidence, tools, and technical support.