What is Mental Health?
"Mental health" covers a variety of topics, ranging from physical and emotional wellness to social and interpersonal well-being. People's mental health impacts many aspects of their lives, including cognition, perception and behaviour. It also determines how individuals handle stress, interpersonal relationships and decision-making.
The term "mental health" refers to three essential concepts: positive emotions and positive functioning. Keyes identifies three aspects of mental health: psychological well-being, emotional well-being and social well-being. These components are crucial to a person's overall health and well-being. Keyes also defines mental health as "the state of being emotionally, socially and physically healthy."
The Most Common Mental Health Conditions
Mental illnesses affect about one in eight people worldwide. Anxiety and depressive disorders, along with PTSD, are the most common, but the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the number even higher. Despite effective treatment options and prevention measures, many sufferers still face stigma, discrimination and other human rights violations.
Causes of Mental Health Issues
Although the causes of mental illnesses are not fully understood, genetics may play a role. Specific genes may increase your risk of developing mental illness, and environmental factors can influence your development. However, it's also important to note that ecological exposures before birth may have a substantial impact on the likelihood of developing mental illness.
Many mental illnesses are triggered by an imbalance in neurotransmitters, a group of chemicals in the brain that carries signals to other parts of the body. Impaired neurotransmitter networks may be the cause of emotional disorders.
Mental Health in Australia
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 20% or 4.8 million Australians had a mental or behavioural condition. In a recent survey, researchers examined the factors that influence people's mental health. The primary concerns of the population, including their own health and that of their family members, were highly correlated with negative emotions. Modelling of risk factors identified several critical factors, including age, personal vulnerability, financial stress and social distancing perceptions.
Young people reported higher levels of negative emotion than older people, and mental illness diagnosis was associated with high levels of negative emotion. There are also specific groups that require more focus and support.
The mental health system in Australia is often difficult to navigate. Poor articulation of responsibilities between different levels of government has led to a proliferation of service structures. Comprehensive recovery-oriented care is rare in Australia. Better coordinated services, including collaborative care models, could ease navigation.
This study, published by the National Library of Medicine in 2021, indicates that the findings of this study are important for policymakers. It further states that multidisciplinary teams could also benefit from collaborative training approaches, and there are some key challenges with the current mental health care system that can be drastically improved on.
