menTal healTh

menTal healTh refers To coGniTive, Behavioural and emoTional well-BeinG. iT is all aBouT how people think, feel, anD Behave. people someTimes use The Term “menTal healTh” To mean The aBsence of a menTal disorder.

lookinG afTer menTal healTh can help us enJoy life. many factors affect our menTal healTh (acTiviTies responsiBiliTies, connecTions..) findinG a Balance BeTween Them can help improve iT.

a person ’ s rouTine can Be affecTed By menTal healTh disorders such as depression, anxieTy, sTress...

moDifiaBle factors for mental health DisorDers incluDe:

- socioeconomic conDitions, such wheTher work is availaBle in The local area -occupation - a person ’ s level of social involvement - eDucation - housinG qualiTy

non moDifiaBle factors incluDe:

- GenDer - aGe - ethnicity

a research found men are 3.96 more likely To have a worst mental health. people wiTh a worse economic sTaTus scored hiGhesT for menTal healTh.

common mental health DisorDers:

GeneralizeD anxiety DisorDers (GaD)

The american psychiaTric associaTion define Gad as disproporTionaTe worry ThaT disrupTs everyday livinG.

panic DisorDers

people wiTh a panic disorder experience reGular panic aTTacks, which involve sudden, overwhelminG Terror or a sense of imminenT disasTer and deaTh.

oBsessive-compulsive DisorDer (ocD)

people wiTh ocd have oBsessions and compulsions. in oTher words, They experience consTanT, sTressful ThouGhTs and a powerful urGe To perform repeTiTive acTs, such as hand washinG.

post-traumatic stress DisorDer (ptsD)

pTsd can occur afTer a person experiences or wiTnesses a deeply sTressful or TraumaTic evenT.

mooD DisorDers

people wiTh These condiTions have siGnificanT chanGes in mood, Generally involvinG eiTher mania, which is a period of hiGh enerGy and elaTion, or depression.

Figure 36

loneliness anD/or social isolation can lead To physical and menTal healTh proBlems. BoTh associaTed wiTh increased risk of premaTure morTaliTy, elevaTed Blood pressure, hearT proBlems, declininG physical funcTioninG, physical disaBiliTy, unhealThy Behaviours and worse overall self-reporTed healTh. iT affects people of all aGes anD from all BackGrounDs. however evidence shows ThaT social isolaTion is hiGher in The mosT deprived neiGhBourhoods.

people wiTh menTal healTh proBlems can experience siGnificanT stiGma anD social exclusion, have hiGher raTes of morBidiTy and morTaliTy and are aT increased risk of poor social ouTcomes such as unemploymenT, financial hardship and poverTy, homelessness and loss of human riGhTs.

people who used more local amenities and Those who raTed Their neiGhBourhood environmenT as hiGher quality are less likely To reporT occasional or frequent loneliness.

lack of work conTriBuTes To social isolaTion and exclusion as well as havinG siGnificanT implicaTions on income, daily rouTines and choices

a person ’ s position in society plays an imporTanT parT in shapinG their mental health experiences. The link Between social status anD mental health proBlems is ThouGhT To resulT from The level, frequency and duraTion of sTressful evenTs or episodes we experience and The availaBiliTy of social and individual sources of supporT ThaT can reduce Their impacT. xv