mental health

(noun)

Emotional well-being, especially with reference to outlook on life, ability to cope with stress, or the absence of a mental disorder.

Related Terms

Examples of mental health in the following topics:

  • Mental Health

    • Different classes have different levels of access to treatment and encounter different mental health stressors.
    • Mental health describes a level of psychological well-being or the presence/absence of a mental disorder.
    • Members of different social classes often hold different views on mental health.
    • Similarly, different social classes have different levels of access to mental health interventions and to information about mental health.
    • Define mental health and explain why it is regarded as a socially constructed concept

  • Institutionalized Children

    • It has also been argued that institutionalized individuals become psychologically more prone to mental health problems.
    • Juvenile wards are sections of psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric wards set aside for children and/or adolescents with mental illness.
    • Deinstitutionalization is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health service for those diagnosed with a mental disorder or developmental disability.
    • Deinstitutionalization can have multiple definitions; the first focuses on reducing the population size of mental institutions.
    • Many state hospitals have mental health branches, such as the Northern Michigan Asylum.

  • The Experience of Illness

    • Illness, sometimes considered another word for disease, refers to a state of poor health.
    • Mental illness contains a diverse factors that contribute to the health of the mind.
    • The recognition and understanding of mental health conditions have changed over time and across cultures.
    • Statistics show that more and more people are being diagnosed with mental disorders.
    • The National Institute for Mental Health reports that over 40 million adults are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in a given year, accounting for 18 percent of the population.

  • Attitude and Health

    • Stress is highly correlated with both physical and mental health, so if we hold a certain attitude toward something that increases our stress level, our health may suffer as a result.
    • Moods also have important implications for mental and physical health.
    • Interpreting an event in a negative way is a risk factor for a host of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, aggression, poor self-esteem, and physiological stress, all of which negatively impact one's health and well-being.
    • In this way, they are better equipped mentally to handle setbacks in everyday life, as these are believed to be momentary.
    • Learned helplessness is associated with depression and anxiety, both of which threaten a person's physical and mental well-being; it can also contribute to poor health when people neglect diet, exercise, and medical treatment, falsely believing they have no power to change.

  • Introducing Health Psychology

    • Health psychology is the application of psychological theory and research to health, illness, and healthcare.
    • Public health psychologists present research results on epidemiological findings related to health behaviors to educators, policy makers, and health care providers in order to promote public health initiatives for at-risk groups.
    • Community health psychology investigates community factors that contribute to the health and well-being.
    • Community health psychology also develops community-level interventions that are designed to combat disease and promote physical and mental health.
    • Critical health psychology is concerned with the distribution of power and the impact of power differentials on health behaviors, healthcare systems, and health policy.

  • Global Health

    • Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations.
    • Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations.
    • It has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. " Thus, global health is about worldwide improvement of health, reduction of disparities, and protection against global threats that disregard national borders.
    • The application of these principles to the domain of mental health is called global mental health.
    • The major international agency for health is the World Health Organization (WHO) .

  • Defining Psychology

    • Psychology is the scientific study of human mental processes and behavior.
    • Psychology is the academic and applied study of mental functions and behaviors.
    • This field ultimately aims to benefit society, partly through its focus on better understanding of mental health and mental illness.
    • Clinical psychology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and mental illness.
    • Some are employed in industrial and organizational settings, in health-care settings, in the media, in sports, or in forensic investigation and other law-related fields.

  • Occupational Health and Safety

    • Occupational safety and health (OSH) is an interdisciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health, and welfare of people engaged in work.
    • Moral obligations involve the protection of an employee's life and health.
    • While physical health is usually the focus here, it is important to note that mental, emotional, and environmental health are relevant to this field as well.
    • In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
    • Department of Health and Human Services, is focused on research, information, education, and training in occupational safety and health.

  • The Labeling Approach

    • The labeling approach to health and illness claims that mental illness is manifested solely as a result of societal influence.
    • Hard labeling refers to those who argue that mental illness does not exist; it is merely deviance from the norms of society that cause people to believe in mental illness.
    • Labeling theory was first applied to the term "mentally ill" in 1966 when Thomas J.
    • Scheff published Being Mentally Ill.
    • Scheff challenged common perceptions of mental illness by claiming that mental illness is manifested solely as a result of societal influence.

  • Introduction

    • The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and does not consist only of the absence of disease or infirmity" (source) Though this is a useful definition, some would consider it idealistic and non-realistic because using the WHO definition classifies 70-95% of people as unhealthy.
    • The WHO definition also overlooks the fact that several factors influence both the definition of health and standards of health.
    • Health care (or healthcare) is an industry associated with the prevention, treatment, and management of illness along with the promotion of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions.
    • In 2000, health care costs paid to hospitals, doctors, diagnostic laboratories, pharmacies, medical device manufacturers and other components of the health care system, consumed an estimated 14 percent of the gross national product of the United States, the largest of any country in the world.
    • Importantly, this may be due to the United States' interesting position as - since The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 - a private, for profit system of managed care rather than a public good non-profit system of health promotion.