Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life, works productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute positively to his or her community.
Despite the fact that there are millions of people with mental disorders worldwide, they remain largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. This, together with stigma, discrimination and social exclusion, can impede treatment outcomes for individuals with mental disorders.
The societal and economic burden of mental disorders is enormous. They are associated with morbidity, mortality and disability – yet, worldwide, governments have not invested adequately in mental health care to address this burden. In many countries, the treatment gap is over 70%, leading to a large number of people who die untreated from serious mental illness and psychoactive substance use disorders.
When a person has a mental health condition, their thoughts and moods may change dramatically, often causing significant distress or problems with their daily functioning. This can happen suddenly or over a long period of time, depending on the condition and the person’s individual coping skills.
There are many ways to treat mental illnesses, including medicines, talk therapy and lifestyle changes such as exercise and avoiding drugs and alcohol. These therapies often help patients with their feelings and thoughts, as well as providing them with new coping strategies.
However, there are some situations where medicines or talking therapies can’t be used because of other medical conditions or other underlying issues that need to be treated before the patient is ready for them. In these cases, doctors and other healthcare professionals can take a variety of other steps to make sure patients have all the help they need to recover.
This can include: referring the patient to another healthcare professional for assessment, transferring them to hospital or a residential setting to receive treatment. These interventions can be done voluntarily or involuntarily.
A lot of mental health problems can be treated by talking to a mental health professional who is trained in a range of therapies. These types of interventions are often more effective than medicines and can be very helpful.
Some people may need to be committed to a mental health hospital for treatment, especially if their symptoms are severe or if they are at risk of harming themselves or others. This can be done voluntarily or involuntarily and may require the patient to have the support of their families and friends.
There are many different models of explanation for mental illness, but one common feature is that they all assume that a biological cause of the disorder is the main factor. This is because it is hoped that by presenting mental illness on the same footing as medical disease, society will understand the illness better and react less negatively towards those suffering from it.