Psychological health refers to a person’s overall well-being and their ability to cope with stress, have healthy relationships, and maintain a positive outlook on life. Having good psychological health is essential to enjoying a high quality of life, and it can be affected by mental illness or a variety of factors including family and peer support, physical health concerns, personal development, lifestyle choices, community concerns, and political and social justice issues. Because of this wide range of threats to psychological health, there are a multitude of professional services available that help people manage these challenges.
Mental illness can affect your psychological health, causing you to be more anxious or depressed and making it harder for you to focus on tasks, get along with others, and live a happy and fulfilling life. Fortunately, it’s possible to get better by taking medication and attending therapy sessions. Having a strong support system and sticking with your treatment plan will also improve your chances of getting better.
Symptoms of a mental health disorder may include difficulty sleeping, concentrating or remembering things, anger, anxiety, depression, withdrawal from friends and family members, low self-esteem, and an inability to perform daily activities and maintain a normal schedule. These symptoms may not always be apparent to those around you, but they can still have a profound impact on your life.
Psychologists have developed a definition of mental health that incorporates both emotional well-being and functional performance. The latter is based on the idea that people who are in a state of functional flourishing are those who have the cognitive skills to deal with their problems and make the most of opportunities. This involves an array of abilities, such as coping with negative emotions, interpersonal functioning, sensory strategies, managing emotions, memory, attention, and arousal/energy management.
A major factor affecting mental health is socioeconomic status. Poorer countries have lower levels of investment in mental health care, which results in higher rates of mental disorders and more unmet needs. This is largely due to the fact that many of these communities are often stigmatized and discriminated against, which makes them less likely to seek help.
In order to improve the state of mental health in a society, it is important to promote awareness and educate people on mental illnesses and how they can be treated. A large number of advocacy groups and charities exist to help raise funds for research, care, and rehabilitation programs for those with mental health conditions, and to combat the associated stigma. For example, the Changing Minds campaign was organized by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom to increase awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness. In the United States, entities such as The Manic Monologues and Born This Way Foundation work to remove the stigma that is attached to mental health issues. These organizations also offer help and support to families of patients. They also encourage the creation of more structured community facilities and treatments programs that provide access to long-term inpatient resources for those with mental illnesses.