Psychological health is a broad term that includes mental, emotional and social well-being. It affects an individual’s cognition, perception and behavior, as well as how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships and decision-making.
The term is used frequently in health promotion and disease prevention programs to address issues such as anxiety, depression and addiction. Psychiatric care also involves medication and counseling.
Good psychological health is an essential component of wellness and should be a goal for every person. It is a complex and dynamic process that involves a wide range of factors including lifestyle, genetics and environmental influences.
Understanding how psychological health affects your life can help you to better manage and maintain it. Our licensed therapists can help you navigate this journey and understand what wellness looks like for you!
Mental Health in the Workplace
A psychologically healthy and safe workplace is one that promotes employee mental health, actively works to prevent harm to employee mental health due to negligent, reckless or intentional acts, and supports employees in their pursuit of a psychologically healthy and happy workplace. Improving workplace psychological health has a number of benefits, including improved worker satisfaction and engagement; reduced costs for health insurance, time off, and employee turnover; and increased productivity.
The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ9700-803/2013) is the first of its kind in the world. It is a set of voluntary guidelines, tools and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting their employees’ mental health and preventing psychological harm at work.
Psychological health and safety in the workplace is an important priority for the Labour Program, as it aims to support employers in creating fair, safe and productive workplaces. This Guideline provides relevant definitions, identifies risk factors, and offers practical strategies to promote and improve employee mental health in the workplace.
Mental health is a dynamic state of internal equilibrium that enables an individual to use their abilities in harmony with universal values of society. This includes the ability to recognize, express and modulate one’s own emotions as well as empathy with others; flexibility and ability to cope with adverse life events; and harmonious relationship between body and mind.
Flexibility is the capacity to adapt to change in one’s own beliefs and behaviour, to revise a course of action when necessary, and to modify an idea or approach in response to new evidence. This ability to adapt to a new situation is an essential component of resilience against distress and helps in the development of coping skills, such as problem-solving, assertiveness and self-regulation.
Personal development is the process of becoming more knowledgeable about your own mental and emotional health, to learn about different methods of dealing with stressful situations and to build a strong foundation for your future happiness and success. It includes self-reflection, a healthy lifestyle, positive social and family relationships, and learning about community resources for assistance.
Several studies have shown that poor mental health is linked to a variety of physical health concerns. For example, individuals who are depressed or have a mood disorder are more likely to have respiratory problems, infections and obesity, and to be at greater risk for developing cardiovascular diseases and cancer than their peers.