Mental health is a complex concept, encompassing all aspects of a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. These factors influence our behavior, cognition, and perception, and are largely responsible for how we react to stress and other events. Ultimately, our mental health determines our overall well-being and our ability to make good decisions. The following are some common factors that influence our mental health. Let’s take a closer look at each of these aspects.
In the case of psychological health, a person’s mental, emotional, and social well-being are influenced by their beliefs and experiences. Hence, it is important to cultivate a positive psychological state for a person to enjoy the benefits of his or her life. In addition to promoting overall wellbeing, a person’s emotional well-being will also contribute to their ability to understand and comprehend new experiences. While some people believe that psychological health is a personal issue, others hold that it is a collective concern.
In terms of training, the discipline of psychology is increasingly becoming specialized. For example, in the United States, the American Psychological Association recently added a division devoted to health psychology. In 1986, Joseph Matarazzo, APA President, gave a speech at the first divisional conference in which he defined the field of health psychology as “an interdisciplinary endeavor that combines the contributions of the discipline of psychology with the goals of promoting health, preventing illness, improving health care, and forming health policy.”
In the United States, an estimated one in five adults will suffer from a mental illness. These disorders can start at any age, although the majority of cases occur in young adulthood. The effects of mental illness can be short-lived, or last a lifetime. Some individuals suffer from more than one mental health disorder at a time. If a person does not receive the appropriate treatment for mental illness, their condition may worsen, and their quality of life may suffer.
Aside from addressing the causes and consequences of poor mental health, organizations can also improve their workplaces’ environment by improving their psychological safety. There are a variety of ways to improve a work environment that fosters employee psychological health. By creating a psychologically healthy environment, employers can enhance the health and productivity of their employees. In addition to reducing stress and improving overall morale, organizations also improve their productivity, sustainability, and growth. If you’re looking for an organization to improve employee psychological health, MyWorkplaceHealth can help.
The research on psychological health is complicated by bidirectionality. Although certain psychological attributes may be associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, markers such as C-reactive protein or heart rate variability do not necessarily predict future outcomes. There are numerous plausible biological and behavioral mechanisms that may explain the observed associations between positive psychological states and cardiovascular health. However, the majority of existing studies are observational and involve self-reporting of exposures. Furthermore, because there are several variables that may complicate causality, these studies are limited by their design.