Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. People sometimes use the term “mental health” to mean the absence of a mental disorder.
Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and physical health.
However, this link also works in the other direction. Factors in people’s lives, interpersonal connections, and physical factors can all contribute to mental health disruptions.
Looking after mental health can preserve a person’s ability to enjoy life. Doing this involves reaching a balance between life activities, responsibilities, and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.
Conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety can all affect mental health and disrupt a person’s routine.
Although the term mental health is in common use, many conditions that doctors recognize as psychological disorders have physical roots.
In this article, we explain what people mean by mental health and mental illness. We also describe the most common types of mental disorders, including their early signs and how to treat them.
Celebration of World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day (WMHD), celebrated annually on 10 October 2021, is organized by the World Federation for Mental Health and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The event represents a global commitment to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health situation in the Region, increasing new cases of mental health conditions and worsening pre-existing ones. It has also produced significant disruptions to services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. Populations that have historically faced a higher burden of mental health conditions and reduced access to treatment are being disproportionately affected by the mental health impacts of COVID-19.