Mental Health and Mental Illness
Mental illness and mental health are two terms that are often used as if they have a similar meaning. This is false, as the two have different meanings. Mental health is defined as the degree of one’s psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Mental health is essential in each phase of life, from infanthood to adulthood (Haeyen et al., 2018). On the other hand, mental illness is any disease that influences one’s feelings, actions, and thoughts. Mental illness affects how one interacts with other individuals around him (Happell et al., 2017). During their lifetime, everyone experiences issues about mental health, like how they have challenges in their physical health. However, not everyone is faced with mental illness.
The particular cause of the mental illness is not known, but various factors have been shown to predispose one to the disease. Mental illnesses can be caused by biological factors where they have been linked to the unusual performance of nerve cells (Haeyen et al., 2018). They may also be a result of hereditary factors as well as infections. Psychological factors can include severe mental trauma that occurred as a child, as well as the early death of a close person (Happell et al., 2017). Specific stressors in the environment may also cause mental illnesses. These stressors include swapping of jobs, divorce, and stressful family life.
One’s degree of mental health is essential to their well-being. Factors that affect mental health are self-esteem, sense of being loved, abuse, or bad behavior. The use of alcohol and drugs may also have adverse effects on one’s mental health (Haeyen et al., 2018). However, it is hard to definitively state the cause of mental health decline as many factors intertwine; for example, a person taking alcohol is also likely to be depressed.
Works cited
Haeyen, S., van Hooren, S., van der Veld, W. M., & Hutschemaekers, G. (2018). Promoting mental health versus reducing mental illness in art therapy with patients with personality disorders: a quantitative study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 58, 11-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.12.009
Happell, B., Wilson, K., Platania-Phung, C., & Stanton, R. (2017). Physical health and mental illness: listening to the voice of carers. Journal of Mental Health, 26(2), 127-133. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2016.1167854