Understanding Mental Health: Key Facts & Insights

Mental health is about how people think, feel, and behave. Healthcare professionals treating mental health issues can help people cope with conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction, bipolar disorder, and other disorders that affect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Mental health issues can affect a person’s daily life, relationships, and physical health. However, some other factors and relationships can also contribute to people’s mental health. A person can maintain their ability to enjoy life by caring for their mental health.

This can be done by balancing work, life, responsibilities, and efforts to adapt psychological resilience. Stress, anxiety, and depression can affect mental health and may disrupt a person’s daily routine life. Although doctors often use the term “mental health,” they know that many mental health conditions may cause physical health conditions. In this article, we delve into what mental health means, what mental health conditions are, their most common types, signs, symptoms and how to treat them.

The WHO Definition of Mental Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) states, “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with life stresses, understand their abilities to learn and work well, and contribute to their community.” They also say that mental health is “more than the absence of mental disorders.” Optimum mental health is managing life challenges and difficulties by maintaining happiness and wellness. WHO also emphasizes caring for and restoring mental health is important at individual, community, and societal levels.

In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 1 in 4 adults in England experience a mental health problem each year and that rates of probable mental disorders remained stable in all age groups between 2022 and 2023. The prevalence shows that 20.7% of women aged 16 to 24 are more likely to experience common mental health problems than 13.2% of men.

Risk Factors

Mental health disorders can be triggered in anyone regardless of their age, sex, income, or ethnicity. In the UK and many other developed countries, depression is one of the leading causes of mental health issues. Other factors are adverse childhood experiences, biological (physical health, genetics, diet, sleep, or age), psychological (beliefs, mental health diagnoses, perception, or addictions), and social (relationships, family, culture, work, money, or housing). All these can shape a person’s mental health. Many people have more than one mental health disorder at the same time. Mental health depends on life factors, and many other things cause a mental health disorder.

Socioeconomic Pressure

Limited financial resources or belonging to an underprivileged group have a high risk of mental health disorders in a person. A 2015 Iranian study shows many socioeconomic causes of mental health conditions, such as poverty and living on the outskirts of a large city. They also described factors as flexible (modifiable) or inflexible (nonmodifiable). These factors also affect the availability and quality of mental health treatment for certain groups.

Modifiable factors can be changed, such as socioeconomic conditions, occupation, education, housing, and a person’s level of social involvement. Nonmodifiable factors are those that cannot be changed, such as age, gender, nationality, and ethnicity. The researchers also found that females are at increased risk of low mental health status by nearly four times. In this study, people with a “weak economic status” scored highest for getting mental health conditions.

Childhood Adversity

Many studies report that childhood traumas such as child abuse, parental separation, parental loss, and parental illness can significantly affect the physical and mental health of a growing child. The relation between childhood abuse and other adverse events and mental health disorders is proven. Adverse experiences also make people more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Biological Factors

A person with a family history of mental health conditions has a high chance of getting mental health conditions. The specific genes and gene variants put a person at higher risk of having mental health issues. However, in many cases, having a gene related to a mental health disorder will not cause mental health issues. So, people may have a mental health disorder without having related genes or a family history of mental health conditions. Underlying physical health issues, such as chronic pain, diabetes, and cancer, may cause chronic stress, depression, and anxiety.

Types of Mental Health Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health disorders in the UK. People who suffer from anxiety disorders have severe fear related to certain objects or situations. They try to avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety. The anxiety disorder has many examples, such as:

1-Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD is characterized by excessive fear or worry about something that disrupts a person’s everyday life. People may experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, restlessness, tense muscles, poor concentration, and disturbed sleep. People with GAD do not always have a specific trigger for anxiety symptoms. They may experience excessive anxiety when doing everyday tasks that do not pose a direct danger, such as home chores or appointments. Sometimes, without any trigger, a person with GAD may feel anxiety.

2-Panic Disorder

In this mental health condition, people experience regular panic attacks due to sudden, overwhelming terror or a sense of near disaster and death.

3-Phobias

There are many phobias types, and what is normal to one person might be a severe problem for another that disturbs their daily life. Different types of phobias are:

1. Simple phobias may involve an unreasonable fear of specific objects, scenarios, or animals. A fear of spiders is a good example.
2. Social phobia is also known as social anxiety. It is a fear of being watched or judged by others. People with social phobia avoid meeting people or socializing.
3. Agoraphobia is a fear of avoiding places or situations that might cause feelings of being trapped, panic, helpless or embarrassed. People with phobia may avoid standing in line, using public transport, and being in open or closed spaces.

4-OCD (Obsessive-compulsive Disorder)

OCD features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions. A person may have stressful thoughts and an urge to perform repetitive acts, such as handwashing.

5-PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)

A person may suffer from PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a stressful or traumatic event. They think their or other people’s lives are in danger after the event. They may have symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, fear, or uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders also refer as depressive disorders or affective disorders. People with mood disorders have significant mood changes, such as high energy and joy, depression or mania.

1-Major Depression

A person has a persistent sadness and loss of interest that once enjoyed. It also affects how you sleep, your appetite and your thinking ability. Symptoms, such as low mood, fatigue, and decreased concentration, may last most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.

2-Bipolar Disorder

It is a chronic mood disorder that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels and behaviour. A person has either a manic or depressive episode.

3-Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

It is a type of depression that comes and goes seasonally. Sometimes, SAD is known as “winter depression” because the symptoms are triggered by reduced daylight and are more severe during the fall, winter, and early spring months.

Schizophrenia Disorders

Schizophrenia disorders are highly complex conditions. It is a spectrum of disorders characterized by features of psychosis and other severe symptoms. It disrupts your brain’s work, interfering with thoughts, memory, senses and behaviours. A person will have fragmented thoughts and may find it hard to process information. The signs of schizophrenia typically develop between the ages of 16 and 30. It has five main symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and behaviour and negative symptoms.

Early Signs of Mental Health Issues

No physical test or scan can tell or determine whether a person has developed a mental health condition. However, few signs can help people to indicate if they or their friends or loved ones have developed mental health issues, such as:

1. If they or you are withdrawing from friends, family, and colleagues.
2. Loss of interest in activities you or they would usually enjoy.
3. Sleeping too much or too little.
4. Eating too much or too little.
5. Feeling hopeless or empty.
6. Have consistently low energy.
7. Being confused.
8. Show negative emotions like sadness, anger, fear, and anxiety.
9. Being unable to do daily tasks, such as getting to work or cooking a meal.
10. Using substances such as nicotine and alcohol to feel good or happy.
11. Experiencing delusions.
12. Hearing voices.
13. Thinking of causing physical harm to yourselves or others.

Diagnosis of Mental Health

Diagnosing a mental health disorder is a complex process that requires multisteps. A doctor may start by looking at a person’s medical history. They recommend performing a physical exam to rule out a physical condition that may cause the mental problem symptoms. It includes laboratory tests, such as imaging and blood tests, to check for possible underlying causes.

The doctors will also do a psychological evaluation and ask questions about symptoms, feelings, and how these affect the individual’s life. They ask a person to complete mental health questionnaires. It helps them to understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. Doctors use the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) for diagnosis.

Treatment of Mental Health Issues

Various methods are used to manage mental health issues. Every person is different from another. So, treatment is customized for each person because what works for one person may not work for another. Some treatments are more successful when used in combination with others. Working closely with a doctor who can help you identify your needs and provide suitable treatment is essential. Here are some treatment options for people with mental health issues.

1-Psychotherapy or Talking Therapies

Psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists, and some primary care physicians carry out these treatments. It includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy. Therapy may help people and their family members to understand the cause of their mental health issues. It also may help people manage their daily lives and reduce the risk of seclusion and self-harm.

2-Medication

Doctors may prescribe medications, such as antipsychotics, antidepressants, and drugs to reduce anxiety. These medications cannot cure mental health disorders. However, they can help improve symptoms and make their lives better. They also may help a person to manage their social interactions and routines. Some medications increase the production from the brain and absorption of feel-good chemicals, such as serotonin, in the body. Other medications maintain the levels of these chemicals or help prevent their degradation or destruction.

3-Self-help

A person coping with a mental health issue can manage their condition with the help of certain lifestyle changes. These changes can help them to make their life better, such as:

1. Eat a balanced and healthy diet.
2. Trying to improve sleep quality.
3. Taking time away from work, if this is possible.
4. Practising relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and meditation.
5. Reducing alcohol intake.
6. Quit smoking.
7. Regular exercise.

Self-help groups, family, and close friends can help motivate a person to bring positive change.

Myths vs. Facts about Mental Health

Many misconceptions are commonly held about mental health. Here are some examples:

Myths

1. A person with a mental health issue has low mental status.
2. Teenagers do not have mental health issues. The changes in their mood are due to their fluctuating hormones.
3. People with mental health conditions are unpredictable, violent, and dangerous.
4. Psychiatric medications are harmful.
5. People with bipolar disorder are moody and have frequent mood shifts.
6. A person with a mental health condition is physically weak. Such conditions would not affect strong people.
7. Bad parenting causes mental health conditions in teenagers or young people.
8. People with mental health issues cannot keep and perform well in a job.

Facts

1. Mental health issues can impact anyone regardless of their intelligence, income, or social status.
2. Teenagers may often have mood changes, but half of mental health issues symptoms begin by the age of 14.
3. Only 5% of violent crimes are committed by people with serious mental health disorders.
4. Mental health conditions are real, like other health conditions. Like other health conditions, a doctor may prescribe medication to help people manage their symptoms and daily lives.
5. Bipolar disorder episodes may last from weeks to months. Only the changes in a person’s state of emotion may happen quickly.
6. Anyone can have a mental health condition. It is not related to choice or willpower.
7. Many past adverse experiences and factors may influence a person’s physical and mental health. Parents’ and guardians’ relationships with children are just one factor. A person living in a supportive and loving home may have similar mental health disorders to someone who lives in a home with low prosperity.
8. People with mental health conditions can work well.

Conclusion

Mental health disorders are common, and anyone can suffer from it. As they vary in severity, many people can manage their symptoms and try to live an everyday life with treatment and support. They may learn new ways that help to manage their lives. The prevalence of mental health disorders is highest in people aged 18–25 years but drops significantly in people aged 50 years and over. Depression is a common mental health issue which is associated with chronic health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease.