MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILNESS

PROGRAMME: BS PSYCHOLOGY
SEMESTER: VIII
ROLL NO: 4532
SUBMITTED BY: HADIYA TARIQ
SUBMITTED TO: MA’AM SABA

GOVT POST GRADUATE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN (HARIPUR)

 CONTENT TABLE

S. NO. Title Page no.

1 What is mental health 1

2 What does mental health look like? 2
3 Mental health is about wellness rather than illness 3
4 The benefits of staying well 3
5 What is mental illness? 4
6 4D’s of abnormality 4
 1

What is mental health?

Mental health refers to our cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing - it is all about how

we think, feel, and behave. The term 'mental health' is sometimes used to mean an absence of a

mental disorder.

Mental health can affect daily life, relationships, and even physical health. Mental health also

includes a person's ability to enjoy life - to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to

achieve psychological resilience.

Definition

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, mental health is:

"Emotional, behavioral, and social maturity or normality; the absence of a mental or behavioral

disorder; a state of psychological well-being in which one has achieved a satisfactory integration

of one's instinctual drives acceptable to both oneself and one's social milieu; an appropriate

balance of love, work, and leisure pursuits."

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), mental health is:

"... a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with

the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a

contribution to his or her community."

The WHO stresses that mental health "is not just the absence of mental disorder."
 2

What Does Good Mental Health Look Like?

Having good mental health is NOT:

 Living life without problems

 Feeling jolly and happy 100 percent of the time

 Always having positive thoughts

 Being perfect

The above conditions are impossible because we're human and because we live in an imperfect

world. Besides, living like this would get boring, and we'd stagnate. People need challenges in

order to grow. So hooray for struggles.

Having good mental health does mean:

 Possessing a high degree of self-awareness (to recognize when things aren't right and

knowing how or what you want to improve)

 Being tuned in to your thoughts so you can test them for accuracy (for example, are

your thoughts focused on the negative and indicating that "everything" is wrong or that

you're completely worthless)

 Developing a wellness toolbox of strategies that help you move up the continuum toward

your personal definition of optimal wellbeing

 Recognizing the mind-body connection and that improving physical health also improves

mental health (and vice-versa)

 3

Mental health is about wellness rather than illness''

To make things a bit clearer, some experts have tried coming up with different terms to explain

the difference between ‘mental health’ and ‘mental health conditions’. Phrases such as ‘good

mental health’, ‘positive mental health’, ‘mental wellbeing’, ‘subjective wellbeing’ and even

‘happiness’ have been proposed by various people to emphasise that mental health is about

wellness rather than illness. While some say this has been helpful, others argue that using more

words to describe the same thing just adds to the confusion.

As a result, others have tried to explain the difference by talking about a continuum where

mental health is at one end of the spectrum – represented by feeling good and functioning well –

while mental health conditions (or mental illness) are at the other – represented by symptoms

that affect people’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour.

The Benefits of Staying Well

Research shows that high levels of mental health are associated with increased learning,

creativity and productivity, more pro-social behaviour and positive social relationships, and with

improved physical health and life expectancy. In contrast, mental health conditions can cause

distress, impact on day-to-day functioning and relationships, and are associated with poor

physical health and premature death from suicide.

But it’s important to remember that mental health is complex. The fact that someone is not

experiencing a mental health condition doesn’t necessarily mean their mental health is

flourishing.
 4

Likewise, it’s possible to be diagnosed with a mental health condition while feeling well in many

aspects of life. 

Ultimately, mental health is about being cognitively, emotionally and socially healthy – the way

we think, feel and develop relationships - and not merely the absence of a mental health

condition.

What is mental illness?

A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior,

resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines. 

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a

combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning

in social, work or family activities.

Mental illness is common. In a given year:

o nearly one in five (19 percent) U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness

o one in 24 (4.1 percent) has a serious mental illness*

o one in 12 (8.5 percent) has a diagnosable substance use disorder

Mental illness is treatable. The vast majority of individuals with mental illness continue to

function in their daily lives.

4D’s of Abnormality
Modern judgements of abnormality are are not based on any one criteria, instead it's influenced

by interaction of the the four Ds- dysfunction, distress, deviance, and dangerousness.

Dysfunctional: Behaviors and feelings are dysfunctional when they interfere with person's

ability to function in daily life, to hold a job, or form relationships.

Distress: Behaviors and feelings that cause distress to the individual or to others around him or

her are considered abnormal.

Deviant: Highly deviant behaviors like chronic lying or stealing lead to judgements of

abnormality.

Dangerous: Behaviors and feelings that are potentially harmful to an individual or the

individuals around them are seen as abnormal.

The four Ds together make up mental health professionals' definition of behaviors or feelings

being abnormal. They capture what most of us mean when we call something abnormal while

avoiding some of the problems of using only the cultural relativism, unusualness, distress, and

illness criteria. However, there is no sharp line between normal and abnormal.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary, depending on the disorder, circumstances and
other factors. Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviors.

Examples of signs and symptoms include:

 Feeling sad or down

 Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate

  Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt

 Extreme mood changes of highs and lows

 Withdrawal from friends and activities

 Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping

 Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations

 Inability to cope with daily problems or stress

 Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people

 Alcohol or drug abuse

 Major changes in eating habits

 Sex drive changes

 Excessive anger, hostility or violence

 Suicidal thinking

Sometimes symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as stomach
pain, back pain, headache, or other unexplained aches and pains.
REFERENCES:

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/recognizing-warning-signs

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543.php

https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/mental-illness-overview/mental-health-definition-what-is-

mental-health

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/what-is-mental-health

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543.php

http://smithjm0611.blogspot.com/2012/12/chapter-1-4-ds-of-abnormality.html