Mental Health – Why it is so important for us

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. It is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Mental illnesses are conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood or behavior, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Such conditions may be occasional or long-lasting (chronic) and affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day.

Yes, it’s important to remember that a person’s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors.  When the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted.Health is important for development of the country. World health Organization (WHO ) defines health as “ a state of physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of  disease or infirmity”.  WHO defines mental health as mental well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.  In this positive sense, It is the foundation for individual well-being and the effective functioning of a community.

More than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders.  According to WHO, by the year 2020, depression will constitute the second largest disease burden worldwide (Murray & Lopez, 1996).  Global burden of mental health will be well beyond the treatment capacities of developed and developing countries.  The social and economic costs associated with growing burden of mental ill health focused the possibilities for promoting It as well as preventing and treating mental illness. Thus It is linked to behaviour and seen as fundamental to physical health and quality of life. This said, we can’t suddenly start promoting Ot overnight. It is definitely not a single-day programme. Ideally, it should begin with youngsters, in the form of a collective effort at the community level. And it can’t be led by a single or few health clinics. Good It is achieved with the help of good parenting, a good education, economic awareness, encouraging independence, and social and gender equality and liberty. Responsibility, concern, commitment and moral values should be taught as early as possible, both within and without the academic system.

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