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Mental Health Essay

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Introduction

Mental health, often overshadowed by its physical counterpart, is an intricate and essential aspect of human existence. It envelops our emotions, psychological state, and social well-being, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. With the complexities of modern life—constant connectivity, societal pressures, personal expectations, and the frenzied pace of technological advancements—mental well-being has become increasingly paramount. Historically, conversations around this topic have been hushed, shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. However, as the curtains of misconception slowly lift, we find ourselves in an era where discussions about mental health are not only welcomed but are also seen as vital. Recognizing and addressing the nuances of our mental state is not merely about managing disorders; it's about understanding the essence of who we are, how we process the world around us, and how we navigate the myriad challenges thrown our way. This essay aims to delve deep into the realm of mental health, shedding light on its importance, the potential consequences of neglect, and the spectrum of mental disorders that many face in silence.

Importance of Mental Health

Mental health plays a pivotal role in determining how individuals think, feel, and act. It influences our decision-making processes, stress management techniques, interpersonal relationships, and even our physical health. A well-tuned mental state boosts productivity, creativity, and the intrinsic sense of self-worth, laying the groundwork for a fulfilling life.

Negative Impact of Mental Health

Neglecting mental health, on the other hand, can lead to severe consequences. Reduced productivity, strained relationships, substance abuse, physical health issues like heart diseases, and even reduced life expectancy are just some of the repercussions of poor mental health. It not only affects the individual in question but also has a ripple effect on their community, workplace, and family.

Mental Disorders: Types and Prevalence

Mental disorders are varied and can range from anxiety and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia.

• Depression: Characterized by persistent sadness, lack of interest in activities, and fatigue.
• Anxiety Disorders: Encompass conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and specific phobias.
• Schizophrenia: A complex disorder affecting a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

The prevalence of these disorders has been on the rise, underscoring the need for comprehensive mental health initiatives and awareness campaigns.

Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

Mental health is not merely the absence of disorders but encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Recognizing the signs of deteriorating mental health, like prolonged sadness, extreme mood fluctuations, or social withdrawal, is crucial. Understanding stems from awareness and education. Societal stigmas surrounding mental health have often deterred individuals from seeking help. Breaking these barriers, fostering open conversations, and ensuring access to mental health care are imperative steps.

Conclusion: Mental Health

Mental health, undeniably, is as significant as physical health, if not more. In an era where the stressors are myriad, from societal pressures to personal challenges, mental resilience and well-being are essential. Investing time and resources into mental health initiatives, and more importantly, nurturing a society that understands, respects, and prioritizes mental health is the need of the hour.

• World Leaders: Several influential personalities, from celebrities to sports stars, have openly discussed their mental health challenges, shedding light on the universality of these issues and the importance of addressing them.
• Workplaces: Progressive organizations are now incorporating mental health programs, recognizing the tangible benefits of a mentally healthy workforce, from increased productivity to enhanced creativity.
• Educational Institutions: Schools and colleges, witnessing the effects of stress and other mental health issues on students, are increasingly integrating counseling services and mental health education in their curriculum.

In weaving through the intricate tapestry of mental health, it becomes evident that it's an area that requires collective attention, understanding, and action.

  Short Essay about Mental Health

Mental health, an integral facet of human well-being, shapes our emotions, decisions, and daily interactions. Just as one would care for a sprained ankle or a fever, our minds too require attention and nurture. In today's bustling world, mental well-being is often put on the back burner, overshadowed by the immediate demands of life. Yet, its impact is pervasive, influencing our productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Sadly, mental health issues have long been stigmatized, seen as a sign of weakness or dismissed as mere mood swings. However, they are as real and significant as any physical ailment. From anxiety to depression, these disorders have touched countless lives, often in silence due to societal taboos.

But change is on the horizon. As awareness grows, conversations are shifting from hushed whispers to open discussions, fostering understanding and support. Institutions, workplaces, and communities are increasingly acknowledging the importance of mental health, implementing programs, and offering resources.

In conclusion, mental health is not a peripheral concern but a central one, crucial to our holistic well-being. It's high time we prioritize it, eliminating stigma and fostering an environment where everyone feels supported in their mental health journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the primary focus of a mental health essay?

Answer: The primary focus of a mental health essay is to delve into the intricacies of mental well-being, its significance in our daily lives, the various challenges people face, and the broader societal implications. It aims to shed light on both the psychological and emotional aspects of mental health, often emphasizing the importance of understanding, empathy, and proactive care.

• How can writing an essay on mental health help raise awareness about its importance?

Answer: Writing an essay on mental health can effectively articulate the nuances and complexities of the topic, making it more accessible to a wider audience. By presenting facts, personal anecdotes, and research, the essay can demystify misconceptions, highlight the prevalence of mental health issues, and underscore the need for destigmatizing discussions around it. An impactful essay can ignite conversations, inspire action, and contribute to a more informed and empathetic society.

• What are some common topics covered in a mental health essay?

Answer: Common topics in a mental health essay might include the definition and importance of mental health, the connection between mental and physical well-being, various mental disorders and their symptoms, societal stigmas and misconceptions, the impact of modern life on mental health, and the significance of therapy and counseling. It may also delve into personal experiences, case studies, and the broader societal implications of neglecting mental health.

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• Mental Health Essay

Essay on Mental Health

According to WHO, there is no single 'official' definition of mental health. Mental health refers to a person's psychological, emotional, and social well-being; it influences what they feel and how they think, and behave. The state of cognitive and behavioural well-being is referred to as mental health. The term 'mental health' is also used to refer to the absence of mental disease. 

Mental health means keeping our minds healthy. Mankind generally is more focused on keeping their physical body healthy. People tend to ignore the state of their minds. Human superiority over other animals lies in his superior mind. Man has been able to control life due to his highly developed brain. So, it becomes very important for a man to keep both his body and mind fit and healthy. Both physical and mental health are equally important for better performance and results.

Importance of Mental Health 

An emotionally fit and stable person always feels vibrant and truly alive and can easily manage emotionally difficult situations. To be emotionally strong, one has to be physically fit too. Although mental health is a personal issue, what affects one person may or may not affect another; yet, several key elements lead to mental health issues.

Many emotional factors have a significant effect on our fitness level like depression, aggression, negative thinking, frustration, and fear, etc. A physically fit person is always in a good mood and can easily cope up with situations of distress and depression resulting in regular training contributing to a good physical fitness standard. 

Mental fitness implies a state of psychological well-being. It denotes having a positive sense of how we feel, think, and act, which improves one’s ability to enjoy life. It contributes to one’s inner ability to be self-determined. It is a proactive, positive term and forsakes negative thoughts that may come to mind. The term mental fitness is increasingly being used by psychologists, mental health practitioners, schools, organisations, and the general population to denote logical thinking, clear comprehension, and reasoning ability.

 Negative Impact of Mental Health

The way we physically fall sick, we can also fall sick mentally. Mental illness is the instability of one’s health, which includes changes in emotion, thinking, and behaviour. Mental illness can be caused due to stress or reaction to a certain incident. It could also arise due to genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, child abuse or trauma, social disadvantage, poor physical health condition, etc. Mental illness is curable. One can seek help from the experts in this particular area or can overcome this illness by positive thinking and changing their lifestyle.

Regular fitness exercises like morning walks, yoga, and meditation have proved to be great medicine for curing mental health. Besides this, it is imperative to have a good diet and enough sleep. A person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night on average. When someone is tired yet still can't sleep, it's a symptom that their mental health is unstable. Overworking oneself can sometimes result in not just physical tiredness but also significant mental exhaustion. As a result, people get insomnia (the inability to fall asleep). Anxiety is another indicator. 

There are many symptoms of mental health issues that differ from person to person and among the different kinds of issues as well. For instance, panic attacks and racing thoughts are common side effects. As a result of this mental strain, a person may experience chest aches and breathing difficulties. Another sign of poor mental health is a lack of focus. It occurs when you have too much going on in your life at once, and you begin to make thoughtless mistakes, resulting in a loss of capacity to focus effectively. Another element is being on edge all of the time.

It's noticeable when you're quickly irritated by minor events or statements, become offended, and argue with your family, friends, or co-workers. It occurs as a result of a build-up of internal irritation. A sense of alienation from your loved ones might have a negative influence on your mental health. It makes you feel lonely and might even put you in a state of despair. You can prevent mental illness by taking care of yourself like calming your mind by listening to soft music, being more social, setting realistic goals for yourself, and taking care of your body. 

Surround yourself with individuals who understand your circumstances and respect you as the unique individual that you are. This practice will assist you in dealing with the sickness successfully.  Improve your mental health knowledge to receive the help you need to deal with the problem. To gain emotional support, connect with other people, family, and friends.  Always remember to be grateful in life.  Pursue a hobby or any other creative activity that you enjoy.

What does Experts say

Many health experts have stated that mental, social, and emotional health is an important part of overall fitness. Physical fitness is a combination of physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Emotional fitness has been recognized as the state in which the mind is capable of staying away from negative thoughts and can focus on creative and constructive tasks. 

He should not overreact to situations. He should not get upset or disturbed by setbacks, which are parts of life. Those who do so are not emotionally fit though they may be physically strong and healthy. There are no gyms to set this right but yoga, meditation, and reading books, which tell us how to be emotionally strong, help to acquire emotional fitness. 

Stress and depression can lead to a variety of serious health problems, including suicide in extreme situations. Being mentally healthy extends your life by allowing you to experience more joy and happiness. Mental health also improves our ability to think clearly and boosts our self-esteem. We may also connect spiritually with ourselves and serve as role models for others. We'd also be able to serve people without being a mental drain on them. 

Mental sickness is becoming a growing issue in the 21st century. Not everyone receives the help that they need. Even though mental illness is common these days and can affect anyone, there is still a stigma attached to it. People are still reluctant to accept the illness of mind because of this stigma. They feel shame to acknowledge it and seek help from the doctors. It's important to remember that "mental health" and "mental sickness" are not interchangeable.

Mental health and mental illness are inextricably linked. Individuals with good mental health can develop mental illness, while those with no mental disease can have poor mental health. Mental illness does not imply that someone is insane, and it is not anything to be embarrassed by. Our society's perception of mental disease or disorder must shift. Mental health cannot be separated from physical health. They both are equally important for a person. 

Our society needs to change its perception of mental illness or disorder. People have to remove the stigma attached to this illness and educate themselves about it. Only about 20% of adolescents and children with diagnosable mental health issues receive the therapy they need. 

According to research conducted on adults, mental illness affects 19% of the adult population. Nearly one in every five children and adolescents on the globe has a mental illness. Depression, which affects 246 million people worldwide, is one of the leading causes of disability. If  mental illness is not treated at the correct time then the consequences can be grave.

One of the essential roles of school and education is to protect boys’ and girls' mental health as teenagers are at a high risk of mental health issues. It can also impair the proper growth and development of various emotional and social skills in teenagers. Many factors can cause such problems in children. Feelings of inferiority and insecurity are the two key factors that have the greatest impact. As a result, they lose their independence and confidence, which can be avoided by encouraging the children to believe in themselves at all times. 

To make people more aware of mental health, 10th October is observed as World Mental Health. The object of this day is to spread awareness about mental health issues around the world and make all efforts in the support of mental health.

The mind is one of the most powerful organs in the body, regulating the functioning of all other organs. When our minds are unstable, they affect the whole functioning of our bodies. Being both physically and emotionally fit is the key to success in all aspects of life. People should be aware of the consequences of mental illness and must give utmost importance to keeping the mind healthy like the way the physical body is kept healthy. Mental and physical health cannot be separated from each other. And only when both are balanced can we call a person perfectly healthy and well. So, it is crucial for everyone to work towards achieving a balance between mental and physical wellbeing and get the necessary help when either of them falters.

Mental Illness and Effective Treatments Essay

What is mental illness, treatments for mental illness, reference list.

Mental illness is a medical condition characterized by the disruption of an individual’s emotional, cognitive or behavioural functioning (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). The key influences to development of the condition are discussed below.

Causes of Mental Illness

Generally, the causes of several mental illnesses have not been established and remain unknown. “However, research into the issue has established that in many cases, the condition develops as a result of a combination of biological, psychological, and biochemical/hormonal factors” (Mayo Clinic, 2009).

Biologically, it is believed that individuals coming from families whose members have a history of mental illness are most susceptible to develop the condition.

This is because they may share a genetic vulnerability in developing the illness at some point in life. Being at that risk, the illness can be triggered by other factors depending on the individual’s way of life. Also, exposure to viruses or toxins while in the womb may lead to traumatic brain damage that can trigger the illness (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

Psychological issues that may lead to development of the illness can not be ruled out. For instance, unbearable experiences in life such as losing a loved one, poverty, and depression can trigger development of the illness (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

According to Chakraburtty (2009) upbringing is a factor that can cause the condition; for example, it may lead to poor self esteem or the inability to relate to others in the society. In addition to that, unbearable psychological trauma at early stages in life, such as sexual or emotional abuse can result in mental illness (Chakraburtty, 2009).

Biochemical causes (brain chemistry) are the changes that take place within the brain as a result of naturally occurring brain chemicals, and may lead to development of the condition. Generally, these changes and hormonal imbalances are associated with a person’s mood and other mental health issues. “It is thought that inherited traits, life experiences and biological factors can all affect brain chemistry linked to mental illnesses” (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

Treatment of mental illnesses depends on the type of illness, its level of development, and the way of life of the patient. In cases of extreme mental severity, for example schizophrenia, a team approach is appropriate. This ensures that all psychiatric, medical and social needs of the patient are met (Mayo Clinic, 2010). Various approaches are used for treatment of mental illness as described below.

Treatment Teams & Treatment Options

“The people who may be involved in the patient’s treatment include; a family doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, pharmacist, social workers, and important family members” (Mayo Clinic, 2010). However, if the condition of illness is mild, a family doctor, a psychiatrist, or a psychotherapist can handle the situation. Depending on the type, severity and doctor’s opinion, there are several treatments that can be prescribed for mental illness. Mostly, a combination of the medications brings the best results.

• Medications

Medications which can be prescribed include; antidepressants, mood-stabilizers, anti-anxiety, and antipsychotic medications (Mayo Clinic, 2010). Unfortunately, psychiatric medications do not cure the illness, but may help to increase the effectiveness of other treatments like psychotherapy.

• Psychotherapy

Generally, psychotherapy involves the process of treating mental illness by sharing about the condition with a mental health professional (Mayo Clinic, 2010). Psychotherapy helps the patient to understand his moods, condition, and behaviour, thus, imparting stress-management knowledge (American Psychiatric Association, 2011).

This treatment is usually completed after few months; however, it is advisable to extend the treatment for some time in order to get the best results. “Examples of psychotherapies include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)” (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

• Other Treatments

Other treatments that can be administered include: Brain-stimulation treatments; hospitalization and residential treatment programs; substance abuse treatment; and participation in own care (Mayo Clinic, 2010).

In conclusion, mental illness is a common occurrence which can be controlled through administering various medications as described earlier.

American Psychiatric Association. (2011). Mental Illness . Web.

Chakraburtty, A. (2009, February 9). Causes of Mental Illness . Retrieved from the WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-causes-mental-illness#1

Mayo Clinic. (2010, November 5). Mental Illness . Retrieved from the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968

Mayo Clinic. (2010, September 1). Mental Illness . Retrieved from the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2011). Mental Illness . Web.

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60 Conclusion

• Published: September 2018
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Positive mental health can contribute to better educational, employment, and social functioning. Public mental health includes both mental health promotion and prevention of mental ill health. Public mental health works at levels of general and whole population and society, vulnerable groups and individuals, and those needing early diagnosis and intervention. At each level different strategies are required. It is recognized that, when in distress, most individuals will seek help first from within their personal, social, and folk support systems and seek professional help only if that does not work. This depends upon healthcare systems and available resources. In this chapter the editors propose that public mental health is an important part of any healthcare system and suggest ways forward. They recognize that there is research evidence confirming the value of mental health promotion through education and empowerment, and by promoting strength and resilience through various local and national activities

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The Importance of Mental Health

Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Akeem Marsh, MD, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who has dedicated his career to working with medically underserved communities.

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Risk Factors for Poor Mental Health

Signs of mental health problems, benefits of good mental health, how to maintain mental health and well-being.

Your mental health is an important part of your well-being. This aspect of your welfare determines how you’re able to operate psychologically, emotionally, and socially among others.

Considering how much of a role your mental health plays in each aspect of your life, it's important to guard and improve psychological wellness using appropriate measures.

Because different circumstances can affect your mental health, we’ll be highlighting risk factors and signs that may indicate mental distress. But most importantly, we’ll dive into all of the benefits of having your mental health in its best shape.

Mental health is described as a state of well-being where a person is able to cope with the normal stresses of life. This state permits productive work output and allows for meaningful contributions to society.

However, different circumstances exist that may affect the ability to handle life’s curveballs. These factors may also disrupt daily activities, and the capacity to manage these changes. 

The following factors, listed below, may affect mental well-being and could increase the risk of developing psychological disorders .

Childhood Abuse

When a child is subjected to physical assault, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or neglect while growing up, it can lead to severe mental and emotional distress.

Abuse increases the risk of developing mental disorders like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or personality disorders.

Children who have been abused may eventually deal with alcohol and substance use issues. But beyond mental health challenges, child abuse may also lead to medical complications such as diabetes, stroke, and other forms of heart disease.

The Environment

A strong contributor to mental well-being is the state of a person’s usual environment . Adverse environmental circumstances can cause negative effects on psychological wellness.

For instance, weather conditions may influence an increase in suicide cases. Likewise, experiencing natural disasters firsthand can increase the chances of developing PTSD. In certain cases, air pollution may produce negative effects on depression symptoms.  

In contrast, living in a positive social environment can provide protection against mental challenges.

Your biological makeup could determine the state of your well-being. A number of mental health disorders have been found to run in families and may be passed down to members.

These include conditions such as autism , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , bipolar disorder , depression , and schizophrenia .

Your lifestyle can also impact your mental health. Smoking, a poor diet , alcohol consumption , substance use , and risky sexual behavior may cause psychological harm. These behaviors have been linked to depression.

When mental health is compromised, it isn’t always apparent to the individual or those around them. However, there are certain warning signs to look out for, that may signify negative changes for the well-being. These include:

• A switch in eating habits, whether over or undereating
• A noticeable reduction in energy levels
• Being more reclusive and shying away from others
• Feeling persistent despair
• Indulging in alcohol, tobacco, or other substances more than usual
• Experiencing unexplained confusion, anger, guilt, or worry
• Severe mood swings
• Picking fights with family and friends
• Hearing voices with no identifiable source
• Thinking of self-harm or causing harm to others
• Being unable to perform daily tasks with ease

Whether young or old, the importance of mental health for total well-being cannot be overstated. When psychological wellness is affected, it can cause negative behaviors that may not only affect personal health but can also compromise relationships with others. 

Below are some of the benefits of good mental health.

A Stronger Ability to Cope With Life’s Stressors

When mental and emotional states are at peak levels, the challenges of life can be easier to overcome.

Where alcohol/drugs, isolation, tantrums, or fighting may have been adopted to manage relationship disputes, financial woes, work challenges, and other life issues—a stable mental state can encourage healthier coping mechanisms.

A Positive Self-Image

Mental health greatly correlates with personal feelings about oneself. Overall mental wellness plays a part in your self-esteem . Confidence can often be a good indicator of a healthy mental state.

A person whose mental health is flourishing is more likely to focus on the good in themselves. They will hone in on these qualities, and will generally have ambitions that strive for a healthy, happy life.

Healthier Relationships

If your mental health is in good standing, you might be more capable of providing your friends and family with quality time , affection , and support. When you're not in emotional distress, it can be easier to show up and support the people you care about.

Better Productivity

Dealing with depression or other mental health disorders can impact your productivity levels. If you feel mentally strong , it's more likely that you will be able to work more efficiently and provide higher quality work.

Higher Quality of Life

When mental well-being thrives, your quality of life may improve. This can give room for greater participation in community building. For example, you may begin volunteering in soup kitchens, at food drives, shelters, etc.

You might also pick up new hobbies , and make new acquaintances , and travel to new cities.

Because mental health is so important to general wellness, it’s important that you take care of your mental health.

To keep mental health in shape, a few introductions to and changes to lifestyle practices may be required. These include:

• Taking up regular exercise
• Prioritizing rest and sleep on a daily basis
• Trying meditation
• Learning coping skills for life challenges
• Keeping in touch with loved ones
• Maintaining a positive outlook on life

Another proven way to improve and maintain mental well-being is through the guidance of a professional. Talk therapy can teach you healthier ways to interact with others and coping mechanisms to try during difficult times.

Therapy can also help you address some of your own negative behaviors and provide you with the tools to make some changes in your own life.

A Word From Verywell

Your mental health state can have a profound impact on all areas of your life. If you're finding it difficult to address mental health concerns on your own, don't hesitate to seek help from a licensed therapist .

World Health Organization. Mental Health: Strengthening our Response .

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 Helbich M. Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(10):2207. Published 2018 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph15102207

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National Institutes of Health. Common Genetic Factors Found in 5 Mental Disorders .

Zaman R, Hankir A, Jemni M. Lifestyle Factors and Mental Health . Psychiatr Danub . 2019;31(Suppl 3):217-220.

Medline Plus. What Is mental health? .

National Alliance on Mental Health. Why Self-Esteem Is Important for Mental Health .

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Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory [Internet]. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2021.

Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory [Internet].

As we learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, and start recovering and rebuilding, we have an opportunity to offer a more comprehensive, more fulfilling, and more inclusive vision of what constitutes public health. And for a generation of children facing unprecedented pressures and stresses, day in and day out, change can’t come soon enough.

It won’t come overnight. Many of the recommendations offered in this Advisory require structural buy-in and change.

But everyone has a role to play in combating this mental health pandemic. Without individual engagement, no amount of energy or resources can overcome the biggest barrier to mental health care: the stigma associated with seeking help. For too long, mental and emotional health has been considered, at best, the absence of disease, and at worst, a shame to be hidden and ignored.

If we each start reorienting our priorities to create accessible space in our homes, schools, workplaces, and communities for seeking and giving assistance, we can all start building a culture that normalizes and promotes mental health care.

This is the moment to demand change—with our voices and with our actions.

Only when we do will we be able to protect, strengthen, and support the health and safety of all children, adolescents, and young adults—and ensure everyone has a platform to thrive.

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Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace pp 177–188 Cite as

Conclusion: Toward Mental Health for All and by All

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Looking toward the future, it is expected that mental well-being and work-life balance will become a necessary cornerstone to a successful organization’s mission and a central function of its management. This will require us as to reflect on our own capabilities and failings, abandon our fears of stigma and vulnerability, and adopt the courage to work with our employees, listen to them, and institute holistic change that will make for a more purposeful work experience and, ultimately, a more prosperous organization.

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Professor Vikram Patel describes this approach and his philosophy in his TED Talk available on https://www.ted.com/talks/vikram_patel_mental_health_for_all_by_involving_all , accessed June 2017.

Jeff Fromm, “Millennials in the Workplace: They Don’t Need Trophies but They Want Reinforcement,” Forbes , November 6, 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2015/11/06/millennials-in-the-workplace-they-dont-need-trophies-but-they-want-reinforcement/2/#1c44602e1eb6 , accessed January 2017

Richard Fry, “Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers as America’s Largest Generation,” Pew Research Center, April 26, 2016, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/ , accessed January 2017

Samantha Raphelson, “Amid the Stereotypes, Some Facts about Millennials,” NPR, November 18, 2014, http://www.npr.org/2014/11/18/354196302/amid-the-stereotypes-some-facts-about-millennials , accessed January 2017

Jessica Brack, “Maximizing Millennials in the Workplace,” UNC Keenen-Flagler 2012 Executive Education Program, http://avds.com/images/blog/UNC_Millenials_Workplace_Study.pdf , accessed January 2017

Goldman Sachs, “Millennials: Coming of Age,” 2016, http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/pages/millennials/ , accessed January 2017.

Jeff Fromm, “10 Things Millennial CEOs Will Reimagine in America,” Forbes , April 8, 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2014/04/08/10-things-millennial-ceos-will-reimagine-in-america/#6046059d5ee2 , accessed January 2017

Maanvi Singh, “Is the Resilience of Millennials Underrated?” NPR, October 12, 2015, http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/10/12/446928518/is-the-resilience-of-millennials-underrated , accessed April 2017.

Lindsay Holmes, “What Happens When Major Companies Take Mental Health Seriously,” The Huffington Post , May 16, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mental-health-workplace_us_572b5a92e4b016f37894d142 , accessed March 2017.

Adam Grant, “The Helping Hand Strikes Again,” Pulse via LinkedIn, April 21, 2013, available via https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130421122648-69244073-helicopter-managers-the-helping-hand-strikes-again , accessed March 2017

Mark Schwartz, “Robert Sapolsky discusses physiological effects of stress,” Stanford Report , March 7, 2007, http://news.stanford.edu/news/2007/march7/sapolskysr-030707.html , accessed March 2017.

Questions from http://www.psychguides.com/interact/mental-health-misconceptions-analyzing-americas-awareness-of-common-conditions/ , accessed March 2017.

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Mental Health Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on mental health.

Every year world mental health day is observed on October 10. It was started as an annual activity by the world federation for mental health by deputy secretary-general of UNO at that time. Mental health resources differ significantly from one country to another. While the developed countries in the western world provide mental health programs for all age groups. Also, there are third world countries they struggle to find the basic needs of the families. Thus, it becomes prudent that we are asked to focus on mental health importance for one day. The mental health essay is an insight into the importance of mental health in everyone’s life. 

Mental Health

In the formidable years, this had no specific theme planned. The main aim was to promote and advocate the public on important issues. Also, in the first three years, one of the central activities done to help the day become special was the 2-hour telecast by the US information agency satellite system. 

Mental health is not just a concept that refers to an individual’s psychological and emotional well being. Rather it’s a state of psychological and emotional well being where an individual is able to use their cognitive and emotional capabilities, meet the ordinary demand and functions in the society. According to WHO, there is no single ‘official’ definition of mental health.

Thus, there are many factors like cultural differences, competing professional theories, and subjective assessments that affect how mental health is defined. Also, there are many experts that agree that mental illness and mental health are not antonyms. So, in other words, when the recognized mental disorder is absent, it is not necessarily a sign of mental health. 

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

One way to think about mental health is to look at how effectively and successfully does a person acts. So, there are factors such as feeling competent, capable, able to handle the normal stress levels, maintaining satisfying relationships and also leading an independent life. Also, this includes recovering from difficult situations and being able to bounce back.  

Important Benefits of Good Mental Health

Mental health is related to the personality as a whole of that person. Thus, the most important function of school and education is to safeguard the mental health of boys and girls. Physical fitness is not the only measure of good health alone. Rather it’s just a means of promoting mental as well as moral health of the child. The two main factors that affect the most are feeling of inferiority and insecurity. Thus, it affects the child the most. So, they lose self-initiative and confidence. This should be avoided and children should be constantly encouraged to believe in themselves.

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Is it OK to discuss mental health in an essay?

Mental health struggles can create challenges you must overcome during your education and could be an opportunity for you to show how you’ve handled challenges and overcome obstacles. If you’re considering writing your essay for college admission on this topic, consider talking to your school counselor or with an English teacher on how to frame the essay.

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Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Students are often asked to write an essay on Mental Health And Well Being in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Understanding mental health.

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act. Like physical health, it’s important for our overall well-being. Good mental health helps us handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Signs of Strong Mental Health

When our mental health is good, we enjoy life, laugh, and have a positive attitude. We can also deal with hard times and bounce back. It’s like having a strong muscle that helps us lift life’s weights.

Keeping Our Mind Healthy

To keep our minds fit, we need to do certain things. Talking about feelings, staying active, eating healthy food, and getting enough sleep are like vitamins for our mental health.

Getting Help

Sometimes, our mental health might suffer. It’s okay to ask for help if we feel too sad, worried, or angry. Talking to family, friends, or a counselor can make a big difference.

Just like taking care of our body, we must take care of our mind. It’s a key part of being happy and doing well in life. Remember, it’s okay to reach out and talk about our feelings.

250 Words Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Mental health is all about how we think, feel, and behave. Just like we take care of our bodies by eating right and exercising, we need to take care of our minds too. Good mental health helps us enjoy life, bounce back from problems, and get along with others.

Signs of Strong Mental Well Being

When our mental health is good, we feel happy, relaxed, and ready to tackle challenges. We sleep well, enjoy spending time with friends and family, and feel positive about ourselves. It’s normal to feel sad or worried sometimes, but these feelings don’t last long.

When Mental Health Suffers

Sometimes, our mental health might not be so good. We might feel down, anxious, or have trouble with our thoughts. It can be hard to do everyday things like going to school or hanging out with friends. If these feelings stick around, it’s important to talk to someone, like a parent or a teacher.

Talking is a powerful way to improve mental health. Sharing our worries with someone we trust can make us feel better. Sometimes, we might need help from a doctor or a counselor. They can teach us ways to handle tough emotions and look after our mental well being.

Keeping Our Minds Healthy

Just like eating fruits and veggies for our body, there are things we can do for our mind. Exercising, getting enough sleep, and doing things we enjoy can keep our mental health in good shape. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, and taking care of our mental health is important for everyone.

500 Words Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act. Just like we take care of our bodies by eating right and exercising, we need to take care of our minds too. Good mental health means we can handle our emotions, deal with problems, and enjoy life. It’s not just about not being sick; it’s about feeling okay on the inside.

Why Mental Health Matters

When our minds are healthy, we can make friends, learn new things, and feel confident. If we don’t take care of our mental health, we might feel sad, worried, or angry a lot. It’s like when you have a cold, and you can’t do all the fun things you like. When our minds are not feeling well, it can be hard to do our best at school or have fun with our friends.

Ways to Keep Our Minds Healthy

There are simple things we can do to keep our minds happy. Talking to people we trust about our feelings is a good start. It’s okay to say if something is bothering us. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and playing or exercising are also important. When we move around and have fun, our minds feel better too.

Dealing with Tough Times

Sometimes, bad things happen, like failing a test or fighting with a friend. It’s normal to feel upset, but we shouldn’t let these feelings take over. We can take deep breaths, count to ten, or talk to someone to feel better. If we still feel down or if the problem is too big, asking for help from a grown-up, like a parent or teacher, is a smart idea.

Getting Help When Needed

If we have a toothache, we go to the dentist, right? It’s the same with our minds. If we feel really sad, scared, or worried all the time, we might need to see a doctor for our minds, called a psychologist or psychiatrist. They can listen and help us feel better. There’s no shame in getting help—just like there’s no shame in getting a bandage when we fall and scrape our knee.

Supporting Others

We can also help our friends with their mental health. If we see a friend who seems sad or upset, we can ask them if they’re okay and listen to them. Being kind and understanding can make a big difference to someone who is having a hard time.

Mental health is a big part of our well-being. By taking care of our minds, talking about our feelings, and getting help when we need it, we can all feel better and live happier lives. Remember, it’s as important to keep our minds healthy as it is to keep our bodies healthy. Let’s promise to take care of both!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Shravya Kakulamarri in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

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• Should You Include Mental Health History in Your Application?

How to Talk about Mental Health in College Applications

Taking care of your health in college.

Many students wonder if they should discuss mental health or disability in their college applications. Mental health history or a disability might be an integral part of who a student is, but that doesn’t necessarily make it relevant to a college application. Keep in mind that it is actually illegal for colleges to ask for these types of details about your life because it can be considered discrimination. So, colleges will never directly ask if you’ve had any sort of mental health issue or if you’ve ever had a disability. Based on this reason alone, you are not required to disclose mental or physical health concerns on your application. 

Disclosing your mental or physical health is strictly a matter of personal choice. If you leave out this information, it is not lying and 100% within your legal right to do so. 

Should You Include Mental Health History in Your Application? 

Before you choose whether to disclose your history of mental health or disability, you should think about the purpose of a college application. Everything that you put in your college application should contribute to an overall positive image of who you are as a student and member of the community. 

You usually don’t want to hide integral parts of who you are, but you also don’t want to be sharing challenges that are not going to strengthen your application. This is true not only for mental health or disabilities but also for academics, extracurriculars, and other experiences. Normally, students don’t bring up the time that they got a C or D in a class on their application. Everything that you include on your application should paint the most positive image of you possible. You always want to put your best foot forward and keep the focus on your strengths. 

You don’t want colleges to doubt your ability to succeed and perform well under pressure. If you mention any mental health concerns, they might use that as a way to question if you will do well at their school and be able to handle their rigorous course load. While colleges are supportive of their students’ mental health challenges and provide resources and services, you don’t want their first impression of you on your application to be something that makes them uncertain of your abilities. So, keep this in mind when deciding whether to disclose your mental health history. 

If you decide to include your mental health or disability history in your application , there are specific aspects of your experience that you should focus on. Rather than talking about the mental illness itself, focus more on the recovery and management aspects and what you have learned from the experience. 

Discuss things like how you have grown and the coping methods that you have cultivated due to the experience. These will give the admissions officer an idea of the types of strategies that you’ll likely use in college anytime that you encounter a stressful situation. 

Overall, if you choose to talk about mental health in your applications, focus on the learning and growth that you’ve gained because of it. 

Mental health is an important part of your well-being, and it’s essential to start good habits in high school . This way, you’ll be better prepared to cope when you face new challenges in college. You’ll likely be experiencing living on your own for the first time and have new responsibilities without the same support system that you had at home. It’s crucial to learn how to take care of your mental health early.

Fortunately, most students will have many resources at college to help them through mental health challenges. If you’re dealing with any mental health struggles, there is usually an office of wellness where you can schedule a time to see a therapist. This is usually provided with your school’s health insurance. If this is something that you are concerned about for your college experience, make sure to look into what mental health resources each college provides before applying. 

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The subject of psychiatric diagnosis highlights some key debates in the world of mental health, which also apply to how to treat people with mental health problems. At the heart of these debates are questions that have helped inform this course about the nature of mental health problems, such as:

• In relation to the medical perspective – what is the role of physiological, biological or neurological factors in causing mental health problems?
• In relation to the psychological and social need perspectives – how important are psychological and/or social factors in causing or triggering mental health problems?

In this free course, Making sense of mental health problems , you have also been encouraged to start exploring the extent to which practitioners take account of all the different possible causes of mental health problems. For instance, when the psychiatrist, clinical psychologist and social worker discussed Mandy's case, they tried to make sense of the challenges that Mandy is facing.

If you have previously studied courses about mental health, you will have already started to explore questions related to the various perspectives in the field; however, this is something you will think about in more depth if you study K314 Approaches to mental health [ Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. ( Hide tip ) ] at The Open University. If you are interested in Level 2 studies (instead of level 3), K240 Mental health and community may be of interest to you.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course K314 Approaches to mental health .

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Mental health care is hard to find, especially for people with Medicare or Medicaid

Rhitu Chatterjee

With rates of suicide and opioid deaths rising in the past decade and children's mental health declared a national emergency , the United States faces an unprecedented mental health crisis. But access to mental health care for a significant portion of Americans — including some of the most vulnerable populations — is extremely limited, according to a new government report released Wednesday.

The report, from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, finds that Medicare and Medicaid have a dire shortage of mental health care providers.

The report looked at 20 counties with people on Medicaid, traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which together serve more than 130 million enrollees — more than 40% of the U.S. population, says Meridith Seife , the deputy regional inspector general and the lead author of the report.

Medicaid serves people on low incomes, and Medicare is mainly for people 65 years or older and those who are younger with chronic disabilities.

The report found fewer than five active mental health care providers for every 1,000 enrollees. On average, Medicare Advantage has 4.7 providers per 1,000 enrollees, whereas traditional Medicare has 2.9 providers and Medicaid has 3.1 providers for the same number of enrollees. Some counties fare even worse, with not even a single provider for every 1,000 enrollees.

"When you have so few providers available to see this many enrollees, patients start running into significant problems finding care," says Seife.

The findings are especially troubling given the level of need for mental health care in this population, she says.

"On Medicare, you have 1 in 4 Medicare enrollees who are living with a mental illness," she says. "Yet less than half of those people are receiving treatment."

Among people on Medicaid, 1 in 3 have a mental illness, and 1 in 5 have a substance use disorder. "So the need is tremendous."

The results are "scary" but "not very surprising," says Deborah Steinberg , senior health policy attorney at the nonprofit Legal Action Center. "We know that people in Medicare and Medicaid are often underserved populations, and this is especially true for mental health and substance use disorder care."

Among those individuals able to find and connect with a provider, many see their provider several times a year, according to the report. And many have to drive a long way for their appointments.

"We have roughly 1 in 4 patients that had to travel more than an hour to their appointments, and 1 in 10 had to travel more than an hour and a half each way," notes Seife. Some patients traveled two hours each way for mental health care, she says.

Mental illnesses and substance use disorders are chronic conditions that people need ongoing care for, says Steinberg. "And when they have to travel an hour, more than an hour, for an appointment throughout the year, that becomes unreasonable. It becomes untenable."

"We know that behavioral health workforce shortages are widespread," says Heather Saunders , a senior research manager on the Medicaid team at KFF, the health policy research organization. "This is across all payers, all populations, with about half of the U.S. population living in a workforce shortage."

But as the report found, that's not the whole story for Medicare and Medicaid. Only about a third of mental health care providers in the counties studied see Medicare and Medicaid patients. That means a majority of the workforce doesn't participate in these programs.

This has been well documented in Medicaid, notes Saunders. "Only a fraction" of providers in provider directories see Medicaid patients, she says. "And when they do see Medicaid patients, they often only see a few."

Lower reimbursement rates and a high administrative burden prevent more providers from participating in Medicaid and Medicare, the report notes.

"In the Medicare program, they set a physician fee rate," explains Steinberg. "Then for certain providers, which includes clinical social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, they get reimbursed at 75% of that rate."

Medicaid reimbursements for psychiatric services are even lower when compared with Medicare , says Ellen Weber , senior vice president for health initiatives at the Legal Action Center.

"They're baking in those discriminatory standards when they are setting those rates," says Steinberg.

The new report recommends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) take steps to increase payments to providers and lower administrative requirements. In a statement, CMS said it has responded to those recommendations within the report.

According to research by Saunders and her colleagues at KFF, many states have already started to take action on these fronts to improve participation in Medicaid.

Several have upped their payments to mental health providers. "But the scale of those increases ranged widely across states," says Saunders, "with some states limiting the increase to one provider type or one type of service, but other states having rate increases that were more across the board."

Some states have also tried to simplify and streamline paperwork, she adds. "Making it less complex, making it easier to understand," says Saunders.

But it's too soon to know whether those efforts have made a significant impact on improving access to providers.

CMS has also taken steps to address provider shortages, says Steinberg.

"CMS has tried to increase some of the reimbursement rates without actually fixing that structural problem," says Steinberg. "Trying to add a little bit here and there, but it's not enough, especially when they're only adding a percent to the total rate. It's a really small increase."

The agency has also started covering treatments and providers it didn't use to cover before.

"In 2020, Medicare started covering opioid treatment programs, which is where a lot of folks can go to get medications for their substance use disorder," says Steinberg.

And starting this year, Medicare also covers "mental health counselors, which includes addiction counselors, as well as marriage and family therapists," she adds.

While noteworthy and important, a lot more needs to be done, says Steinberg. "For example, in the substance use disorder space, a lot of addiction counselors do not have a master's degree. And that's one of their requirements to be a counselor in the Medicare program right now."

Removing those stringent requirements and adding other kinds of providers, like peer support specialists, is key to improving access. And the cost of not accessing care is high, she adds.

"Over the past two decades, [in] the older adult population, the number of overdose deaths has increased fourfold — quadrupled," says Steinberg. "So this is affecting people. It is causing deaths. It is causing people to go to the hospital. It increases [health care] costs."

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health: Awareness and Acceptance

Breaking The Stigma of Mental Health: Awareness and Acceptance

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Words: 761 |

Published: Sep 12, 2023

Words: 761 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The complex nature of mental health stigma, the role of awareness in dismantling stigma, the transformative power of acceptance, impact on prevention, treatment, and recovery.

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The Menstrual Mood Disorder You’ve Never Heard About

E ver since she was a teenager, Tanya knew her mood swings were a problem. She had periodic bouts of anger and depression that left her wanting to die. Her life was a roller coaster of highs and lows but doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Five years ago, she decided she’d had enough. She wanted to end her life.

Tanya managed to talk herself out of it and instead did some googling. She stumbled across a website about premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a menstrual mood disorder, that impacts roughly 3 to 8% of menstruators. PMDD means having severe and debilitating mood swings right around one’s period. Around a third of people with PMDD have attempted suicide, and over  70% have regular suicidal ideation .

“It just hit me,” Tanya told me. “I went through my life and so many moments made sense.” She called her doctor the next day. He sent her to get tested for diabetes.

Tanya finally managed to get a PMDD diagnosis in 2019 at the age of 26, but she was haunted by the question: Why had she never heard of PMDD before and why was it so hard to get a diagnosis?

Although research shows suicidal ideation is linked to specific times during the menstrual cycle, today most people still haven’t heard of PMDD, including doctors. According to a 2022 survey of PMDD patients, over a third said their general practitioners had no knowledge of premenstrual disorders, and about 40% said their mental-health-care providers had no knowledge of premenstrual disorders. But PMDD has been around since periods have been around and we’ve known about it for nearly a century.

So why aren’t we getting people the help they need? The answer, as history shows, is more complicated than we think.

While the menstrual cycle has been notoriously understudied, the first papers on PMDD appeared in 1930s. In the 1950s British physician Dr. Katrina Dalton began studying PMDD —or “premenstrual syndrome” as she called it, and opened a clinic in London . Still, PMDD mostly flew under the radar until 1980, when Dalton served as a medical expert for three women accused of crime. During the trials Dalton showed that the women committed the crimes right before their period, and that their symptoms disappeared with treatment. She was able to get them a reduced sentence.

Overnight there was a media boom around PMS. The magazine Glamour even polled readers about the validity of using PMS as a legal defense: (24% were for, 71% against, and 5% unsure). As a result, the growing awareness around PMS bled over to the medical community. In 1984 psychiatrist Robert Spitzer proposed PMS should be added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the handbook used by doctors to diagnosis mental health problems. Spitzer was the chair of the committee revising the third version of the DSM, and he’d been getting several invites to conferences about PMS. Adding PMS to the DSM meant that the medical community was recognizing it as a formal disorder that could be diagnosed and treated.

Read More: 5 Foods That Ease PMS Symptoms

However, experts were divided on where to draw the line between PMDD (the severe, debilitating mood swings) and PMS (garden variety grumpiness and irritability). When the Washington Post asked experts about the prevalence of PMS in 1984, estimates ranged from 3% to 90% of women . In a sense, both of these estimates were true: only a few people have severe symptoms, but up to 90% of people do have mild symptoms before their period. It became clear that experts were conflating PMDD and PMS and this was reflected in popular culture. Suddenly, anyone who had a period was seen as unstable. Products with sexist jokes abounded, such as greeting cards that read “What’s the difference between a woman with PMS and a terrorist? Answer: You can negotiate with a terrorist.”

Controversy erupted. A group of feminists spearheaded a campaign to stop PMDD’s inclusion in the DSM. They argued that including PMDD would be tantamount to calling menstruation a mental illness. Much of their reaction was rooted in the atmosphere of the ‘70s and ‘80s as women were fighting for gender equality on several fronts from work to reproductive rights. In the 1970s, for the first time, over half of women were working outside the home. The Supreme Court ruled to protect the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade. However, this equality was also precarious and under threat—conservatives defeated the Equal Rights Amendment which would have prohibited gender discrimination. For feminists, PMDD and the sexist jokes it generated seemed to be another attempt to discredit women and chip away at the progress feminists had made for women’s rights.

One of PMDD’s major critics, Dr. Joan Chrisler, attended a lecture in the 1970s, early on in her career on why there were no great women artists or novelists. The conclusion: women’s creativity declines when they are menstruating. This inspired Chrisler to devote her career to fighting menstrual stigma. In an era rife with sexism, adding PMDD to the DSM set off alarm bells.

Read More: A History of How Employers Have Addressed Women’s Periods

To further complicate matters, in the early 2000s, drug manufacturer Eli Lilly stuck its finger in the pie. Eli Lilly’s patent on its blockbuster drug Prozac, which treated depression, was set to expire and it’s share prices had tanked. The company desperately needed a new market that would buy Prozac.

Eli Lilly landed on PMDD as their next likely market. Early studies already suggested that Prozac could treat PMDD, but the problem was that experts were still debating whether PMDD belonged in the DSM as an official diagnosis at all. Undaunted, Eli Lilly embarked on a massive campaign to market Prozac to people with PMDD. It sponsored a round table discussion on Prozac’s effectiveness for PMDD, which found that at least 60% of patients with PMDD respond to antidepressants. It repackaged Prozac as “Serafem” a play on the word “seraphim”, the angels who guard the throne of God. If that wasn’t enough to drive home the point, they changed Prozac’s green and yellow pills to pink and purple. Finally, they rolled out a series of ads that suggested any woman who was feeling grumpy should consider medication. The ads didn’t distinguish between PMDD and PMS. Rather, they imply any sign of irritability in women should be treated.

This unleashed another wave of furor. Feminists were insulted—and rightfully so. The last thing the women’s movement needed was a drug companies suggesting a woman’s anger is a mental health condition. The media had a field day writing about drug companies “inventing” new diseases and marketing drugs without diagnoses. (Tragically, Prozac actually works on PMDD. Studies have found SSRIs like Prozac can relieve PMDD symptoms in up to twelve hours, even though it takes weeks to work for anxiety and depression.)

In some ways the feminists lost their battle. PMDD eventually did become a diagnosis in the DSM in 2013, nearly three decades after it’d been first debated in the ‘80s. In other ways, they won the war. Dr. Tory Eisenlohr-Moul, a premenstrual mood disorder researcher at the University of Illinois Chicago, estimates that the backlash around PMDD set care back by 10 to 15 years. She pointed out there’s been a chilling effect on the conversation around the link between menstruation and mood. Doctors are afraid to bring it up, because they don’t want patients to think they are sexist.

Yet, in reality, the biggest victims of the fight over PMDD’s existence are people who have PMDD and the people who love them. Today, thousands of people still suffer because they don’t know they have PMDD.

Tanya’s PMDD diagnosis changed her life. While she elected not to try medication, the diagnosis alone helped her understand her breakdowns, and helped her explain what was going on to family and friends. She decided to train in psychotherapy so she can help other people understand PMDD. “My tutor has been a counselor for 10 years and still hasn’t heard of PMDD,” she said. “I want to help people work through this pain.”

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How Exercise Strengthens Your Brain

Physical activity improves cognitive and mental health in all sorts of ways. Here’s why, and how to reap the benefits.

By Dana G. Smith

Growing up in the Netherlands, Henriette van Praag had always been active, playing sports and riding her bike to school every day. Then, in the late-1990s, while working as a staff scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, she discovered that exercise can spur the growth of new brain cells in mature mice. After that, her approach to exercise changed.

“I started to take it more seriously,” said Dr. van Praag, now an associate professor of biomedical science at Florida Atlantic University. Today, that involves doing CrossFit and running five or six miles several days a week.

Whether exercise can cause new neurons to grow in adult humans — a feat previously thought impossible, and a tantalizing prospect to treat neurodegenerative diseases — is still up for debate . But even if it’s not possible, physical activity is excellent for your brain, improving mood and cognition through “a plethora” of cellular changes, Dr. van Praag said.

What are some of the benefits, specifically?

Exercise offers short-term boosts in cognition. Studies show that immediately after a bout of physical activity, people perform better on tests of working memory and other executive functions . This may be in part because movement increases the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, most notably epinephrine and norepinephrine.

“These kinds of molecules are needed for paying attention to information,” said Marc Roig, an associate professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. Attention is essential for working memory and executive functioning, he added.

The neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin are also released with exercise, which is thought to be a main reason people often feel so good after going for a run or a long bike ride.

The brain benefits really start to emerge, though, when we work out consistently over time. Studies show that people who work out several times a week have higher cognitive test scores, on average, than people who are more sedentary. Other research has found that a person’s cognition tends to improve after participating in a new aerobic exercise program for several months.

Dr. Roig added the caveat that the effects on cognition aren’t huge, and not everyone improves to the same degree. “You cannot acquire a super memory just because you exercised,” he said.

Physical activity also benefits mood . People who work out regularly report having better mental health than people who are sedentary. And exercise programs can be effective at treating people’s depression, leading some psychiatrists and therapists to prescribe physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week is a good benchmark.

Perhaps most remarkable, exercise offers protection against neurodegenerative diseases. “Physical activity is one of the health behaviors that’s shown to be the most beneficial for cognitive function and reducing risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Michelle Voss, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Iowa.

How does exercise do all that?

It starts with the muscles. When we work out, they release molecules that travel through the blood up to the brain. Some, like a hormone called irisin, have “neuroprotective” qualities and have been shown to be linked to the cognitive health benefits of exercise, said Christiane Wrann, an associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School who studies irisin . (Dr. Wrann is also a consultant for a pharmaceutical company, Aevum Therapeutics, hoping to harness irisin’s effects into a drug.)

Good blood flow is essential to obtain the benefits of physical activity. And conveniently, exercise improves circulation and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the brain. “It’s not just that there’s increased blood flow,” Dr. Voss said. “It’s that there’s a greater chance, then, for signaling molecules that are coming from the muscle to get delivered to the brain.”

Once these signals are in the brain, other chemicals are released locally. The star of the show is a hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or B.D.N.F., that is essential for neuron health and creating new connections — called synapses — between neurons. “It’s like a fertilizer for brain cells to recover from damage,” Dr. Voss said. “And also for synapses on nerve cells to connect with each other and sustain those connections.”

A greater number of blood vessels and connections between neurons can actually increase the size of different brain areas. This effect is especially noticeable in older adults because it can offset the loss of brain volume that happens with age. The hippocampus, an area important for memory and mood, is particularly affected. “We know that it shrinks with age,” Dr. Roig said. “And we know that if we exercise regularly, we can prevent this decline.”

Exercise’s effect on the hippocampus may be one way it helps protect against Alzheimer’s disease, which is associated with significant changes to that part of the brain. The same goes for depression; the hippocampus is smaller in people who are depressed, and effective treatments for depression , including medications and exercise, increase the size of the region.

What kind of exercise is best for your brain?

The experts emphasized that any exercise is good, and the type of activity doesn’t seem to matter, though most of the research has involved aerobic exercise. But, they added, higher-intensity workouts do appear to confer a bigger benefit for the brain.

Improving your overall cardiovascular fitness level also appears to be key. “It’s dose-dependent,” Dr. Wrann said. “The more you can improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, the better the benefits are.”

Like Dr. van Praag, Dr. Voss has incorporated her research into her life, making a concerted effort to engage in higher intensity exercise. For example, on busy days when she can’t fit in a full workout, she’ll seek out hills to bike up on her commute to work. “Even if it’s a little,” she said, “it’s still better than nothing.”

Dana G. Smith is a Times reporter covering personal health, particularly aging and brain health. More about Dana G. Smith

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Mental Illness Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Health , Psychology , Medicine , Family , Disease , Illness , Disorders , Mental Illness

Words: 2475

Published: 2021/01/07

Introduction

Mental illness is any condition or disease that influences the way a person feels, thinks, behaves and relates to others and the surroundings. It can either be mild like in some depressions where things seems worse than they are, or very severe like when a person life is dominated by an illness making them not live independently(Keyes, 2013). The exact cause of mental health disorder is not known, but research has revealed a combination of causes ranging from, biological, genetic, environmental and psychological factors. It has been estimated that mental illness will affect one person among four in a day to day life.Mental illnesses can be prevented using simple preventive measures, but it still remains a serious global health challenge Some mental illnesses are caused by psychological trauma from early childhood like severe physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and loss of a loved one. Genetic mental illness runs in the family and is passed from a parent to the child through genes. Hereditary mental illness is triggered by other factors like environmental stressors and psychological trauma. Certain stressors like death, divorce, loss of a job and substance abuse may trigger the disorder in persons at risk. Other mental illnesses are linked to abnormal brain chemicals which aid nerve cells in communicating with the brain(Thornicroft, Ruggeri & Goldberg, 2013). The common types of mental illness include; mood disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder. Persons with personality disorders have extremely inflexible traits that are distressing to the person and cause problems in their relationships. Psychotic disorder is distorted thinking and awareness; it is diagnosed by two symptoms; delusions-false beliefs and hallucinations-images and sounds that are not real. Moods disorders are fluctuations from extreme sadness to extreme happiness, and they include bipolar, depression and cyclothymic disorder. Individuals who havepanic disorder present with fear, sweating and rapid heartbeat(WHO, 2011).

Symptoms of Mental Illness

Anxiety is a symptom of mental illness that differs from normal stress as it is long lasting and severe. It is characterized by increased heartbeat, sweating, flushing, headache, choking nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and dizziness. Psychological effects of anxiety include; vivid dreams, confusion, sleep disturbances, mind racing, decreased concentration, excessive worry and fear irritability, impatience, anger and confusion. The individual tends to have a phobic behaviour, compulsive and obsessive behaviour, distress and avoidance of social situations. Prolonged anxiety may lead to depression and later psychotic condition(Graham, 2013). Depression is one symptom of mental illness lasting for at least two weeks and affects person’s thinking, emotion, physical and behavioural wellbeing. Emotional symptoms include sadness, guilt, anger, helplessness, hopelessness, mood swings and anxiety. Physical symptoms in depressed individual consist of loss of sex drive, weight gain or loss, reduced appetite or overeating, menstrual cycle change, constipation, lack of energy, chronic fatigue, too much or loss of sleep(Hill, Mann &Fitzgerald, 2011). Behavioural symptoms of depression include; drug or alcohol abuse, withdrawal from others, worrying, crying spells, no interest in personal appearance and loss of motivation. Psychological symptoms consist of; impaired concentration and memory, confusion and indecisiveness, self-blame, self-criticism, thoughts of suicide and death(Jongsma, Berghuis& Bruce, 2014). Some individuals with mental illness may inhibit manic symptoms. These include; increased overreacting and activity, lack of insight, elated moods, rapid speech and thinking, grandiose delusions and sleep disturbance. It may lead to change of perception and thinking, hallucinations, crying spells and inappropriate emotions(Thornicroft, Ruggeri & Goldberg, 2013). These symptoms may indicate bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder. Individuals tend to be in denial of their status and may overreact if they are told of what they are suffering.

Prevention Methods

Primary prevention methods are used in preventing occurrence of a disease or disorder. It targets groups and individuals who are at a high risk of developing a mental illness based on social, psychological and biological factors. Primary prevention programs include providing support to children whose parents are facing divorce, distributing condoms and teaching teenagers who are at risk of pregnancy or teaching parents on effective parenting skills. D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is an international primary preventive program known in reducing substance abuse among the youths. This program has been known to impact knowledge on youths on drugs and the ways to cope with addiction(Thornicroft, Ruggeri & Goldberg, 2013) Mental disorders are linked to human rights. Human rights violation, discrimination and stigma to individuals and families of mental ill individual are intense. The phenomenon represents the consequences that no treatment or preventive measures are existing. Effective preventive measures can change the way society and individuals perceive mental disorders. Many effective measures used are harmonious with principles of equal opportunity, care and social equity of vulnerable group(Jongsma, Berghuis& Bruce, 2014). The common threat of fighting with mental illness is violence and conflict between countries and communities. Evidence-based prevention is a proven laboratory programme in varying resource and cultural settings. Cultural applicability has made dissemination of these prevention measures slow and complicated. The aim of mental disorder prevention is reducing recurrence, incidence, prevalence, reducing the risk of the condition and impact of the illness on the family, society and the affected person. Mental health promotion promotes a positive attitude by increasing by increasing psychological resilience, well-being and competence, by creation of supporting the environment and living conditions(WHO, 2011). Mental disorder prevention reduces symptoms of the mentally ill. Health promotion and evidence- based prevention is a judicious, explicit and conscientious use of recent best evidence in making decisions about interventions for communities, populations and individuals which facilitate best outcomes in reducing incidence of disease by helping people to increase control and improve their health(Link & Phelan, 2014). Both solid standard and scientific evidence are required to avoid invalid conclusions to outcomes through the interventions. Protective factors in mental illnessare conditions that improve individual resistance to disorders and risk factors. Mostly, protective factors for individuals are identical on features of mental health and include; self-esteem, positive thinking, emotional resilience, stress management skills, and problem-solving(WHO, 2011). Family related and individual protective and risk factors can be emotional, biological, behavioural, cognitive, family related and interpersonal. These factors have the strongest impact on individual mental health during the sensitive period in a lifespan, and the impact is extended to generations. For example, mental illness during childhood, infancy and child abuse may lead to anxiety and depression later in life while social support and secure attachment reduce the effects(Graham, 2013). Improved nutrition has been linked to improved educational outcome, cognitive development and reduced mental illness risk. The effective interventions include; growth monitoring and complementary feeding especially to children living in the impoverished communities. The models combine prevention with psychosocial care like attentive listening and warmth, nutritional interventions and counselling(Thornicroft, Ruggeri & Goldberg, 2013). Poor housing is an indicator of poverty, improving houses is linked with the reduction of health inequalities and improves public health. Recent review on how housing affects health has shown an impact on mental and physical health outcomes. Improved housing reduces mental strains and increases positive social impact on safety perceptions, social, crime and community participation(Hill, Mann &Fitzgerald, 2011). Low educational and literacy levels limit many individuals from accessing economic entailments especially women and girls. Impacting education on girls and women helps in gained self-worth, pride and purpose(Graham, 2013). Depressive Symptomology may be reduced by strengthening protective factors found in populations. These may include school-based programmes that targeting problem-solving, social and cognitive skills among adolescents and children. Parental depression may be reduced by parenting interventions that help parents with children who has conduct behaviour by improving their psychosocial wellbeing through training them in behavioural childrearing strategies(Link & Phelan, 2014). There exist programmes for people with elevated depression, and they are taught on improving problem-solving skills, positive thinking and challenging negative thinking. Mentally ill patients who present with depression should be encouraged and enrolled in these support programmes(Jongsma, Berghuis& Bruce, 2014). Many traumatising events or exposure led to anxiety and depression. These preventable traumatising events include sexual assault, violence, child abuse, torture and war. The duration of exposure to a traumatising event works as an evidence-based determinant to the risk of psychiatric reactions and the way they respond to such events. Families and friends should help the mentally ill from any exposure to events that remind them of a painful past(WHO, 2011). The therapist during his session should help the infected and the affected to determine the causative event and any scene reminding him/her of the event should be avoided.

Factors Affecting Mental Illness

Factors that determine mental health include individual attributes and behaviours, social-economic circumstances and environmental factors. These three different determinants interact with each other or work individually against or of an individual’s mental status. For example, the individual level of self-worth could be diminished or enhanced depending on economic security or social support at household level that may intern be influenced by economic growth, social justice and political stability of a country. Individual’s mental health may be influenced by circumstances or event that occurred before their conception or birth. Pregnancies that take place during the adolescent or are unwanted increase the risk of mental health during childhood and ill behaviours during pregnancies like use of drugs (Novak &Syab, 2009) People with mental health problems experience difficulties in securing or maintaining a job. They experience social exclusion, violent victimization, human rights abuse and discrimination. Presence or onset of mental health disorder increases the chance of disability and premature mortality from diseases like HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. The causes of occurrences of the diseases to these individual include unhealthy diet, side effects of medication, diminished physical activity and neglected physical health (by caregivers, families and themselves)(Link & Phelan, 2014). Persons with physical and comorbid mental conditions are at high risk of infection from these diseases due to reduced health seeking behaviours, follow-up and adherence for these cases. Mental health disorders’’ prevalence has increased in work environment. Many employees are turning to be mentally ill either due to work or their personal life. Workplace should engage their employees in training that increase their mental health knowledge. For individuals with mental health problems, retaining, returning or finding employment in an open labour market is hard. The individuals are surrounded by stigma, and their recovery process is misunderstood by others(Rogers, & Pilgrim, 2009). The workplace contains a significant influence of human mental well-being. Traditionally, employers have concentrated on their employees’ physical health forgetting their mental health. Certain factors promote mental health and psychosocial well-being in the workplace. They include an opportunity to carry out activities, planning and making decisions. Any mentally ill individual in a workplace should be grant similar opportunities and responsibilities as others to increase his self-worth(Novak &Syab, 2009). Parents with babies and children who are mentally retarded hide them from friends, family and society. Many of these children do not attend therapy and are at elevated risk of premature death. This discrimination worsens their situation, and they view environment and society as their enemy. Lack of love and support from families and friends may increase chances of suicide. The society has a responsibility for protecting the affected children by accepting them whileparents, family and friends should love, support and accompany them during therapy(Dulmus&Nisbet, 2013).

Differences between Cares Approach and Self- Management

Patients should ensure that theyadhere to their doctor’s or therapist instructions. Family members have a responsibility in; ensuring drugs are taken at the right time, right dosage and support them during medication. The family supporter should be trained on ways of distinguishing and early detection of symptoms. The therapist should always be available during a call and ready to answer any question concerning the patient. Through this, the mentally ill person will be in control of his health and have confidence in the therapist(WHO, 2011). Support programs should be created where mentally ill patients together with their family support or care meet(Dulmus&Nisbet, 2013). During these settings, individuals will share their experience, coping strategies and future intentions of dealing with the ailment. Through this, patients will boost their confidence and self-esteem and will make friends who understand them better and are facing similar challenges. Trainings and physical activities like exercise should be incorporated to increase knowledge on ways to cope with the condition and how to detect symptoms(Novak &Syab, 2009). A friend or a family member should be involved during clinic visit. The mentally ill person should be helped in knowing the trigger of the symptoms. A plan should be drawn for him/her to know what to do in case the symptoms appear. Incase the symptoms appear, the individual should immediately contact his/her doctor or therapist. Check-ups and visits to the therapists should not be skipped because there may exist a new health problem and may be treated or any side effects of the medication being taken(Rogers, & Pilgrim, 2009). Long-term maintenance of mental illness prevents relapse. The individual should seek help when symptoms start showing up. A regular schedule on sufficient sleeping, regular physical exercise and healthy eating should be maintained. Consulting the therapist or doctor is recommended in case of trouble while sleeping, or the individual has questions on exercise and diet. Carers should also be trained on the best way to support and show love to the mentally ill individual. In suicidal patients, efforts should be taken to reduce any access to means of committing suicide. Counselling of individual with a history of suicide should be undertaken. During a counselling session, the cause for the act should be established, and it would be helpful in determining the actions forward. Incase of children, adolescents and young adults, parents and guardians should be counselled to help and support the victim in moving on and deleting suicidal thoughts in their minds. These individuals should be monitored in times when they are depressed and given support and medications when needed. Families should educate themselves about their loved one’s condition as foundation for support. The knowledge of the way an illness function is important in reducing misconceptions and helps the family to give the loved one an effective help(Graham, 2013). Families of mentally ill should be educated and involved in the treatment process as this reduces symptoms, relapse and hospitalization days. Through this, the families understand the mentally ill individual behaviour is due to the illness and not willful or their cause. The education provided increases love, understanding and care. Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) is a tool used for mental illness self-management. Studies have shown that self-management- or individual determination to manage illness, get better, face problems, take action and make choices, promote recovery frommental illness. WRAP is a program that participants identify externally and internal resources for facilitating recovery and use the tool to make their individual plan. The intervention helps in changing individual’s attitude and behaviour. Therapists are supposed to guide their clients in coming up with the plan and how to use it(Keyes, 2013). Mental illness over the past years has erupted as a public health importance. It is a preventable and manageable disorder at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Changing factors that increase its susceptibility is mandatory. The society, family and environment should accommodate the mentally ill and give them the opportunity to enjoy life without discrimination. The caregivers should be in a position of identifying symptoms at early stages and managing them on their onset.

Dulmus, C. N., &Nisbet, B. C. (2013).Person-centered recovery planner for adults with serious mental illness. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Graham, G. (2013). The disordered mind: An introduction to philosophy of mind and mental6 illness. New York City, NY: Routledge. Hill, N. E., Mann, T. L., & Fitzgerald, H. E. (2011).African American children and mental health. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Jongsma, A. E., Berghuis, D. J., & Bruce, T. J. (2014). The Severe and Persistent Mental Illness Treatment Planner. Hoboken: Wiley. Keyes, C. L. M. (2013). Mental well-being: International contributions to the study of positive mental health. Dordrecht: Springer. Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (January 01, 2014). Mental Illness Stigma and the Sociology of Mental Health. Novak, L., &Švab, V. (January 01, 2009). Antipsychotics side effects' influence on stigma of mental illness: Focus group study results. 1st Croatian Congress on Side Effects of Psychotropics with International Participants, 21, 1, 99-102 Rogers, A., & Pilgrim, D. (2014).A Sociology Of Mental Health And Illness. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. Thornicroft, G., Ruggeri, M., & Goldberg, D. P. (2013).Improving mental health care: The global challenge.Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell World Health Organization.(2011). Mental health atlas 2011. Geneva: World Health Organization

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Background: The use of surveillance technologies is becoming increasingly common in inpatient mental health settings, commonly justified as efforts to improve safety and cost-effectiveness. However, the use of these technologies has been questioned in light of limited research conducted and the sensitivities, ethical concerns and potential harms of surveillance. This systematic review aims to: 1) map how surveillance technologies have been employed in inpatient mental health settings, 2) identify any best practice guidance, 3) explore how they are experienced by patients, staff and carers, and 4) examine evidence regarding their impact. Methods: We searched five academic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, PubMed and Scopus), one grey literature database (HMIC) and two pre-print servers (medRxiv and PsyArXiv) to identify relevant papers published up to 18/09/2023. We also conducted backwards and forwards citation tracking and contacted experts to identify relevant literature. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data were synthesised using a narrative approach. Results: A total of 27 studies were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. Included studies reported on CCTV/video monitoring (n = 13), Vision-Based Patient Monitoring and Management (VBPMM) (n = 6), Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) (n = 4), GPS electronic monitoring (n = 2) and wearable sensors (n = 2). Twelve papers (44.4%) were rated as low quality, five (18.5%) medium quality, and ten (37.0%) high quality. Five studies (18.5%) declared a conflict of interest. We identified minimal best practice guidance. Qualitative findings indicate that patient, staff and carer perceptions and experiences of surveillance technologies are mixed and complex. Quantitative findings regarding the impact of surveillance on outcomes such as self-harm, violence, aggression, care quality and cost-effectiveness were inconsistent or weak. Discussion: There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that surveillance technologies in inpatient mental health settings are achieving the outcomes they are employed to achieve, such as improving safety and reducing costs. The studies were generally of low methodological quality, lacked lived experience involvement, and a substantial proportion (18.5%) declared conflicts of interest. Further independent coproduced research is needed to more comprehensively evaluate the impact of surveillance technologies in inpatient settings, including harms and benefits. If surveillance technologies are to be implemented, it will be important to engage all key stakeholders in the development of policies, procedures and best practice guidance to regulate their use, with a particular emphasis on prioritising the perspectives of patients.

Competing Interest Statement

AS and UF have undertaken and published research on BWCs. We have received no financial support from BWC or any other surveillance technology companies. All other authors declare no competing interests.

Clinical Protocols

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=463993

Funding Statement

This study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (grant no. PR-PRU-0916-22003). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ARG was supported by the Ramon y Cajal programme (RYC2022-038556-I), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Data Availability

The template data extraction form is available in Supplementary 1. MMAT quality appraisal ratings for each included study are available in Supplementary 2. All data used is publicly available in the published papers included in this review.

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Supplementary Material

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