What do we mean by 'mental health'?
What do we mean when we talk about mental health, asks Ava Momajjed
Most people have at least heard the term mental health, even if they have not felt the impact of it enough to obtain a deep understanding. So, the question is, do you, reading this, really understand what is meant be mental health? Are you someone who has many questions, or could explain it in great detail?
Unfortunately, the truth is that the impact of your mental health on your general well-being can be massive - not only mentally, but also physically.
Many studies have shown that mental health problems are rapidly increasing, especially amongst the young people in today’s society and especially following Covid lockdowns. It’s important to think about why this could be – is the increase a result of more frequent diagnosis and widespread attention to mental health currently - which certainly wasn’t the case in previous generations - or is it because there really is a steadily increasing climb in the amount of people who find themselves affected? If that is the case, what does this say about the state of the society that we live in?
Whatever the reason may be, everyone should know that it’s okay to feel down and sometimes to feel as if you have hit rock bottom. The essential purpose of articles like this is to (hopefully) help you and spread awareness about mental health. It is important to note that anyone can experience mental health issues, however this article is aimed at people in their teens, which is when these problems first tend to develop, and when life often feels chaotic - and when stress begins to pile up.
So what is mental health?
Good mental health is a state of wellbeing that enables people to cope with problems in life (which could be anything), realise their abilities, learn well, work well and contribute to their community. However, having poor mental health is not exactly the right term to use for simply having a bad day – it is over a period of time, and it is much worse and more complex. A constant low mood and feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness or any other negative feeling are signs that you should check up on yourself as these may be signs of mental health issues potentially forming.
Why is mental health important?
Everyone’s mental health is in a different state. The World Health Organisation says that the reason mental health is so important is because it is 'crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development'. The WHO argue that mental health is a basic human right and if your mental state becomes too low, it can contribute to many other issues, and they aren’t always mental impacts.
How does mental health affect young people in their day-to-day life?
In specifically young people, mental health most definitely should be taken into consideration at some point as the quality of your mental health can affect friendships, your attitude towards learning, your ability to socialise - and can have knock-on effects on your capacity to function well in school - for example, it could lead to low attainment and grades.
Why is mental health getting worse in young people?
Mental health is getting worse due to several factors. These include bullying, wide-spread use of social media platforms which can be really damaging to teens as the pressure of them can take a heavy toll, adding to the stress they may go through. Social media often creates unrealistic expectations for teens about how they should look or act – which completely contradicts the idea that uniqueness and difference is something we should all embrace and appreciate . As teens go through changes in their life, they may start to feel judged and insecure and start feeling like they can’t communicate with others openly about their emotions and feelings for multiple different reasons – one of the biggest ones being a fear of reaction. Knowing this, it would make a huge difference if we collectively make sure that we make an attempt to check in with our friends and make sure they’re okay. Even if people seem fine, because you never know what someone is going through. No one deserves to suffer silently.
How can we try to improve our mental health?
There are a lot of different types of mental health issues, and some ways to help with some are listed below. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, don’t worry because thankfully, there are lots of resources you can use and read to help you (such as this one hopefully) and many people who care about you and are willing to help and listen to you. This includes your peers, teachers, family and any other trusted adults.
A few simple tips to help calm you down include meditation, yoga and exercise. It’s crucial that you look after your physical health because that plays a huge part in your mental health, along with making sure that you sleep well. Remember to care for yourself and others and don't be too hard on yourself!
Ava Momajjed Year 8
Most people have at least heard the term mental health, even if they have not felt the impact of it enough to obtain a deep understanding. So, the question is, do you, reading this, really understand what is meant be mental health? Are you someone who has many questions, or could explain it in great detail?
Unfortunately, the truth is that the impact of your mental health on your general well-being can be massive - not only mentally, but also physically.
Many studies have shown that mental health problems are rapidly increasing, especially amongst the young people in today’s society and especially following Covid lockdowns. It’s important to think about why this could be – is the increase a result of more frequent diagnosis and widespread attention to mental health currently - which certainly wasn’t the case in previous generations - or is it because there really is a steadily increasing climb in the amount of people who find themselves affected? If that is the case, what does this say about the state of the society that we live in?
Whatever the reason may be, everyone should know that it’s okay to feel down and sometimes to feel as if you have hit rock bottom. The essential purpose of articles like this is to (hopefully) help you and spread awareness about mental health. It is important to note that anyone can experience mental health issues, however this article is aimed at people in their teens, which is when these problems first tend to develop, and when life often feels chaotic - and when stress begins to pile up.
So what is mental health?
Good mental health is a state of wellbeing that enables people to cope with problems in life (which could be anything), realise their abilities, learn well, work well and contribute to their community. However, having poor mental health is not exactly the right term to use for simply having a bad day – it is over a period of time, and it is much worse and more complex. A constant low mood and feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness or any other negative feeling are signs that you should check up on yourself as these may be signs of mental health issues potentially forming.
Why is mental health important?
Everyone’s mental health is in a different state. The World Health Organisation says that the reason mental health is so important is because it is 'crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development'. The WHO argue that mental health is a basic human right and if your mental state becomes too low, it can contribute to many other issues, and they aren’t always mental impacts.
How does mental health affect young people in their day-to-day life?
In specifically young people, mental health most definitely should be taken into consideration at some point as the quality of your mental health can affect friendships, your attitude towards learning, your ability to socialise - and can have knock-on effects on your capacity to function well in school - for example, it could lead to low attainment and grades.
Why is mental health getting worse in young people?
Mental health is getting worse due to several factors. These include bullying, wide-spread use of social media platforms which can be really damaging to teens as the pressure of them can take a heavy toll, adding to the stress they may go through. Social media often creates unrealistic expectations for teens about how they should look or act – which completely contradicts the idea that uniqueness and difference is something we should all embrace and appreciate . As teens go through changes in their life, they may start to feel judged and insecure and start feeling like they can’t communicate with others openly about their emotions and feelings for multiple different reasons – one of the biggest ones being a fear of reaction. Knowing this, it would make a huge difference if we collectively make sure that we make an attempt to check in with our friends and make sure they’re okay. Even if people seem fine, because you never know what someone is going through. No one deserves to suffer silently.
How can we try to improve our mental health?
There are a lot of different types of mental health issues, and some ways to help with some are listed below. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, don’t worry because thankfully, there are lots of resources you can use and read to help you (such as this one hopefully) and many people who care about you and are willing to help and listen to you. This includes your peers, teachers, family and any other trusted adults.
A few simple tips to help calm you down include meditation, yoga and exercise. It’s crucial that you look after your physical health because that plays a huge part in your mental health, along with making sure that you sleep well. Remember to care for yourself and others and don't be too hard on yourself!
Ava Momajjed Year 8