What is Mental Health?
Mental health is a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Mental health is an integral and essential component of health” and “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
For the purpose of this project, I believe mental health is directly tied to overall wellbeing of physical health and the Disability community. Physical can health affect mental health, and mental health can affect physical health. Some mental health conditions can also be classified as a disability, but not all individuals view their mental health this way.
I use the term mental health conditions or considerations instead of mental illness, issues, or disorders because it is an important aspect of health that is highly medicalized, misunderstood, and stigmatized.
Mental health diagnoses are incredibly complex and often times misdiagnosed. Most diagnostic criteria are based on symptoms or characteristics that are observed during or after stressful situations or episodes; frequently compared to “typical” or “normal” behavior; can be easily confused with other diagnoses or co-morbid conditions; and are not completely objective.
Similar to the Disability community, the voices of the mental health community are often excluded and ignored by professionals and researchers. Sharing the stories of individuals with lived-experience is important in order to change the power dynamic and provide a holistic understanding of mental health and its impact on all aspects of life.
Further Reading
World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
MentalHealth.gov https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml