Mental health refers to "the ability to obtain mental health and to maintain it throughout life" (WHO, 2021). Mental health, defined according to the World Health Organization, is "an enduring state of good health where the person is able to cope effectively with the normal demands of life, is able to work productively, and is able to contribute to his or her neighborhood". Mental health involves your ability to learn new things, to concentrate, to solve problems, to make relationships with others, to develop and live well, and so on. People need mental health to live their lives well and to overcome everyday challenges. The challenge begins when mental health is threatened or when it becomes poor.
The WHO defines six categories of mental health conditions based on research conducted globally. They are anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorders, psychotic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The six categories are further subdivided into three basic categories: organic disorders, neurofunctional disorders, and psychological disorders. The disorders are then presented in an overview that includes general overview, brief description, and precautions for early detection and treatment.
In addition, the manual definition of mental health problems clarifies that mood disorders are those caused by biological factors. These biological factors include genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones, and brain chemistry. These biological factors affect people in different ways. For instance, moods that are caused by genetics are often called depressive. However, when there are no genetic factors, and biological factors such as stress or changes in lifestyle that are environmental in nature lead to the development of mood disorders, these disorders are called mood related.
Neurofunctional disorders refer to those that result from chemical imbalance in the brain. These chemical imbalances are usually caused by biochemistry, genetics, and brain chemistry. As mental health disorders are rooted in biological factors, it is important to know if your family has a history of these mental health disorders. This can be done through blood tests or testing of blood levels of vitamins and minerals in the blood.
There are various strategies that can be used for the treatment of depression and other mental disorders. The most popular form of treatment for these mental health conditions is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy aims to bring out the negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors through several sessions. In addition, cognitive behavior therapy helps patients change the way they think about things that aggravate their depression or cause their moods to change. Cognitive behavior therapy is also used for the prevention of other mood related disorders such as anxiety and phobia.
The most common forms of psychotherapy used for the prevention of mental disorders are cognitive behavioral therapy and medication with antidepressant medications. This form of prevention largely depends on identifying the biological factors that contribute to the development of the illness. The biological factors include genetic predisposition, social environment, stressors, and heredity. This form of prevention focuses more on reducing or eliminating the biological factors that develop into mental health disorders than on treating the illness itself.
Prevention is better than cure. By identifying the triggers of the disorder symptoms and avoiding these triggers, many people are able to significantly reduce the number of times that they experience the symptoms. However, many people still experience the negative side effects of untreated depression and other mental health disorders.
Depression can have severe repercussions in the lives of adults. The disabling symptoms can negatively affect an individual's work, relationships, social life, health, and happiness. There are many factors that contribute to depression including heredity, biological vulnerabilities, and poor coping skills. Prevention is still the best measure of course for treating and preventing mental health disorders in adults. Knowing what factors you are exposed to can help you identify risk factors and take steps towards improving your quality of life.