Research Paper Example on Mental Health

Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being are all part of our mental health.  It impacts the way we think, feel, and behave. It is important from childhood through adulthood. It's also crucial to note that mental health and mental illness are not the same. Mental health refers to discussing one's mental well-being, including emotions, thoughts, feelings, problem-solving abilities, and social connections. Mental illness, on the other hand, refers to an illness that impacts how people think, feel, behave, or interact with others. Mental illness can be caused by a number of factors, and there are over 200 different types of mental illnesses. Everyone, not only those who suffer from mental illness, should prioritize their mental health. Understanding and being aware of mental health and illness is important since it may benefit oneself and promote awareness.

Mental health is an essential component of overall health and wellbeing. It has an impact on the way we think, feel, and act. It also influences how we deal with stress, interact with people, and make decisions. The decrease of a person's mental health can lead to a decline in their emotional well-being, resulting in symptoms such as tiredness, restlessness, fatigue, withdrawal from family and friends, and more. As previously mentioned, though there are more than 200 types of mental illness, some feelings or behaviors that can be an early sign of a problem with mental health include eating or sleeping too much or too little, feeling numb or as if nothing matters, or having constant thoughts and memories that one can't stop thinking about. These are only a few potential early warning signs as there are many more. It’s also vital to remember that mental and physical health are both critical components of overall well-being. For example, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States. 

Despite the fact that mental illnesses are one of the most common health problems in the United States, mental health is still considered taboo across the world. More than half of people with mental illnesses do not obtain help for their illness, according to Mental Health America's 2020 Access To Care Data, and instead avoid or delay receiving treatment. Some people avoid or postpone treatment because they are afraid of being treated differently or losing their employment and income. These worries and fears arise from the fact that mental health is a taboo topic, with stigma, prejudice, and even discrimination towards those who deal with mental illnesses. A review of studies on stigma revealed that while the public may recognize the medical or hereditary origins of a mental health issue and the necessity for treatment, many people still have a negative view of people with mental illnesses, according to the editorial The Health Crisis of Mental Health Stigma. Stigma impacts not just those who suffer from mental illness, but could also impact those who support them, including family and friends. In particular, stigma is a problem in several diverse racial and ethnic communities, as it can be a substantial barrier to individuals from those cultures seeking mental health care. Seeking professional help for mental illness, for example, may oppose Asian cultural values of having a strong family, emotional control, and avoiding shame. Similarly, in Latin/Hispanic communities, expressing mental health issues can cause humiliation and disgrace for the whole family. Distrust of the mental health care system can also be a barrier to obtaining assistance for many communities. According to a 2016 study on the stigma of mental disorders, it had concluded that "There is no country, society, or culture where people with mental illness have the same societal value as people without mental illness." The stigma of mental illness is universal. Furthermore, media portrayals of people with mental illnesses can influence views and stigma, as there are frequently negative, misleading, or violent representations. The famous film Joker (2019), which portrays the protagonist character as a person with mental illness who gets extremely violent, was the subject of a study released in April 2020. The study discovered that seeing the film was linked to "higher levels of prejudice toward those with mental illness." "Joker may exacerbate self-stigma for those with a mental illness, leading to delays in seeking help," the authors add. 

Now moving on to statistics on mental health and illness. A mental or behavioral disorder affects roughly 450 million individuals worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. More than 150 million people suffer from depression and nearly a million commit suicide each year. According to ourworldindata.org, 3.76 % of the world's population suffers from anxiety disorders, while 3.44 % suffer from depression. Indirect deaths caused by mental health disorders, such as suicide and self-harm, account for a large proportion of deaths. Also, suicide deaths are closely connected to mental health problems, however, this is not always the case. As a result, it's difficult to link suicide deaths to mental health issues. Nonetheless, a substantial percentage of suicide deaths are thought to be linked to mental health. According to studies, a person with depression has around 20 times higher chance of committing suicide than someone who does not. Mental health issues are complicated in their causes, origin, and severity, and may rarely be traced to a single factor. Individual qualities and behaviors, which might include specific genetic factors or personality traits, social and economic situations, and environmental factors, are all possible contributors to mental health and wellbeing, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, mental health is a known risk factor for the development of substance use disorders (either in the form of alcohol or illicit drug dependencies). There are several options for mental health treatment and recovery. The treatment one chooses and how effective it is will depend on several things, including the severity of the mental health issue, past treatment, and the individual. However, there is not a single ‘best approach to treatment as there different options for treatments. Some options include prescription of antidepressant drugs, counseling, group therapy, or complementary therapies which include mediation or yoga.

Lastly, it is important and helpful to promote awareness. By promoting mental health awareness, it helps acknowledge that mental health is important as well as talking about it, putting it out there so that people can get the help they need. Mental health was a topic that was and may still be viewed as taboo to some, but it has increased in the last couple of years. Through social media posts, interviews, people including celebrities have shared and been open about personal mental health issues which have helped with creating awareness. Being open can help others, even if it’s just one person, with expressing their own thoughts and experiences with their mental health. There are also other ways that one can help their mental health. One way is looking up motivational or inspirational quotes on Pinterest or even relatable pins that help with understanding mental health whether it’s for oneself or someone else. Also following mental health social media accounts that may have posts with helpful quotes, helpful ideas to deal with mental health, and much more that can either be relatable or helpful. Also, one can repost as that could be helpful for others such as a post with resources for emotional support. Another way could be starting a hobby or self-care activities such as exercising, meditation, yoga, painting, learning something new (language, sport, recipes, etc.) as these can help with improving mental health. 

Overall, mental health is no joke. As previously mentioned, though the topic of mental health was and may still be a taboo topic for some, awareness is increasing. The more awareness, the more knowledge that can be learned and spread which in the end can be helpful. It is important to learn and know about mental health as the more one knows, the more that people can help others and themselves.