It’s an interesting idea: health is a state of full well-being or total health. Some dictionaries define health as having “healthful habits and a healthy body,” while others emphasize mental health and family health. Still, other dictionaries define health more literally, as “the condition of being well.” Whatever you call it, health is important for everyone. Knowing what it means can help you maintain the health that you already possess and keep it from deteriorating.
“Mental health,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is “a state of total mental, physical and social well being and not simply the absence of sickness and disease.” Various definitions have been applied to the term over the years. According to WHO, mental health is “the capacity to cope with normal activities and problems; the ability to experience happiness and satisfaction with life; and the ability to establish and maintain a trusting and mutual relationship with others.” In simpler terms, it means being psychologically healthy.
The process of maintaining a good mental health is influenced by several determinants. These determinants include both internal and external factors. Although they are sometimes difficult to control, they can be modified through personal health care and health maintenance.
One of the many determinants of health is life expectancy. Life expectancy refers to the time a person is expected to live. Most medical professionals believe that the greater part of the determinant in life expectancy is considered to be pre-morbidity. The main article “Life Expectancy” provides further information about this factor. According to WHO, in addition to general health conditions, “premature death, cancer, chronic heart failure, diabetes mellitus, infectious diseases, sexual transmitted diseases, occupational accidents, and substance abuse have also been identified as possible determinants of life expectancy.”
Another important determinant of health status is current and past stress levels. Stress can affect everyone at any stage of life, whether young or old. In addition, some types of diseases can have stronger effects at various stages of life than in other situations. The main article “Stress and Health: A Review of the Relationship Between Stress and Illness” provides further information regarding this important health condition. According to WHO, “stress tends to increase the vulnerability of people to various types of diseases and can lead to poor health outcomes. Hence, reducing exposure to stress and finding methods to cope with stress can be very important aspects of ensuring optimal health.”
Being mentally healthy and free from any health issues requires greater attention from both the individual and society. In order to improve mental health and well being, we must become aware of the different health issues that exist and the best way to address them. The main article “Mental Health – Mental Illness Explained” provides further information about this topic. By making a greater effort to be aware of these types of mental illnesses, we can prevent their development and learn more effective ways of dealing with them.
