What Is Mental Health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we
think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make
choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence
through adulthood.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), mental health is:

"... a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with
the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to his or her community."

MENTAL ILLNESS

A condition which causes serious disorder in a person's behaviour or thinking is called mental
illness. Mental illness refers to collectively to all diagnosable disorders.

Examples of mental illness include

Anxiety disorders

Panic disorder - the person experiences sudden paralyzing terror or a sense of imminent
disaster.

Phobias - these may include simple phobias (a disproportionate fear of objects), social phobias
(fear of being subject to the judgment of others), and agoraphobia (dread of situations where
getting away or breaking free may be difficult).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - the person has obsessions and compulsions. In other
words, constant stressful thoughts (obsessions), and a powerful urge to perform repetitive acts,
such as hand washing (compulsion).

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - this can occur after somebody has been through a
traumatic event - something horrible or frightening that they experienced or witnessed. During
this type of event, the person thinks that their life or other people's lives are in danger. They may
feel afraid or feel that they have no control over what is happening.

 - Mood disorders
Major depression - the individual is no longer interested in and does not enjoy activities and
events that they previously liked. There are extreme or prolonged periods of sadness.

Bipolar disorder - previously known as manic-depressive illness, or manic depression. The

individual switches from episodes of euphoria (mania) to depression (despair).

Persistent depressive disorder - previously known as dysthymia, this is mild chronic (long
term) depression. The patient has similar symptoms to major depression but to a lesser extent.

SAD (seasonal affective disorder) - a type of major depression that is triggered by lack of
daylight. It is most common in countries far from the equator during late autumn, winter, and
early spring.

Risk factors
Certain factors may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, including:

 A history of mental illness in a blood relative, such as a parent or sibling

 Stressful life situations, such as financial problems, a loved one's death or a divorce
 An ongoing (chronic) medical condition, such as diabetes
 Brain damage as a result of a serious injury (traumatic brain injury), such as a violent
blow to the head
 Traumatic experiences, such as military combat or assault
 Use of alcohol or recreational drugs
 A childhood history of abuse or neglect
 Few friends or few healthy relationships
 A previous mental illness
 You may have depression and a substance use disorder.

Early Warning Signs of deteriorating mental health

Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of
a problem:

 Eating or sleeping too much or too little

 Pulling away from people and usual activities
 Having low or no energy
 Feeling numb or like nothing matters
  Having unexplained aches and pains
 Feeling helpless or hopeless
 Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
 Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
 Yelling or fighting with family and friends
 Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
 Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
 Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
 Thinking of harming yourself or others
 Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school
Culture and mental illness

HOW CULTURE RELATES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ?

Culture also relates with mental health or mental illness. On the basis of these points

 How people understand the meaning of mental illness according to their culture
 How people express their mental illness according to their culture.
 What is the behaviour of people with the person who is suffering from mental illness
 How people medicate the mental illness according to their culture.

Attitudes toward mental illness vary from each

 Individuals
 Families
 Ethnicities
 cultures and
 countries.

Cultural and religious teachings often influence beliefs about the origins and nature of mental
illness, and shape attitudes towards the mentally ill. In addition to influencing whether mentally
ill individuals experience social stigma, beliefs about mental illness can affect patients’ readiness
and willingness to seek and adhere to treatment.

CONCLUSION It is important to know about the cultural background of a patient or

consequences of the patient. BECAUSE every person perceive and explain his or her
problem according to their culture and religious.
So we have to gain all the background information of the patients which may help us to
treat the mental illness according to their culture and thinking

Five Cultural Components that impact people’s Mental Health

Hechanova and Waeldle suggest that there are five key components of diverse cultures
that have implications for mental health professionals.
1- emotional expression 
The first element that they identify is emotional expression where some cultures may
identify that lack of balance in expression may lead to disease. Hence cultures where
people are encouraged to speak up their emotions are more likely to be mentally healthy.
2- Shame
The second element is shame which Hechanova and Waelde argue is one of the reasons
why Asians are slow to access professional therapists. Mental illness is considered to be a
stigma and shameful.

3- Power Distance
The third element that they discuss is power distance or the large differences in power
that may exist in Asian countries between therapist and which may have implications in
terms of the autonomy or lack thereof in the therapeutic relationship.
4- Collectivisim
Fourth they discuss the nature of collectivism and its impact as a supportive factor to
people’s resilience and coping.
5- spirituality and religion 
And finally, they discuss spirituality and religion from the point of view of attribution
as well as in terms of coping with disease. Practicing spirituality and religion in one’s life
bring peace and calm and sense of purpose in life.
Cultural Perspectives on Mental Illness

A review of ethno-cultural beliefs and mental illness stigma by Abdullah et al. (2011)
highlights the wide range of cultural beliefs surrounding mental health. For instance, while some
American Indian tribes do not stigmatize mental illness, others stigmatize only some mental
illnesses, and other tribes stigmatize all mental illnesses.
 In Asia, where many cultures value “conformity to norms, emotional self-control, [and] family
recognition through achievement”, mental illnesses are often stigmatized and seen as a source of
shame.

Health Beliefs ACROSS THE CULTURE

AS WE KNOW THE CONCEPT OF MENTAL ILLNESS VARRY FROM PLACE TO

PLACE

African American and Latino participants were more likely to emphasize “non-biomedical
interpretations” of mental illness symptoms.

European Americans tended to view psychiatric medications as “central and necessary” aspects
of treatment

African American participants reported frustration over mental health professionals’ focus on
medication.

In India Some people perceive mental illness to be a curse caused by the evil eye or demonic
spirits, others believe it is a sign of weakness

In America, most people believe that mental illnesses are neurobiological disorders, while some
believe they are a sign of weakness.

However, it is important to remember that America is a melting pot of immigrants whose

perceptions about mental illness is shaped by their cultural legacies.

In Pakistan, People rapidly get more aware of mental illness and taking step towards saving the
patients of mental illness

CONCLUSION ; each culture has its misperceptions of mental illness which can deter people
from seeking lifesaving treatment and support. Inherent in every culture are a multitude of
pathways to health and healing.

Culture and Mental Health

One of the most pressing needs for cross-cultural psychology is to spend more time and energy
on examining how cultural differences influence health and behavior.
Culture influences how individuals manifest symptoms, communicate their symptoms, and cope
with psychological challenges, and their willingness to seek treatment (Eshun & Gurung, 2009).
Understanding the role of culture in mental health is crucial to comprehensive and accurate
diagnoses and treatment of illnesses.

Even the U.S. Surgeon General has recognized the importance of both a patient’s culture, and
that of the healthcare provider in mental health treatment, service use, and diagnosis.

Eco-cultural Context in Mental Health

Human activities and human attitudes are inseparable from their eco-cultural context. Overall,
poverty and ecological problems significantly affect people’s health-related activities. However,
are there any cultural factors, such as norms and values, that could have some effect on people’s
attitudes about health, and subsequently, health-related activities.

Cultural Myths and Health

Cultural myths, inaccurate folk beliefs, and fear of being punished affect many people’s
reluctance to admit the existence of AIDS. In Africa, for example, many doctors are often
unwilling to record AIDS as the cause of death. Instead, other diseases such as tuberculosis are
often recorded on certificates. Thus, as many international agencies publicly admit, a huge
number of AIDS-related deaths are simply covered up.

The Cultural role in decision making about life and death

Cultural factors affect medical decisions related to life and death. In 2001, the Dutch parliament
allowed doctors to inject a sedative and a lethal dose of muscle relaxant into an adult terminal
patient suffering great pain in instances where conscious consent is given. Christian, Jewish, and
Islamic scholars are generally in favor of life-support machines. However, opinions differ about
when life support should be discontinued. Legal rules are relatively strict. In the United States,
France, and scores of other countries, the death of the brain, that is, the secession of
electrophysiological activities is the evidence of death. Many religious experts tend to agree that
once the brain is dead, the person is no longer alive. Yet some argue that the person lives so long
as the heart is beating.

Treatments of mental illness:

 Psychotherapy (talking therapies) - this is a psychological approach to treating mental
illness. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy
are examples.

Medication - although it can not cure mental disorders, some medications can improve
symptoms.

Self-help - including lifestyle changes such as reducing alcohol intake, sleeping more, and eating
well.

Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

 Getting professional help if you need it

 Connecting with others
 Staying positive
 Getting physically active
 Helping others
 Getting enough sleep
 Developing coping skills