Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
What is Mental Health and Wellness?
By definition, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community. It consists of emotional, psychological and social well-being. With that said, while the mental health professionals offer competing definitions as to what defines mental health, they are at best in agreement as to the effects of mental health and wellness. There are emotional, psychological, environment, and physical effects attached to mental health and wellness. There is a great need to create safe spaces for wellness, especially for our most vulnerable populations. How?
Emotional Effects
Emotions have to do with our temperament, mood, and personality (our feelings). Interchangeably, feelings often define one’s emotions as we function in everyday life. For example, anger, happy, sad, surprise, moody, etc. At any given moment, emotions (feelings) can change. We can be happy and feel well-adjusted in our surroundings. Within minutes, happiness can change to sadness.
Another key point is that emotions affect one’s creativity. Although it may be true that a person can function under daily stressors, it does not mean that a person is operating most productively. The creativity is not at its highest peak. Basically, the emotional effect is due to changes in our situations.
Psychological Effects
Psychological effects deals with the study of behaviors. As an academic discipline, professionals study conscious and unconscious behaviors of the living. That is, they study the illustrations and examples of what is seen or unseen in response to situations and those changes. The purpose is to arrive at reasonableness of responses. What will a reasonable person do based on specific circumstances? In comparison, what will an unreasonable person do in similar circumstances? As a result of these studies, psychological effects are meant to determine the causation of actions. Both the medical and psychology fields contribute to the scientific studies in this arena.
Social Well-being
Our social well-being is connected to environment. That environment consists of physical and social circumstances. For instance, where you live can influence your thoughts, behavior, and reactions. That is, not everyone feels the same level of safety in their communities. The root cause may stem from interactions with others or law enforcement or community biases.
Culture is also a part of social well-being. Culture is defined as the “way of life” of a particular group of people, including their values, beliefs, norms, and practices (Wikipedia). Many factors contribute to cultural differences, the way of life. Case and point, in some cultures, using the rod to discipline is acceptable. In another culture, using the rod, may seem barbaric. Moreover, the use of fear can be a deterrent that suffocates and stifle one’s well-being; yet it is an amplifier for controlling behaviors in society.
Results – Growing More Unhealthy
Recent data supports that, and I quote, “Women are much more likely than men to have experienced high psychological distress (48% vs. 32%), as are people in lower-income households (53%) when compared with those in middle-income (38%) or upper-income (30%) households.
In addition, roughly two-thirds (66%) of adults who have a disability or health condition that prevents them from participating fully in work, school, housework or other activities have experienced a high level of distress during the pandemic,” end quote. Consider that this survey was a snapshot in time as to psychological distress. Still, it speaks to the trauma that affects mental health under specific conditions.
Follow-up
The data supports mental health and trauma post-pandemic. It continues to affect people’s well-being in schools, work, home, and communities. It reveals the work that we need to do, i.e., a greater need for support systems. That is why we speak of it in this environment. We desire to support on a personal level to lift your spirit. For more information and short reads about mental health and wellness, since the global pandemic, read: Mental health and the pandemic: What U.S. surveys have found | Pew Research Center. Continue to read our blog posts for reaching out as a support to be well and resisting the crab mentality.
For additional and relevant surveys, you may like to read more articles by John Gramlich, an associate director at Pew Research Center. The suggested blog posts will lead to more nurturing of your soul: