Three significant factors that can harm your mental health are chronic stress, social isolation/loneliness, and poor lifestyle choices (such as substance misuse and inadequate sleep).
Factors that affect mental health
5 steps to mental wellbeing
Benefits of Physical Activity
Reduces the risk of health issues and diseases. More energy - this is especially helpful in issues such as depression as energy becomes very low and we can become withdrawn. Improved sleep - poor sleep can make mental health issues significantly worse as we will discuss later.
Serious mental illness (SMI) commonly refers to a diagnosis of psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, and either major depression with psychotic symptoms or treatment-resistant depression; SMI can also include anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders, if the degree of functional impairment is ...
Some common ones include:
Individual factors such as emotional skills, substance use and genetics can increase vulnerability to mental health problems. Social and environmental factors – including poverty, violence, inequality and environmental deprivation – also increase the risk of experiencing mental health conditions.
We have info on understanding mental health.
The 5 Ps of mental health is a case formulation framework used by therapists to understand a person's difficulties by examining five key areas: Presenting Problem, Predisposing Factors, Precipitating Factors, Perpetuating Factors, and Protective Factors, helping create a holistic view for tailored treatment, especially in substance use and other mental health challenges. It moves beyond simple diagnosis to explore the 'why' and 'how' of a problem, guiding effective interventions.
Evidence has suggested that exercise may be an often-neglected intervention in mental health care. Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression.
How can I take care of my mental health?
Symptoms of stress
Dr Ginsburg, child paediatrician and human development expert, proposes that there are 7 integral and interrelated components that make up being resilient – competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control.
The National Alliance of Mental Health reports that one in five adults in America experiences a mental illness in their lifetime. Right now, nearly 10 million Americans are living with a serious mental disorder. The most common are anxiety disorders major depression and bipolar disorder.
The 5 C's of Mental Health provide a framework for well-being, often cited as Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring, focusing on feeling capable, believing in oneself, nurturing relationships, living by values, and showing empathy. While some variations exist, like adding Compassion, Coping, or Community, the core idea is building resilience through personal growth and strong relationships, helping individuals manage challenges and thrive.
There are many different factors that can affect your mental health, including:
The 4 C's of mental health—Connection, Communication, Coping, and Confidence create a balanced foundation for emotional resilience and overall well-being. By understanding and practicing each of these pillars, you can build a healthier relationship with yourself and others.
The Ryff Scale is based on six factors: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Higher total scores indicate higher psychological well-being.
The poster presents a diagram of the eight dimensions of wellness: social, environmental, physical, emotional, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, and financial.
On this page
Causes - Depression in adults
How can I improve my mental health?
Complications
Affect is described as the clinician's interpretation of a patient's observed expression through their non-verbal language. [2] Terms often used are euthymic, happy, sad, irritated, angry, agitated, restricted, blunted, flat, broad, bizarre, full, labile, anxious, bright, elated, and euphoric.
These factors can be grouped into two categories: