What is mental health?

There are many definitions of mental health:

• '... mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. It is a state of well-being where the individual realises 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'     (World Health Organisation 2001)
  

• '... it is the emotional and spiritual resilience which allows us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own, and others', dignity and worth.'     (Health Education Authority 1997)
  

• '... mental health influences how we think and feel about ourselves and others and how we interpret events. It affects our capacity to learn, to communicate and to form, sustain and end relationships. It also influences our ability to cope with change, transition and life events: having a baby, moving house, experiencing bereavement.'      (Friedli 2004)

In daily use mental health is often synonymous with mental illness and as myths about mental illness abound both are greeted with the same mistrust, fear and rejection. We all have mental health - good, bad or, most of the time, fluctuating in between. Statistics show that 1 in 4 of us will also at any time experience some form of mental illness.

Mental health is not a fixed state and at certain times in our lives events may make it more difficult for us to cope and we might need extra support - for example, after bereavement, divorce, redundancy, having a child, moving to a new area, etc. It is also influenced by a variety of different things, our genes and upbringing accounting for about 50%, our circumstances (including how much we earn and the weather) for about 10% and the remaining 40% down to our activities and outlook (our friends, our hobbies and our attitude to life).