SIGNIFICANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health states to a person’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. It influences how one thinks, feels and acts. It also helps to control how we handle stress, relate to others, and make selections. Mental health is significant at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological problems. In Malaysia, according to the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey, every 3 in 10 adults aged 16 years and above suffer from some form of mental health issues.
The social and economic costs associated with growing burden of mental ill health focused the possibilities for promoting mental health as well as preventing and treating mental illness. Hence, mental health awareness is very important to physical health and quality of life.
Factors to Mental Illness
Mental disorders also affect persons health behavior which caused by:
Biological factors
People who have a family history of mental health illness may be more likely to developing one at some point. Experts believe many mental illnesses are linked to abnormalities in many genes, therefore a person inherits a susceptibility to a mental illness and doesn't necessarily develop the illness. Defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain have also been linked to some mental illnesses.
Psychological factors
Severe psychological trauma suffered such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse may give a huge negative impact towards mental disorders. Moreover, a child may face these mental illnesses at their early age when they feel they have been neglected by their parents. Loss of parents also affects their emotional and mental condition if there is no attention given by close relatives to give them support.
Environmental factors
Stressful life situations, such as financial problems, a loved one's death or a divorce can lead mental disorder such as depression. Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness also can health plays a significant role in creating harmful thought patterns associated with mental disorders. Social or cultural expectations as well as exposure to environmental stressors, inflammatory conditions, toxins, alcohol or drugs can be linked to mental illness.
