What is Mental Health

 The World Health Organization describes health not as merely the absence of disease or infirmity but as a condition of physical, mental and social well-being. Mental health does not mean mere absence of mental illness but the sense of well-being that an individual feels. We can refer to mental health as emotional stability. Mental health and physical health are interrelated and interdependent. As the saying goes, a sound mind in a sound body.

 

“ Mental and physical health are the two sides of one coin.” If one side is sick it will influence the other side to get sick also. ‘Mental illness has been defined in various ways in our society. Currently there exist several approaches to definition: “Mental illness as the absence of mental health, as sickness, as difficulty in social adaptation, or as ‘troublesome’ behavior that others label as insanity. Of these four approaches, the idea of mental illness as disease predominates.”1

 

Mental health is the capacity of an individual to form harmonious relationships with others and participate in, or contribute constructively to changes in the social environment. It is the adjustment of human beings to the world and to each other with a maximum of effectiveness and happiness; the  ability to maintain an even temper, an alert intelligence, socially considerate behaviour, and a happy disposition. 

   

Mental health  is also defined as a state of well-being whereby individuals recognize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully and make a contribution to their communities.2

 

Mental health problems affect society as a whole, and not just a small, isolated segment.  Mental health is crucial to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries. There is no health without mental health even though it is often not accorded the same importance as physical health. MIPs have been largely ignored or neglected.

 

Mental illness has been hidden behind a curtain of stigma and discrimination for far too long. It is time to bring it out into the open. The magnitude, suffering and burden in terms of disability, loss of employment and costs for individuals, families and societies are staggering. “… One in four families have at least one member with a mental disorder. Family members are often the primary care givers of people with mental disorders. … In addition to the health and social costs, those suffering from mental illness are also victims of human rights violations both inside and outside psychiatric institutions.”

Africa Mental Health Foundation

 

 

A visitor feeds Internally Displaced children in Jamhuri Park, Nairobi. The trauma faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the recent post-election violence in Kenya is likely to contribute to increased mental disorders in the country.

Users and Survivors of Psychiatry

Kenya