Mental health is often referred to as one’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we view the world, make decisions, and how we handle everyday situations. Mental health is crucial throughout our lives, from birth to adolescence, from adulthood to our declining years. Good mental health helps us make better decisions and live our best lives. Of course, most people would experience a threat to their mental health at some point in their lives. Some let it control them and some don’t. However, there is no definite way to handle poor mental health, as one’s method of handling it might not be right for others.
Today’s stress and standards in society contribute to poor mental health and could cause various mental illnesses in people of all ages, and from any social or ethnic background. A study from ‘Our World in Data’, which took place in 2017, indicates that 10.7 percent of the world’s population experiences at least one mental illness, in which anxiety disorder has the highest rate, with around 3.8 percent, followed by depression, with around 3.4 percent. Though one of the causes for poor mental health is society’s standards, personal experience and trauma can also lead to poor mental health.
There are factors, which are the most common, that contribute to poor mental health.
This includes severe trauma, experiences with chronic medical conditions, chemical imbalances in the brain, alcohol or drug abuse, or having feelings of loneliness or isolation. For instance, social isolation is one of the main culprits of mental illnesses.
Social isolation refers to a lack of social connection, which can lead to loneliness. Individuals who are socially isolated often avoid any social interactions or feel drained both physically and emotionally during social situations. These conditions are generally caused by long-term illness, disabilities, unemployment, or exposure to domestic or community violence. It has been proven that younger generations are more likely to experience social isolation than older generations. A survey in 2020 found that 79 percent of Generation Z and 71 percent of millennials experience social isolation, compared to only 50 percent of [baby] boomers, which is a much smaller extent.
Prioritising your mental health is a great approach to improving your emotional well-being. Whether it be focusing on your interests, staying at home, or meeting new people, mental health should always be prioritised. As Albus Dumbledore* once said, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
*Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts.
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