Positive Mental Health: The Resilience Of Mental Health

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Mental health describes a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of a mental disorder. From the perspective of 'positive psychology' or 'holism', mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Mental health can also be defined as an expression of emotions, and as signifying a successful adaptation to a range of demands. Positive mental health is more than the absence of a mental illness (WHO, 2007). The Public Health Agency of Canada defines mental health as:“the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is the positive sense …show more content…

Positive mental health is often referred to as “flourishing,” that is having positive emotional, psychological and social wellbeing (Keyes, 2007). The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes 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”. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life. People with positive or flourishing mental health experience greater resilience and stronger bonds with friends and family, miss less days at work, use fewer health care services, and experience lower levels of chronic conditions (Keyes 2007). Communities also benefit from enhanced social interaction and mentally healthy environments at school, work and in social settings (WHO et al., 2004). Conversely, poor mental health and mental illness can have debilitating effects on a person’s life and on the population’s health (Government of Canada, 2006; WHO et al., …show more content…

Mental and physical health are closely associated: people with poor mental health are more likely to developor experience a worsening of a wide range of chronic physical illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease or respiratory problems, and vice versa (CMHA Ont., 2008, Government of Canada, 2006). Conversely, positive mental health is a protective factor against chronic physical conditions. People with high levels of positive mental health tend to experience lower rates of physical health problems than those with moderate or poor mental health or mental illness (Keyes,

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