Mental Health and Wellbeing Tookit
What is Mental Health & Wellbeing?
Mental health refers to the health of our minds and emotions, it influences how we think and feel about ourselves and about others, as well as how we respond to things that happen to us. It gives us our ability to enjoy life and cope with its challenges.
Scotlands Mental Health Statistics 2015
- Currently 1 in 20 people have depression
- 80% of mental health problems are anxiety and depression
- 40% of absences from work are due to mental health problems
- Of all GP appointments, 70% will be patients with anxiety and depression
Myths and facts
- Myth: Mental Health problems are very rare
- Fact: 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year
- Myth: People with mental illness aren’t able to work
- Fact: We probably all work with someone experiencing a mental health problem
- Myth: People with mental health illnesses are usually violent and unpredictable
- Fact: People with a mental illness are more likely to be a victim of violence
- Myth: People with mental health problems don't experience discrimination
- Fact: 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination
Mental Wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is a combination of our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social health. Wellbeing can take many different forms, a useful description is feeling good, functioning well and living in a way that is good for you and good for others around you.
If you have positive mental wellbeing you will be:
- Feeling happy
- Feeling contentment
- Expressing a range of emotions
- Enjoying what life has to offer
- Having self confidence
- Engaging with the world
- Living and working productively
- Coping with the stresses of daily life
- Able to deal with change and uncertainty
It is natural:
- To feel happy when something positive happens to you
- To feel sad or angry when something negative happens to you
- To feel scared and anxious if you are dealing with something worrying
Positive mental wellbeing doesn't mean that you never experience feelings or situations that you may find difficult, but it does mean that you feel you have the resilience to cope when times are tougher than usual.
Positive mental health can be maintained and improved through some simple, yet effective steps.