sex & mental health wellbeing
Our mental health is important to us as it affects every aspect of our lives. There is no health without mental health.
What does mental health mean to you? Does it make you think of someone who has a mental health problem like depression or schizophrenia? Or does it make you think of that very personal quality which describes the way you think and feel about yourself, your experiences, your confidence, your resilience and sense of control over your life?
Mental health means our ability to enjoy life and cope with its challenges. Recent research suggests that mental health consists of two dimensions:
- positive mental health (mental wellbeing), for example life satisfaction, positive relationships with others and purpose in life
- mental health problems (mental illness, psychiatric morbidity), for example depression and anxiety.
Good mental health is therefore more than the absence of mental health problems.
There are various definitions to describe mental health. Here are the definitions used by the wellscotland website.
Mental health
Mental health is 'the emotional and spiritual resilience which allows us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own, and others’, dignity and worth.' (Health Education Authority - 1997).
It can also be used as an umbrella term to refer to both the concepts of mental health problems and mental wellbeing.
Mental health problems
A term that refers to symptoms that meet the criteria for clinical diagnosis of mental illness, or symptoms at a sub-clinical threshold which interfere with emotional, cognitive or social function. Examples include common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and severe and enduring mental health problems such as schizophrenia.
Mental wellbeing
A term that includes:
- aspects of subjective wellbeing (affect and life satisfaction)
- psychological wellbeing (which covers a wider range of cognitive aspects of mental health such as mastery and a sense of control, having a purpose in life, a sense of belonging and positive relationships with others).
The way we talk about mental health, mental wellbeing, mental health problems and mental illness can often be confusing. The idea of mental wellbeing includes both how people feel - their emotions and life satisfaction - and how people function - their self acceptance, positive relations with others, personal control over their environment, purpose in life and autonomy. Each person's experience differs. Some people who experience mental illness may have a good quality of life and experience good mental wellbeing. Others who do not experience mental illness may nevertheless have poor mental wellbeing and a poor quality of life. Those with depression are also less likely to have a feeling of wellbeing.
Physical health and mental health are two sides of the same coin - one affects the other and vice versa. Improving your physical health can do a lot to improve your mental health.
The same can be said for sexual health and mental health – one affects the other and vice versa. Improving your sexual health can therefore do a lot to improve your mental health.
Our mental health is shaped by every aspect of our life such as our social, economic, physical, and cultural environment, including people's personal strengths and vulnerabilities, their lifestyles and health-related behaviours, and economic, social and environmental factors.
Test your mental health with the Steps for Stress Quiz.
How can I improve my mental wellbeing?
Experiencing mental wellbeing isn’t just about treating mental health problems. Far from it! There are lots of things you can do to improve mental wellbeing and help prevent mental health problems in the first place. There are also plenty of things you can try if you (or those around you) do encounter problems. Click here for top tips.
The wellscotland website has links for information and advice on all aspects of a healthy lifestyle on their Physical health and mental health page.
It’s not easy to know what to do or say when someone close to you has a mental health problem. It may help to increase your knowledge which, in turn, will help increase your understanding and reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems. Click here for information on various mental health problems.
For links to NHS Health Scotland publications to help you improve your mental wellbeing if you have had a mental health problem, visit their Links to improve your mental health page.
Are you feeling suicidal?
Its really important to talk to someone about it. Click here for organisations you can contact if you're feeling suicidal.
The Scottish Government is committed to working to improve the mental health of Scotland’s people through ensuring that services are in place, but also by working through social policy and health improvement activity to reduce the burden of mental health problems and mental illness and to promote good mental wellbeing. Find out more about the Scottish Government’s policy and action plan.
Additional links for mental health and wellbeing information
www.wellscotland.info
www.samh.org.uk
www.seemescotland.org.uk
www.smhfa.org.uk
www.lookokfeelcrap.org
www.sdcmh.org.uk
www.scottishrecovery.net
www.handonscotland.co.uk
www.chooselife.net
www.youngscotlandinmind.org.uk
www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk
www.penumbra.org.uk