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One day, I got a befuddling question: “Chris, exactly what is mental health?”
What a ridiculous question, I thought. Duh, it’s… well…
I have a bachelor’s in psychology. I got a master’s of social work with a focus in community mental health. As a therapist and licensed clinical social worker, I spend every day working with people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Is that all there is to mental health, or is there more?
Here’s the thing. Mental health is a sprawling subject that means different things to different people. It’s surprisingly difficult to describe. There can be enormous overlap between physical health, social health, and spiritual health.
I searched the wilds of the internet for answers. There is no perfect definition of mental health, but here are three of my favorite takes.
What is Mental Health? According to the dictionary…
According to the Oxford Dictionary, mental health refers to “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.”
A pretty good definition, but let’s break down what it’s saying. Talking about “emotional well-being” makes plain sense, I think: happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger, etc. Or, the cast of Inside Out: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. There’s a million ways to label feelings.
Still, what does it mean to be “emotionally well”? Happiness can be fleeting, and other emotions like sadness and anger can play a healthy role in dealing with life. To me, the question is how a person’s feelings affect their ability to function. Chasing joy can be dangerous, for example, if it leads to behaviors with bad long-term consequences.
Also, what does “psychological well-being” even mean? It depends who you ask. I like this Oxford Dictionary definition as a sort of shorthand description of what mental health means, but it does miss nuance.
The CDC’s Take on Mental Health
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) chimes in with seven different elements to “wellness”:
- Self-perceived health
- Longevity
- Healthy behaviors
- Mental and physical illness
- Social connectedness
- Productivity
- Factors in the physical and social environment.
One of my favorite parts about this definition is that it stays away from judging a person’s mood. As a therapist, I spend a lot of time thinking about clients’ behaviors, social connectedness, and ability to be productive. “Healthy behavior” is a bit vague, but ultimately what people do to take care of their bodies, engage in important relationships, and do fulfilling and sustaining activities has huge repercussions on their mental health.
Another smart inclusion is that psychological well-being also encompasses a person’s physical and social environment. The context we live in absolutely informs how we feel. Imagine taking a scenic walk through a forested grove. Now imagine standing in the middle of a warzone. Different feeling, right? A person’s social environment matters just as much. Race, religion, socioeconomic status, family structure, and support systems all have profound impacts on mental health.
If I have one criticism of this perspective, it’s that the CDC is mostly describing wellness from a public health perspective. Terms like “longevity” mean how long somebody stays alive, but is that really the best measure of psychological wellness? Debatable. And while I like that the CDC is looking at behavior as part of mental health, I think a person’s thoughts or feelings should also be accounted for, too.
The Six-Factor Model of Psychological Well-Being
One of my favorite explanations of mental health and well-being is kind of complicated, so I’ll do my best to translate all the jargon. The Six-Factor Model of Psychological Well-Being is based on Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s belief that “the goal of life isn’t to feel good, but instead to live virtuously.” Along those lines, psychologist Dr. Carol Ryff argues that the six factors most important to mental health are self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, environmental mastery, autonomy, and positive relations with others.
The first several terms are pretty self-explanatory. In contrast to CDC prioritizing self-perceived health, Dr. Ryff says it’s more important to accept oneself. I like this approach—sometimes, the truth is that we really aren’t healthy for one reason or another. When we accept where we’re at, we are more likely to feel better about it. Also, the “personal growth” piece suggests that we feel better when we are constantly developing, improving ourselves, and expanding our interests. And of course, I think just about anybody would agree that having a purpose in life, a reason to get up in the morning, is critical to mental health.
Onto the less obvious. Autonomy means that somebody is able to be independent. That independence might mean different things to different people. A person with a severe disability, for example, may need some physical assistance. However, finding other ways to be independent—such as in a relationship, in a job, or as a thinker—is important for one’s mental health.
Environmental mastery refers to a person’s ability to navigate physical, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges and make the most of opportunities. This is similar to what the CDC had just called “factors in the physical and social environment.” Still, I like using the word mastery here, as that highlights how people have some control in how they react to these factors.
Finally, we’ve got the “social connectedness” bit. I once had a professor who made this analogy: “relationships are to people as water is to fish.” Having meaningful and functional relationships is critical to mental health.
In truth, the Six-Factor Model of Psychological Well-Being is a little convoluted and complicated at first. Furthermore, this model was developed for the specific purpose of evaluating clients, and the results aren’t foolproof. Some critics argue this means the model is saying the same thing in different ways. Maybe! Still, I think it’s possible that these parts of a person’s life just happen to be closely connected.
Conclusion
In the United Kingdom, their National Health System has a policy saying there is “no health without mental health.” I couldn’t agree more. A functioning human body is important, but the person in there has to be doing well, too.
While there is no universal definition of mental health, there is some consensus. Emotions are important components of mental health. A person feels better when they have a sense of purpose and are productive toward their goals. Their physical and social environment matter. Relationships and connectedness with others are invaluable parts of life.
While definitions may differ, my goal remains the same. This blog will act as a one-stop shop for mental health information and self-care tips.
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What do you think mental health is? Do you totally disagree with something here? Sound off in the comments below. Please consider sharing this article with someone you know.
