Mental Health is a state of wellbeing that affects how we think, feel and act, and it helps determine how we handle stress and make choices in our lives. Having positive mental health is vital to living a healthy happy life so it should be just as important as our physical health.

Three main factors can influence mental health;

• Biological factors
• Life experiences
• Family history of mental health

Everyone goes through tough times, where we may feel down, stressed or anxious. Most of the time these feelings pass – but when they don’t, our long-term Mental Health can be affected.  

You may bounce back from certain setbacks whereas someone else may feel weighed down by it for a longer period of time. Your Mental Health will not stay the same throughout your life: it can change, and spotting the potential signs of poor mental health and knowing how to deal with it is important.

Poor mental health

Mental Health problems range from smaller stresses we experience at work or during our daily lives, to serious long-term conditions. One thing to realise, is that mental health problems are very common: 1 in 6 people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem.

Mental Health: the key statistics

• 20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year.
• 1 in 4 British adults are diagnosed with at least one mental health problem each year.
• 450 million people are affected by poor mental health worldwide.
• 75% of managers say they manage at least one person with a mental health problem.
• 37% of all work relates ill-health cases are due to stress, anxiety or depression.
• Only 5% of UK employees say their organisation is helpful when managing mental health.

How do I look after my mental health?

Positive mental health doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have mental health problems, although positive mental health is likely to help you to protect yourself and deal with any potential problems when they do surface.

Positive mental health is defined by your ability to complete four main day-to-day activities;

• The ability to feel, express and manage both positive and negative emotions.
• The ability to form and maintain positive relationships with other people.
• The ability to learn.
• The ability to cope with and manage change.

Looking after your mental health is difficult, but being in a positive environment and feeling comfortable enough to be open about your mental health is important.

Take a look at our guide to looking after your mental health in your workplace.