What is mental health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behaviour. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, connect to others, and make choices. It affects our decision-making, determines how we cope with stress and build interpersonal relationships. Mental health plays a crucial role at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

What factors impact our mental health

Mental health issues can have a wide range of causes. There is likely a complex combination of factors for each person. Many factors contribute to mental health issues, including:
– biological factors,
– life experiences,
– family and upbringing.

Here’s a more detailed list of the causes that affect our mental health:
– childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect,
– social isolation, loneliness,
– stigma and discrimination,
– social disadvantage,
– loss,
– long-term stress,
– physical health condition,
– unemployment, losing a job,
– homelessness, poor housing,
– drug and alcohol misuse,
– domestic violence,
– trauma,
– physical causes.

Although work, diet, drugs and lack of sleep can all affect your mental health, if you experience a mental health issue, there are usually other factors as well.

How does climate change affect mental health?

“Decades of research highlight the immediate and longer-term mental health challenges caused by rising temperatures and extreme weather events, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicide, aggression, and gender-based violence” – APA

last update: 1 march 2023