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Mental Health

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Mental Health

Everybody has mental health and it can change depending on various circumstances. Unlike physical health which you can see, mental health is often invisible.

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Mental health definition

  • A person's mental health is a measure of how they:
    • Deal with and cope with life
    • Form relationships
    • Understand feelings
    • Make appropriate decisions
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Mental health scale

  • To judge mental health, we can think of points on a scale:
    • Healthy - coping with life normally
    • Reacting - may appear very sad, forgetful, trouble sleeping
    • Injured - may appear to be in distress
    • Ill - may be diagnosed with a mental disorder
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Mental ill health

  • Nearly 1 in 4 people in the UK experience poor mental health each year.
  • Many factors can affect mental ill health.
    • Mental ill health may lead to a mental disorder.
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Factors for mental ill health

  • Factors leading to mental ill health include:
    • Drug use
    • Family history of mental ill health
    • Personal life issues
    • Traumatic experiences
    • Other illness
    • Bullying

Depression and Anxiety

Two common mental disorders are depression and anxiety.

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Depression

  • Depression is an example of mental ill health.
  • Depression may have serious emotional consequences.
    • People with depression often feel very alone.
    • Depression can affect a person's personal and work relationships.
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Depression's affect on behaviour

  • People with depression can become very withdrawn.
  • People with depression may start to drink more alcohol or take illegal drugs.
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Stress

  • Stress is a physical and emotional response to feeling under pressure in everyday life.
    • Going to school may cause some people stress.
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Effects of stress

  • Stress can lead to:
    • High blood pressure
    • An increased heart rate
    • Trouble sleeping
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Anxiety

  • Stresses in a person's life can cause them to develop anxiety.
    • Anxiety could lead to panic attacks and trouble breathing.

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