Mental Health
Science: KS3, topic 1.6.42
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.
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
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
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.
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
Test yourself on Mental Health
When someone is coping with life normally, where are they on the mental health scale?
What are some factors that can affect mental health?
Select the correct statement in each pair
A student copes well with everyday life, has good friendships, understands their feelings and makes sensible decisions. Which point on the mental health scale best fits them?