Mental health

Mental health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Mentalhealth.gov

Types of mental health

These are on a continuum, from lower level experiences to diagnosed, clinical disorders.

Anxiety
Depression
Schizophrenia
Psychosis
Bipolar
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Borderline personality disorder
Eating disorders

Children's mental health

What is mental health?

Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people. They include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives.

The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include:

being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise
having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
taking part in local activities for young people.

Other factors are also important, including: