mental health exploratory essay

Essay Editor

Mental Health Essay

Introduction

Mental health, often overshadowed by its physical counterpart, is an intricate and essential aspect of human existence. It envelops our emotions, psychological state, and social well-being, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. With the complexities of modern life—constant connectivity, societal pressures, personal expectations, and the frenzied pace of technological advancements—mental well-being has become increasingly paramount. Historically, conversations around this topic have been hushed, shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. However, as the curtains of misconception slowly lift, we find ourselves in an era where discussions about mental health are not only welcomed but are also seen as vital. Recognizing and addressing the nuances of our mental state is not merely about managing disorders; it's about understanding the essence of who we are, how we process the world around us, and how we navigate the myriad challenges thrown our way. This essay aims to delve deep into the realm of mental health, shedding light on its importance, the potential consequences of neglect, and the spectrum of mental disorders that many face in silence.

Importance of Mental Health

Mental health plays a pivotal role in determining how individuals think, feel, and act. It influences our decision-making processes, stress management techniques, interpersonal relationships, and even our physical health. A well-tuned mental state boosts productivity, creativity, and the intrinsic sense of self-worth, laying the groundwork for a fulfilling life.

Negative Impact of Mental Health

Neglecting mental health, on the other hand, can lead to severe consequences. Reduced productivity, strained relationships, substance abuse, physical health issues like heart diseases, and even reduced life expectancy are just some of the repercussions of poor mental health. It not only affects the individual in question but also has a ripple effect on their community, workplace, and family.

Mental Disorders: Types and Prevalence

Mental disorders are varied and can range from anxiety and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia.

Depression: Characterized by persistent sadness, lack of interest in activities, and fatigue.
Anxiety Disorders: Encompass conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and specific phobias.
Schizophrenia: A complex disorder affecting a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

The prevalence of these disorders has been on the rise, underscoring the need for comprehensive mental health initiatives and awareness campaigns.

Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

Mental health is not merely the absence of disorders but encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Recognizing the signs of deteriorating mental health, like prolonged sadness, extreme mood fluctuations, or social withdrawal, is crucial. Understanding stems from awareness and education. Societal stigmas surrounding mental health have often deterred individuals from seeking help. Breaking these barriers, fostering open conversations, and ensuring access to mental health care are imperative steps.

Conclusion: Mental Health

Mental health, undeniably, is as significant as physical health, if not more. In an era where the stressors are myriad, from societal pressures to personal challenges, mental resilience and well-being are essential. Investing time and resources into mental health initiatives, and more importantly, nurturing a society that understands, respects, and prioritizes mental health is the need of the hour.

World Leaders: Several influential personalities, from celebrities to sports stars, have openly discussed their mental health challenges, shedding light on the universality of these issues and the importance of addressing them.
Workplaces: Progressive organizations are now incorporating mental health programs, recognizing the tangible benefits of a mentally healthy workforce, from increased productivity to enhanced creativity.
Educational Institutions: Schools and colleges, witnessing the effects of stress and other mental health issues on students, are increasingly integrating counseling services and mental health education in their curriculum.

In weaving through the intricate tapestry of mental health, it becomes evident that it's an area that requires collective attention, understanding, and action.

Short Essay about Mental Health

Mental health, an integral facet of human well-being, shapes our emotions, decisions, and daily interactions. Just as one would care for a sprained ankle or a fever, our minds too require attention and nurture. In today's bustling world, mental well-being is often put on the back burner, overshadowed by the immediate demands of life. Yet, its impact is pervasive, influencing our productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Sadly, mental health issues have long been stigmatized, seen as a sign of weakness or dismissed as mere mood swings. However, they are as real and significant as any physical ailment. From anxiety to depression, these disorders have touched countless lives, often in silence due to societal taboos.

But change is on the horizon. As awareness grows, conversations are shifting from hushed whispers to open discussions, fostering understanding and support. Institutions, workplaces, and communities are increasingly acknowledging the importance of mental health, implementing programs, and offering resources.

In conclusion, mental health is not a peripheral concern but a central one, crucial to our holistic well-being. It's high time we prioritize it, eliminating stigma and fostering an environment where everyone feels supported in their mental health journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of a mental health essay?

Answer: The primary focus of a mental health essay is to delve into the intricacies of mental well-being, its significance in our daily lives, the various challenges people face, and the broader societal implications. It aims to shed light on both the psychological and emotional aspects of mental health, often emphasizing the importance of understanding, empathy, and proactive care.

How can writing an essay on mental health help raise awareness about its importance?

Answer: Writing an essay on mental health can effectively articulate the nuances and complexities of the topic, making it more accessible to a wider audience. By presenting facts, personal anecdotes, and research, the essay can demystify misconceptions, highlight the prevalence of mental health issues, and underscore the need for destigmatizing discussions around it. An impactful essay can ignite conversations, inspire action, and contribute to a more informed and empathetic society.

What are some common topics covered in a mental health essay?

Answer: Common topics in a mental health essay might include the definition and importance of mental health, the connection between mental and physical well-being, various mental disorders and their symptoms, societal stigmas and misconceptions, the impact of modern life on mental health, and the significance of therapy and counseling. It may also delve into personal experiences, case studies, and the broader societal implications of neglecting mental health.

Ace your graduation speech with aithor.

Hello, Aithors! Can you feel it? That's the buzz of graduation season in the air:) And while we're all about the caps flying and the proud smiles, we also know that being asked to write a graduation speech can feel a bit like being handed a mountain to climb. Crafting a graduation speech is all about capturing the spirit of the journey you've been on, from the triumphs to the trials, and everything in between. It's a reflection of where you've been, and a beacon of light pointing towards where ...

Literary Analysis Essay Example: Discover How to Analyze Literature and Improve Your Writing Skills

Creating a literary analysis essay is one of the most interesting assignments during college and high school studies. It needs both good text interpreting and analytical skills. The number of proper forms is great, including short stories and novels, poems and ballads, comedies and dramas. Any literary work may be analyzed. In brief, when writing this paper a student should give a summary of the text and a detailed review of the language, structure, and other stuff the author used to express hi ...

Proposal Essay Examples: Convincing Ideas for Your Research Paper or Essay

Struggling to craft a captivating and well-built proposal essay? Many students find it challenging to compose a proposal-based essay and struggle to generate convincing ideas. If this sounds familiar, read on. In this comprehensive guide, we streamline the process of brainstorming and composing work, offering resources like suggestions on how to write a proposal essay, suggested steps when writing, useful examples, and efficient essay-crafting tips. Developed through several years of expertise ...

Biographical Essay: Tips and Tricks for Writing a Perfect Biography

Biographical essays are some of the most common texts you can find on the Internet. When you browse a Wiki article about your favorite singer, you are basically reading a biography paper. However, in academia, there are certain rules students need to follow to get perfect marks for their papers. In this article, we will explore what a biographical essay is, why it matters, and how to write an essay about a person. What is a biographical essay? A biographical essay is a paper that focuses on ...

Create a Perfect Essay Structure

Hello Aithors! We're back again with another feature highlight. Today, we want to talk about a tool that can be a game-changer for your essay writing process - our Table of Contents tool. Writing an essay isn't just about getting your ideas down on paper. It's about presenting them in a clear, structured way that makes sense to your reader. However, figuring out the best structure for your essay can sometimes be a tough nut to crack. That's why we developed the Table of Contents feature. The b ...

Will I Get Caught Using Chat GPT?

ChatGPT has been around for a little over a year but already found popularity among all groups of users. School and college students have taken a particular liking to it. However, many students avoid using the chatbot for fear that their teacher might catch them. Read this article to learn more about ChatGPT, its features, and whether your teacher can actually find out if you use it for your homework. What is Chat GPT? ChatGPT was first introduced to the world in November 2022. At the time, ...

How to Write an Evaluation Essay That Engages and Persuades: Helpful Tips and Inspiring Examples

Are you feeling unsure about how to effectively evaluate a subject from your own perspective in an evaluation essay? If you're struggling to understand how to present a balanced assessment, don't worry! We're here to guide you through the process of writing an evaluation that showcases your critical thinking skills. What Is an Evaluation Essay? An evaluation essay is a type of writing in which the writer gives their opinion on a topic. You look at something carefully and think about how good ...

How To Write Reflection Essays

How often do you contemplate how the tapestry of your experiences shapes your thoughts? A reflection paper lets you explore that. It's like deep diving into your life’s precious moments, examining how stories, books, events, or even lectures have influenced your views. This type of academic essay integrates a personal perspective, allowing you to openly express your opinions. In this guide, we will delve into the specifics of reflective writing, share some tips, and show some self-reflection es ...

BibGuru Blog

Be more productive in school

Citation Styles

How to write an exploratory essay [Updated 2023]

Unlike other types of essays, the exploratory essay does not present a specific argument or support a claim with evidence. Instead, an exploratory essay allows a writer to "explore" a topic and consider tentative conclusions about it. This article covers what you need to know to write a successful exploratory essay.

What is an exploratory essay?

An exploratory essay considers a topic or problem and explores possible solutions. This type of paper also sometimes includes background about how you have approached the topic, as well as information about your research process.

Whereas other types of essays take a concrete stance on an issue and offer extensive support for that stance, the exploratory essay covers how you arrived at an idea and what research materials and methods you used to explore it.

For example, an argumentative essay on expanding public transportation might argue that increasing public transit options improves citizens' quality of life. However, an exploratory essay would provide context for the issue and discuss what data and research you gathered to consider the problem.

What to include in an exploratory essay

Importantly, an exploratory essay does not reach a specific conclusion about a topic. Rather, it explores multiple conclusions and possibilities. So, for the above example, your exploratory essay might include several viewpoints about public transit, including research from urban planners, transportation advocates, and other experts.

Finally, an exploratory essay will include some reflection on your own research and writing process. You might be asked to draw some conclusions about how you could tackle your topic in an argumentative essay or you might reflect on what sources or pieces of evidence were most helpful as you were exploring the topic.

Ultimately, the primary goal of an exploratory essay is to make an inquiry about a topic or problem, investigate the context, and address possible solutions.

What to expect in an exploratory essay assignment

This section discusses what you can expect in an exploratory essay assignment, in terms of length, style, and sources. Instructors may also provide you with an exploratory essay example or an assignment rubric to help you determine if your essay meets the appropriate guidelines .

The expected length of an exploratory essay varies depending on the topic, course subject, and course level. For instance, an exploratory essay assigned in an upper-level sociology course will likely be longer than a similar assignment in an introductory course.

Like other essay types, exploratory essays typically include at least five paragraphs, but most range from a few pages to the length of a full research paper .

While exploratory essays will generally follow academic style guidelines, they differ from other essays because they tend to utilize a more reflective, personal tone. This doesn't mean that you can cast off academic style rules, however.

Rather, think of an exploratory essay as a venue for presenting your topic and methods to a sympathetic and intelligent audience of fellow researchers. Most importantly, make sure that your writing is clear, correct, and concise.

As an exploration of your approach to a topic, an exploratory essay will necessarily incorporate research material. As a result, you should expect to include a bibliography or references page with your essay. This page will list both the sources that you cite in your essay, as well as any sources that you may have consulted during your research process.

The citation style of your essay's bibliography will vary based on the subject of the course. For example, an exploratory essay for a sociology class will probably adhere to APA style , while an essay in a history class might use Chicago style .

Exploratory essay outline and format

An exploratory essay utilizes the same basic structure that you'll find in other essays. It includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets up the context for your topic, addresses why that topic is worthy of study, and states your primary research question(s).

The body paragraphs cover the research that you've conducted and often include overviews of the sources that you've consulted. The conclusion returns to your research question and considers possible solutions.

Introduction

The introduction of an exploratory essay functions as an overview. In this section, you should provide context for your topic, explain why the topic is important, and state your research question:

Context includes general information about the topic. This part of the introduction may also outline, or signpost, what the rest of the paper will cover.
Topic importance helps readers "buy in" to your research. A few sentences that address the question, "so what?" will enable you to situate your research within an ongoing debate.
The last part of of your introduction should clearly state your research question. It's okay to have more than one, depending on the assignment.

If you were writing an exploratory essay on public transportation, you might start by briefly introducing the recent history of public transit debates. Next, you could explain that public transportation research is important because it has a concrete impact on our daily lives. Finally, you might end your introduction by articulating your primary research questions.

While some individuals may choose not to utilize public transportation, decisions to expand or alter public transit systems affect the lives of all. As a result of my preliminary research, I became interested in exploring whether public transportation systems improve citizens' quality of life. In particular, does public transit only improve conditions for those who regularly use these systems? Or, do improvements in public transportation positively impact the quality of life for all individuals within a given city or region? The remainder of this essay explores the research around these questions and considers some possible conclusions.

Body paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an exploratory essay discuss the research process that you used to explore your topic. This section highlights the sources that you found most useful and explains why they are important to the debate.

You might also use the body paragraphs to address how individual resources changed your thinking about your topic. Most exploratory essays will have several body paragraphs.

One source that was especially useful to my research was a 2016 study by Richard J. Lee and Ipek N. Sener that considers the intersections between transportation planning and quality of life . They argue that, while planners have consistently addressed physical health and well-being in transportation plans, they have not necessarily factored in how mental and social health contributes to quality of life. Put differently, transportation planning has traditionally utilized a limited definition of quality of life and this has necessarily impacted data on the relationship between public transit and quality of life. This resource helped me to broaden my conception of quality of life to include all aspects of human health. It also enabled me to better understand the stakeholders involved in transportation decisions.

Your conclusion should return to the research question stated in your introduction. What are some possible solutions to your questions, based on the sources that you highlighted in your essay? While you shouldn't include new information in your conclusion, you can discuss additional questions that arose as you were conducting your research.

In my introduction, I asked whether public transit improves quality of life for all, not simply for users of public transportation. My research demonstrates that there are strong connections between public transportation and quality of life, but that researchers differ as to how quality of life is defined. Many conclude that public transit improves citizens' lives, but it is still not clear how public transit decisions affect non-users, since few studies have focused on this distinct group. As a result, I believe that more research is needed to answer the research questions that I posed above.

Frequently Asked Questions about exploratory essays

You should begin an exploratory essay by introducing the context for your topic, explaining the topic's importance, and outlining your original research question.

Like other types of essays, the exploratory essay has three primary parts:

Although an exploratory essay does not make a specific argument, your research question technically serves as your thesis.

Yes, you can use "I" throughout your paper. An exploratory essay is meant to explore your own research process, so a first-person perspective is appropriate.

You should end your exploratory essay with a succinct conclusion that returns to your research question and considers possible answers. You can also end by highlighting further questions you may have about your research.

Make your life easier with our productivity and writing resources.

For students and teachers.

Further Evidence on the Global Decline in the Mental Health of the Young

Prior to around 2011, there was a pronounced curvilinear relationship between age and wellbeing: poor mental health was hump-shaped with respect to age, whilst subjective well-being was U-shaped. We examine data from a European panel for France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden called, Come-Here, for 2020-2023, plus data from International Social Survey Program (ISSP) surveys for 2011 and 2021 and some country-specific data. Mental ill-health now declines in a roughly monotonic fashion with age, whilst subjective well-being rises with age. We also show that young people with poorer mental health spend more time daily in front of a screen on the internet or their smartphone, and that within-person increases in poor mental health are correlated with spending more time in front of a screen. This evidence appears important because it is among the first pieces of research to use panel data on individuals to track the relationship between screen time and changes in mental health, and because the results caution against simply using the presence of the internet in the household, or low usage indicators (such as having used the internet in the last week) to capture the role played by screen time in the growth of mental ill-health.

We acknowledge funding from the United Nations The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

MARC RIS BibTeΧ

Download Citation Data

More from NBER

In addition to working papers , the NBER disseminates affiliates’ latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter , the NBER Digest , the Bulletin on Retirement and Disability , the Bulletin on Health , and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship — as well as online conference reports , video lectures , and interviews .

15th Annual Feldstein Lecture, Mario Draghi, "The Next Flight of the Bumblebee: The Path to Common Fiscal Policy in the Eurozone cover slide

Mental Health - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

This section is dedicated to argumentative and persuasive essays on mental health awareness in the United States. Mental illness and psychological problems are social issues that require a solution. A student can represent their point of view and perspective through an argumentative essay about mental health. What causes this problem and which is the solution would be perfect subjects for this type of paper.

It’s always a challenging task for students to reflect on illnesses, so to get a hint on how to start writing, you can look at the thesis statement and research paper samples on mental health on our website.

As often, start with a coherent introduction, outline, and title planning the structure of a paper. Consult research essay topics and argumentative topics if necessary.

Having studied all the samples, topics for ideas, and mental illness essay examples compose the main part, giving reasons for the mental diseases, ways to cure them, and arguments on why a mental illness should be considered a severe health problem.

Supply of Mental Health Insurance Coverage

Introduction Affordable medical care provisions offers the best services for mental health, this is after the introduction of the Affordable Care Act. The act requires that all individuals and employers subscribe to the insurance benefit plan. Purity in mental health acts like a rectifier of unfairness in the health insurance. However due to the increasing mental problems the total spending has increased, based on results from the health insurance companies (Schroeder, 2012). Another evidence has suggested and found it prudent […]

Mental Health Counseling

I am a mental health social worker at a mental health agency. My major role in the agency is to counsel the mentally ill clients. The counseling is as a result of the ideology that individuals with serious mental illness are examined to encounter a variety of barriers that are likely to impede their development in career. Competencies for the course The mental health counseling has different competencies that include having genuine interest in others. In this, one is required […]

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Particularly most of the trained nurses theatres a vital role in mental health depending on field of specialty. Hence, in this level my main concept of concern will be based psychiatric nurses with which have chosen to pursue for my masters level. Regardless of the education, I am ascertained by the specialization and exposure as it gives skills to handle some of the technical responsibilities with most of the patients. This practitioners serve primarily in the care of mental health […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Social Media and Mental Health

Technology. Are we better off with it or without it? Can we keep up with the problems that it causes? These are the questions that are on everyone’s mind, especially those of us who deal with adolescents. Those of us who basically grew up last century (1950 – 1980) saw a lot of changes in technology. Those changes for the most part were ones that made daily life better. The television, computers, the internet, and different parts of the medical […]

Mental Health and Obesity

The obesity rate in America is at an all-time high, and it seems there is no end in sight. Obesity not only affects adults, but children as well. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines obesity as “Weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height.” (CDC, 2016) Soccer not only improves physical health and lessens obesity, but also mental health. Working out at least once a day makes a person […]

Effects of Childhood Trauma on Children Development

Anyone can experience trauma at any time. The trauma can be caused by nature, human beings or by oneself. People endure much when they experience trauma and their ability to handle it can determine the level of the effect of the trauma and their long-term well-being. Reportedly, children are incredibly susceptible to trauma because their brain and coping skills are still developing. Thus, they often grapple with long terms effects of uncontrolled trauma. While childhood trauma may vary regarding pervasiveness […]

Mental Health Concerns for Children in Foster Care

Child maltreatment often results in removal from the parental home and increases the risk for behavioral health concerns. The foster care experience can further increase this risk. It is therefore wise to consider aspects of mental health for children in foster care including prevalence, risk, treatment, and policy recommendations. Keywords: child maltreatment, foster care, mental health, behavioral health, adverse childhood experiences Children who have experienced maltreatment are often placed in foster care. Not only does child maltreatment increase the risk […]

Veterans Mental Health Care

Mental health disparities affect a large amount of population across the United States. However, nobody is more affected by unstable mental health than those members of the military and their families. With the increase in the need for security in different areas of the world, military soldiers are deployed to assist in securing and protecting those areas. Often, these soldiers see combat and are affected in their mental state. Not only are the soldiers affected by the deployment, their families […]

Effects of Childhood Trauma on Development and Adulthood

It is no secret that experiencing childhood trauma can have many negative effects on an individual’s life both in childhood and adulthood. Trauma can include events such as physical or sexual abuse, surviving a serious car accident, witnessing a violent event, and more. As trauma is defined in the dictionary as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, it is no surprise that a disturbing event during childhood can have negative effects throughout an individual’s lifetime. However, this paper will dive […]

The Mental Health Stigma

Mental health holds no bias on who it targets, no matter your gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or country you reside in, you or someone you know can suffer from a mental health disorder. Regardless of how merciless mental disorders can be, there is still an overbearing stigma behind it all. Some say it doesn’t exist, others say you are “crazy” and most importantly it is not acceptable to talk about in schools or at work without fear of being […]

Mental Health Problem Solution

As many know, mental illness has affected many individuals for quite some time, affecting individuals from every age spectrum, and for some disorders, every recorded era. Many have developed different ways to treat their illness. Some help and some showed no progress. But why is it still so relevant, yet irrelevant, in our current society? Many know it exists, yet, they stay narrowly-minded fixated to only physiological health issues. Many theorize that it may be because of some medical field’s […]

Applied Behavior Analysis and its Effects on Autism

Abstract During my research i have found several studies that have been done to support the fact that Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) does in fact make a positive impact on children with Autism through discrete trials. It is based on the thought that when a child is rewarded for a positive behavior or correct social interaction the process will want to be repeated. Eventually one would phase out the reward. Dr Lovaas, who invented this method, has spent his career […]

How Cyberbullying Impact on Mental Health

Abstract Cyberbullying has been at an all time high since the invention of technology. With the use of cell phones and the internet it now easier then ever for adolescents to bully one another through text messages, social media, and through email. The internet it an extraordinary piece of technology but it can also be used to bully others. The majority of adolescents who bully through the internet or text messages don’t understand or know the dangers and how harmful […]

Soldier’s Mental Health in all Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel written by Erich Maria Remarque, and this book is based on the setting of World War 1. It explores the perspective of a German soldier named Paul Baumer going through his experience of being in the war and giving the readers the lens about the reality of war. The book also focuses on the soldiers’ feelings on the detachment from the civilian life they felt when returning home from the front. […]

The Impact of Friendships on a Woman’s Mental Health

Abstract Friendships are one of the most valuable relationships we have on this planet. I would almost say that we need it as much as we need food and water. Because God created us as relational creatures, we crave relationships with each other (Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version). We cannot survive without closeness to one another. In her article Roberto stated that “friendships are an important part of the informal social network of most older adults” (Roberto, 1997 p.1). There […]

The Negative Effects of Social Media on Mental Health

The rapid growth of social media began in the early 2000s and has not slowed down since. The most popular platforms include Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook which all allow people to share photos and videos of themselves, their family and friends, their everyday activities, express their own views and opinions and connect in so many other ways. It has given a voice to anyone with access to a computer or phone and also helps enhance learning opportunities. But social […]

Drug Abuse – Destructive Pattern

Drug abuse is the destructive pattern of using substances that leads to uncounted problems and diseases in the human body. It is a physical and psychological term which takes dependence on human activities. Drugs create bad effects on human life like anxiety, impaired social relations, depression, hopelessness, rejection etc. Impaired social relations and suicide are considered the worst consequences of addiction. The drugs have negative consequences on one's life. If the addicts were able to see the reality of their […]

Mental Health in Schools

Gun safety and mental health concerns have been at battle for many years and have currently escalated with the rise in school shootings across the country. Research about what schools have done to prevent such travesties are interesting to note. Are zero tolerance policies really effective? Or do these issues stem beyond the trigger? Student and teacher protestors can be seen outside state capital and national buildings urging lawmakers to make changes to the policies regarding state and national gun […]

Mental Health of Teens and the Catcher in the Rye

What people never understand is that depression isn't about the outside; it's about the inside, a quote asserted by Jasmine Warga. Associating with the black cloud of depression by concealing one's true feelings is the way many people were brought up by. Depression has a way of silently striking a person, similar to the way it overtook Holden Caulfield, in the book The Catcher in the Rye (genre: literary realism), written by J.D Salinger. Although Holden Caulfield was never clearly […]

Mental Health and Social Media

On June 14th, 2017, 12-year-old Mallory Grossman took her life away after being told to kill herself on Snapchat. A girl who was extremely involved, bright, and enthusiastic, was completely tormented by bullies online. It all started at school, but she could never escape the bullying once she got home and hopped on social media. They sent the 12-year-old mean messages through posts on Instagram and Snapchat, calling her “fat”, “a loser”, and even more cruel, proposing her to kill […]

The Dark Side of Adoption: Mental Health in Adoptees

To an outsider, the idea of adoption may seem as a very fruitful endeavor – the birth family gets spared of the financial and time-consuming burden that can come with having another child while the said adoptee gets placed into a more stable environment, with a family who can provide for them in ways the birth family cannot. While on paper this ideology might ring with a perfect tune, to those who have lived as adoptees know the tone to […]

The Brain of a Psycopath

Psychopathy refers to a complex condition that encompasses affective and interpersonal traits like lack of behavior control, guilt, remorse, lack of empathy promiscuity and glibness (Kiehl). A lot is known about psychopathy assessment however, little is known about the associated brain disturbances. It's a severe mental disorder and believed to affect about 1% of global population (Kiehl). This paper discusses three areas of psychopaths brain including amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and extended paralimbic structures. Psychopaths have minimal activity both in […]

Exercise Benefits for Physical and Mental Health

Everyone knows that exercise helps your physical health and can help you lose weight, but is that the most important part of exercise? The more research that is done on overall health we are finding that exercise doesn’t just help your physical health, but also can help release stress, help your immune system, improve mental health, and help impact the body in almost every way. There is more to it than just going out and running or lifting weights and […]

Importance of Mental Health

What is Mental Health? According to(mentalhealth.gov) “mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, which affects how we think, feel, act, relate to others and handle stress and everyone is affected by it.” In life, you are faced with countless challenges and some being more extreme than the other. For example, dealing with the loss of a loved one now, although that's something very hard to deal with eventually people with bounce back and cope overtime but sadly some […]

Domestic Violence and Women’s Mental Health

Domestic violence occurs worldwide irrespective of culture, geographical and historical period. There are many factors that cause or lead to domestic violence and they are: Unmet role expectations. Unmet role expectations on the part of the wife or husband could lead to domestic violence in the family. If women fail to fulfil basic domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, managing household budgets and taking care of child, it often leads to domestic violence. Child care was a source of argument […]

Marijuana Mental Health Depression

Within the past five years there has been an increase in availability for marijuana and an increase in attitudes for marijuana. 20 states have legalized marijuana for medical use (NORML). 8 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use (NORML). Fifty-seven percent of American adults support the legalization, and 69% of American adults believe alcohol is more harmful to your health than marijuana (pewsearch.org). Due to the increased interest of marijuana, it has raised some questions especially concerning mental […]

The Unfamiliar Childhood Disorder – Reactive Attachment Disorder

The purpose of this paper is that a study was conducted for the diagnosis of Reactive attachment dsorder (RAD). This study was assessed with using the Relationships Problem Questionnaire (RPQ) and Reactive Attachment Disorder – Checklist (RAD-C). Chronbach's alpha of was used to test inter-rater, reliability and test-retest reliability (Thrall, Hall, Golden, & Sheaffer, 2009). There were fifty-three parents and caregivers who participated in the study. The first group were composed of children and adolescents who had former diagnoses of […]

Mental Health Screenings and the Effect on Gun Violence

Historically speaking, guns were used for hunting and for protection. In the late 1700's, the Revolutionary War began from Britain's pursuit to take away the colonists weaponry and oppress them. Lexington and Concord was the beginning of the fight for freedom. When Britain surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, the colonists had won their independence. The first constitution called the Articles of Confederation was ratified by all thirteen colonies in 1781 and was in place until 1789 when the U.S Constitution […]

Crime and Punishment: Women Mental Health in Prison

An unsafe living environment is a risk factor for many future crimes, as young women who run away from home to avoid abuse are more likely to get involved in drug distribution, prostitution and property crime (DeHart, 2008). Drug distribution, prostitution and property crime (such as robbery and theft) become their only source of fast and reliable income while substance abuse is an unfortunate and tragic by-product of the drug trade, as many women self-medicate in an attempt to cope […]

Schizophrenia: Mind and Mental Health

Psychological clarity is something that everyone strives for. A mind that is free from abundant clutter and jumbled thoughts that bring on stress and negativity. Everyone wants a mind that is able to recognize what is presented to it. A reliable psyche that is free from hallucinations and unwanted paranoia. Even though clarity can be achieved, certain illnesses can hinder individuals from reaching it. There are a multitude of disorders that affect the mind in more ways than one. The […]

How To Write An Essay On Mental Health

Introduction to mental health as an essay topic.

When writing an essay on mental health, it's essential to understand its complexity and significance in today's society. Mental health refers to the state of our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and it also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. In your introduction, define mental health and its importance in maintaining overall well-being. Clarify the specific aspect of mental health you plan to explore, whether it's discussing a particular mental disorder, examining the impact of mental health on various life aspects, or analyzing mental health policies. This introduction should provide a clear context for your essay and highlight its relevance.

Exploring the Various Aspects of Mental Health

Dedicate the main body of your essay to a thorough exploration of your chosen aspect of mental health. If focusing on a specific mental disorder, discuss its symptoms, causes, and treatment options. For a broader approach, you might analyze the factors that contribute to good or poor mental health, such as genetics, environment, lifestyle, and societal influences. Include current research and statistics to back up your points and provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Remember to handle the subject with sensitivity and empathy, especially when discussing conditions that may affect your readers or their loved ones.

Addressing Challenges and Misconceptions

Another critical aspect of your essay should be addressing the challenges and misconceptions surrounding mental health. Discuss the stigma often associated with mental illness and its impact on individuals seeking help or treatment. Examine the barriers to accessing mental health care, such as cost, lack of resources, or cultural attitudes. You can also explore common misconceptions about mental health and how they hinder societal understanding and support for those affected. This section is crucial in shedding light on the obstacles faced in the realm of mental health and advocating for a more informed and supportive approach.

Concluding with the Importance of Mental Health Awareness

In your conclusion, summarize the main points discussed in your essay and reflect on the significance of mental health awareness and support. Emphasize the need for open dialogue, education, and comprehensive care to promote mental well-being. Discuss how increasing mental health awareness can benefit individuals and society as a whole, leading to a more empathetic and healthier community. Your conclusion should not only tie together your analysis but also inspire readers to recognize the importance of mental health and advocate for better support and resources in their communities.

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

332 Mental Health Essay Topics & Mental Illness Ideas

Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
Icon Page 2723 words
Icon Clock 13 min read

Mental health essay topics include a crucial aspect of human well-being with diverse facets, offering many subjects to study about. Some themes may range from the psychology of happiness, exploring how positive thinking influences people’s well-being, to the neurobiology of mental illnesses, detailing how brain chemistry contributes to disorders, like depression, stress, or anxiety. Students can analyze the societal stigmas associated with mental health and its causes and how they impact those suffering. Alternatively, they may delve Into the efficacy and ethical considerations of various therapeutic techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or the use of psychedelic drugs in treatment. The intersectionality of mental health with race, gender, and socioeconomic status also provides good ideas. In turn, one can explore the role of resilience and coping strategies in maintaining mental health, offering hopeful insights amidst the challenges.

Best Mental Health Topics

Stigma and Self-Perception in Bipolar Disorder Patients
Social Media Influence on Adolescent Anxiety Disorders
Holistic Approaches to Depression Treatment
Psychotherapy Efficacy in Managing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Sleep Disorders
Mindfulness Practices in Reducing Burnout among Healthcare Professionals
Effects of Pandemics on Population-Wide Mental Health
Comorbidity of Substance Use Disorders and Depression
Early Childhood Trauma and Adult Mental Health Disorders
Eating Disorders in Athletes: Underexplored Realities
Art Therapy Applications in Alzheimer’s Disease Management
Resilience Training in School Systems to Cope With Stress
Cultural Nuances in Mental Health Diagnoses and Treatment
Pharmacological Interventions in Managing Schizophrenia
Internet Gaming Disorder: Contemporary Challenges
Stress Management Techniques for Police Officers
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adult Populations
Investigating Efficacy of Group Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder
Neurofeedback Therapy in Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Mental Health Essay Topics & Mental Illness Ideas

Simple Mental Health Topics

Understanding Anxiety Disorders: Causes and Coping Mechanisms
Mind-Body Connection in Stress Management
Art Therapy and Its Therapeutic Effects
Exploring the Dynamics of Eating Disorders
Link Between Physical Exercise and Mental Well-Being
Dementia Care: Therapeutic Approaches
Tackling Depression With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Neurobiology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Social Media Usage and Adolescent Mental Health
Techniques for Managing Workplace Burnout
Psychoeducation in Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnostic Challenges
Influence of Lifestyle Choices on Mental Health
Understanding Psychosis: Symptoms and Treatment
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Techniques
Pharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenia
Managing Chronic Pain: Psychological Aspects
Effectiveness of Family Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment
Examining Mental Health Issues in the LGBTQ+ Community

Interesting Mental Health Essay Topics

Post-Traumatic Growth: Harnessing Resilience After Trauma
Exploration of Therapeutic Effects of Music
Emotional Intelligence and Mental Well-Being
Psychotherapy Advancements in Treating Phobias
Maternal Mental Health and Infant Development
Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Depression
Sleep Disorders: Effect on Mental Health
Influence of Virtual Reality Therapy on PTSD
Behavioral Addictions: Gaming and Gambling
Therapeutic Benefits of Nature on Mental Health
Animal-Assisted Therapy for Mental Disorders
Emotional Regulation Techniques in Borderline Personality Disorder
Cyberbullying and Its Psychological Consequences
Mindfulness Meditation and Its Influence on Anxiety
Mental Health Stigma in Different Cultures
Genetic Markers in Major Depressive Disorder
Perception of Reality in Individuals With Schizophrenia
Innovative Telepsychiatry Practices for Remote Areas
Dealing With Grief and Loss: Therapeutic Strategies
Understanding the Psychological Impact of Chronic Illness

Mental Health Essay Topics

Suicide Prevention Strategies in Mental Health Care
Art Therapy and Its Healing Potential in Mental Disorders
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Clinical and Diagnostic Perspectives
Depression in the Elderly: Causes and Treatment
Influence of Social Media on Teenagers’ Mental Health
Mental Health Consequences of Long-Term Unemployment
Relationship Between Nutrition and Mental Health
Mental Health Challenges in LGBTQ+ Communities
Exploration of Psychosocial Interventions in Bipolar Disorder
Workplace Mental Health: Policies and Practices
Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Neurodevelopmental Approach
Integration of Yoga in Mental Health Treatment
Cyberpsychology: Exploring Online Behavior and Mental Health
Mental Health Literacy among College Students
Mental Health Implications of Climate Change
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Mental Health
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Cultural Competence in Mental Health Counseling
Postpartum Depression: Recognition and Intervention
Emotional Trauma in First Responders: A Study of Coping Mechanisms

Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics

Parental Influence on Childhood Mental Health Disorders
Digital Technology’s Potential for Exacerbating Mental Health Issues
Stigma and Discrimination: Barriers to Mental Health Care Access
Assessing the Efficacy of Mandatory Mental Health Screenings in Schools
Psychotherapy Versus Pharmacology in Depression Treatment
Societal Contribution to Anxiety Disorders in Young Adults
Isolation of Quarantine and Its Implications on Mental Well-Being
Debate on Legitimacy of Internet Addiction as a Mental Health Disorder
Correlation Between Violent Video Games and Youth Mental Health
Benefits and Dangers of Self-Diagnosis in Mental Health
Animal Assisted Therapy in Mental Health: Valid Approach or Not?
Mindfulness Practices: Effective Coping Mechanism or Passing Trend?
The Reality of Body Positivity Movement: Empowerment or Ignoring Health Issues?
Acceptance of Mental Health Disorders as Genuine Health Conditions
Validity of Including Mental Health Education in School Curriculum
Involuntary Commitment in Mental Health: Protection or Violation?
Efficacy of Art and Music Therapy in Treating Mental Disorders
Holistic Health Approaches: Superior to Traditional Mental Health Treatments?
Debate on the Criminal Justice System’s Treatment of Mental Health

Mental Health Persuasive Essay Topics

Dedicated Mental Health Classes in Schools: Essential Curriculum Addition
Prioritizing Mental Health Over Productivity in Corporate Environments
Mandatory Psychological Evaluation for Firearm Purchasers
Psychotherapy Should Be More Accessible than Psychotropic Medication
Inclusion of Mental Health Discussions in Public Discourse
Fitness and Its Integral Connection to Mental Well-Being
Mental Health Parity in Health Insurance Coverage
Elderly Mental Health: Ignored Aspect of Geriatric Care
Psychological Consequences of Climate Change: Unrecognized Public Health Crisis
Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Mental Health Diagnosis
Reducing Veteran Suicide Rates: Improved Mental Health Services
Influence of Media in Misrepresentation of Mental Illness
Universal Mental Health Screening: A Public Health Necessity
Investing in Mental Health: Solution to Homelessness
Teacher Training on Student Mental Health: A Requirement, not a Choice
Influence of Cyberbullying on Adolescent Mental Health
Psychological Effects of Long-Term Unemployment: Unseen Consequences
Self-Care Practices as Part of Mental Health Prevention Strategy
Psychological Impact of Body Shaming on Social Media

Mental Health Controversial Topics for Essays

Compulsory Mental Health Assessments for School Children
Mental Health Disorders as Grounds for Employment Discrimination
Antidepressants Overuse and the Rise of Suicidal Thoughts
Legalization of Psychedelics for Mental Health Treatments
Digital Devices Addiction as a Recognized Mental Health Disorder
Overdiagnosis of ADHD in American Children
Psychological Effects of Single Parenting: Neglected Aspect or Stereotype
Debate on Mental Illness as a Legal Defense
Social Media’s Contribution to Anxiety Disorders
Genetic Engineering for Mental Health Disorders: Ethical Conundrum
Forced Hospitalization of Patients With Severe Mental Illness
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Lifesaver or Mental Health Hazard
Link Between Veganism and Mental Health
Placebo Effect in Mental Health Treatments: Ethical or Deceptive
Psychological Impact of Transracial Adoption
Artificial Intelligence in Psychotherapy: Revolution or Threat
Spirituality and Religion’s Influence on Mental Health
Mental Health Stigma in the LGBTQ+ Community
Gambling Addiction: A Financial or Mental Health Issue
Right to Die Legislation: Mental Health Consequences for Survivors

Mental Health Debate Topics

Psychiatric Medication Versus Holistic Approaches
Government Surveillance: A Threat to Mental Health
Mandatory Therapy for Law Enforcement Officers
Safeguarding Mental Health in the Digital Age
Psychedelic Therapy: Unconventional Innovation or Risky Practice
Perils and Promises of Teletherapy
Mental Health Curriculum in Schools: Need or Excess
Involuntary Admission of Mental Health Patients
Normalization of Eating Disorders in Media
Prison System’s Approach to Mental Health
Assisted Suicide for the Mentally Ill
Mental Health Treatment: Right or Privilege
Screen Time: A Major Contributor to Childhood Mental Disorders
Emotional Support Animals: Therapeutic or Placebo
Postpartum Depression: Underestimated Condition or Overdiagnosis
Use of Hypnosis in Mental Health Therapy
Influence of Body Shaming on Mental Health
Stress Management: Personal Responsibility or Employer’s Duty
Microdosing Psychedelics for Mental Health Treatment

Mental Illness Essay Topics

Cultural Differences in Mental Illness Interpretation
Media Portrayal of Mental Illness: Stigma Perpetuation
Psychiatric Service Dogs: Validity and Usefulness
Living With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Personal Narratives
Psychotherapy vs. Medication in Treating Depression
Mental Illness Among Prison Population: A Neglected Crisis
Navigating Eating Disorders: Understanding Anorexia and Bulimia
Mental Illness Representation in the Film Industry
Biological Basis of Schizophrenia: Unraveling the Enigma
History of Mental Illness Treatments: From Asylums to Modern Care
Childhood Trauma as a Root of Adult Mental Illness
Complexities of Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder
Depression among College Students: Underlying Causes
Misconceptions Surrounding Dissociative Identity Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder: Unveiling the Hidden Epidemic
Mental Illness among Indigenous Populations: Forgotten Issues
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: Untold Stories
Exploring the Intricacies of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Understanding Addiction: Substance Use Disorders as Mental Illnesses

Mental Illness Argumentative Essay Topics

Medicalization of Grief: Appropriate Response or Overreaction
Pharmaceutical Industry’s Influence on Mental Illness Diagnosis
Police Intervention in Mental Health Crises: Effective or Harmful
Public Perception of Schizophrenia: Misunderstanding or Stigma
Internet Addiction: True Disorder or Social Construct
Workplace Burnout as a Serious Mental Illness
Patient Autonomy in Psychiatric Treatment
Stigmatization of Antidepressant Use in Society
Criminal Responsibility of Individuals With Mental Illness
Genetic Testing for Predicting Mental Illness: Ethical or Not
Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Care: Innovation or Threat
Isolation and Loneliness: Causes or Consequences of Mental Illness
Gender Dysphoria: Mental Illness or Identity Issue
Internet’s Role in Increasing Body Dysmorphia
Overdiagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Bipolar Disorder: Underestimated Condition or Misdiagnosed
Integration of Traditional Healing in Mental Health Care
Cyberbullying and Its Relationship to Mental Illness
Childhood Vaccinations and Autism: Fact or Fiction
Mental Illness in Homeless Populations: Cause or Effect

Mental Illness Persuasive Essay Topics

Normalization of Mental Illness Conversations in Schools
Advocating for Better Mental Health Policies at Workplaces
De-Stigmatization of Mental Illness in the Media
Promotion of Comprehensive Mental Health Education
Improving Accessibility of Mental Health Services for Rural Areas
Elevating Mental Health Awareness in Professional Sports
Securing Comprehensive Mental Health Coverage in Insurance Policies
Mandatory Mental Health Screenings for High-Risk Professions
Psychiatric Service Dogs: A Case for Widespread Adoption
Emphasizing Trauma-Informed Care in Mental Health Practices
Highlighting the Need for Postpartum Depression Support
Integration of Mental Health Into General Healthcare Services
Development of Specialized Mental Health Services for the Elderly
Increasing Funding for Mental Illness Research
Advocating for Improved Suicide Prevention Programs
Campaigning for Improved Mental Health Services in Prisons
Promotion of Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Care
Advancement of Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry
Emphasizing the Importance of Early Mental Illness Detection
Reformation of Mental Health Policies in Educational Institutions

Mental Illness Informative Essay Topics

Understanding Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
Depression across Lifespan: A Detailed Examination
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Closer Look
Dissecting Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults
Children and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Bipolar Disorder: Unraveling the Complexities
Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Overview
Exploring Anxiety Disorders and Their Manifestations
Insights Into Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Dementia in the Aging Population: A Comprehensive Analysis
Demystifying Dissociative Identity Disorder
Postpartum Depression: Its Causes and Consequences
Diving Into the World of Personality Disorders
Panic Disorder: Understanding Its Triggers and Effects
Tourette Syndrome and Its Challenges
Borderline Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Coping Mechanisms
Exploring the Realm of Somatoform Disorders
Insights Into Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders: A Deep Dive
Unpacking the Intricacies of Psychotic Disorders

Mental Illness Essay Topics for Health Exams

Perception of Mental Illness in Society: Stigma and Stereotypes
Psychosis as a Feature in Various Mental Disorders
Comorbidity in Mental Health: Why It Occurs
Diagnostic Controversies in Mental Illness Classification
Effects of Long-Term Medication on Mental Health Patients
Interventions in Adolescent Mental Health: Current Practices
Coping Mechanisms for Living With a Mental Illness
The Interplay of Culture and Mental Health Disorders
Psychotherapy Techniques for Depression: An Evaluation
Attachment Disorders in Children: Causes and Implications
Suicide Risk among Individuals With Bipolar Disorder
Mindfulness-Based Therapies in Treating Anxiety Disorders
Ethical Dilemmas in Psychiatric Care: A Discussion
Integration of Physical and Mental Healthcare Services
Telepsychiatry in the Digital Age: Benefits and Drawbacks
Personality Disorders: The Challenge of Diagnosis
Exploring the Psychodynamics of Eating Disorders
Treatment Resistant Depression: Innovative Approaches
Neurobiology of Schizophrenia: Latest Research Insights

The Impact of Mental Illness on Families and Relationships Topics

Family Dynamics Altered by Parental Depression
The Strain on Marital Bonds: Spouse’s Schizophrenia Experience
Adolescent Anxiety Disorders: Family System Changes
Sibling Relationships in the Context of Mental Illness
Familial Coping Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Challenges Faced by Caregivers of Patients With Bipolar Disorder
Navigating Childhood when a Parent Has a Mental Disorder
Socioeconomic Consequences for Families With Mentally Ill Members
Marital Satisfaction in the Face of Spousal Mental Illness
Children’s Adjustment to Parental Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Mental Illness Stigma: An Intrusion on Family Relationships
Divorce Rates and Mental Health Disorders: An Examination
Parenting Styles Altered by a Parent’s Mental Illness
Effects of a Family Member’s Eating Disorder on Household Dynamics
Impact of Mental Illness on Intergenerational Family Relationships
Resilience in Families Dealing With Schizophrenia: A Study
The Function of Support Groups for Families With Mental Illness
Addressing Mental Illness in Family Therapy Sessions
Impact on Sibling Dynamics When a Child Has ADHD
Maintaining Healthy Relationships Amidst Chronic Depression

The Role of Genetics and Environment in Mental Illness Topics

Gene-Environment Interactions in Depression: A Detailed Review
Epigenetics and Mental Health: Exploring the Connection
Environmental Stressors and the Onset of Anxiety Disorders
Influence of Childhood Trauma on Genetic Expression in Mental Health
Nature Versus Nurture: Twin Studies in Psychiatry
Prenatal Exposure to Stress and the Risk of Developing Schizophrenia
Genomic Imprinting and Its Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Adverse Childhood Experiences: Their Effects on Mental Health Genetics
Differential Susceptibility Hypothesis in the Context of Mental Health
Bipolar Disorder: Genetic Predisposition and Environmental Triggers
Genetic Mutations and Environmental Factors in the Onset of ADHD
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Decoding the Genetic Basis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Early Life Stress and Vulnerability to Mental Illness: A Genetic Perspective
Nature and Nurture: The Interplay in Eating Disorders
Understanding the Genetic and Environmental Contributors to Autism
Genomic Medicine and Its Potential in Treating Mental Illnesses
Environmental Influences on Genes Linked to Major Depressive Disorder
Exploring Genetic Variants and Their Environmental Modifiers in Schizophrenia
Neurodevelopmental Perspective on Genetic and Environmental Factors in Mental Health

Emerging Trends in Mental Health Research and Treatment Topics for Essays

Digital Mental Health Interventions: A New Frontier
Precision Psychiatry: Personalizing Mental Health Treatment
Advances in Telepsychiatry: Overcoming Distance and Stigma
Artificial Intelligence Applications in Mental Health
Virtual Reality Therapy for Phobia Treatment
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: Implications and Ethical Considerations
Microbiome Research and Its Implications for Mental Health
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Depression Treatment
Novel Pharmacological Approaches for Treating Anxiety Disorders
Social Media and Mental Health: Opportunities for Intervention
Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Mobile Health (mHealth) Applications for Mental Health Care
Adopting a Lifespan Approach to Mental Health Care
Cognitive Remediation Therapy in Schizophrenia Treatment
Psychotherapy in the Era of Neuroimaging
Use of Biomarkers in Psychiatry: Possibilities and Challenges
Nutraceuticals and Mental Health: A Review of the Evidence
Cannabis and Mental Health: New Perspectives
Psychoeducational Interventions in Bipolar Disorder Management

Co-Occurring Health Disorders: Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Topics

Treatment Models for Dual Diagnosis: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Polypharmacy in Psychiatry: Managing Co-Occurring Disorders
Comorbidity of Anxiety Disorders and Substance Use: A Complex Challenge
Trauma-Informed Care in Dual Diagnosis: Ensuring Safety and Trust
Self-Medication Hypothesis: Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Interplay
Integrating Harm Reduction in Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Methamphetamine Use and Psychotic Disorders: Unraveling the Connection
Efficacy of Contingency Management in Co-Occurring Disorders
Impact of Alcohol Use Disorder on Major Depressive Disorder
Complexities in Treating Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse Concurrently
Innovations in Group Therapy for Co-Occurring Disorders
Cannabis Use and Its Effect on Schizophrenia Treatment
Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Dual Diagnosis Patients
Link Between Opioid Use Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Adolescent Substance Use and Concurrent Mental Health Issues
Co-Occurring Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse: A Dangerous Synergy
Pharmacological Approaches to Treating Co-Occurring ADHD and Substance Use Disorders
Understanding the Intersection of Personality Disorders and Substance Abuse
Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in a Correctional Setting
Dual Diagnosis: The Overlap of Dissociative Disorders and Substance Use

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

196 Animal Essay Topics & Animals Abuse Ideas

Icon Calendar 21 July 2023
Icon Page 1555 words

509 Capstone Project Topics & Good Ideas

Icon Calendar 19 July 2023
Icon Page 3754 words

Expository Essay

Expository Essay About Mental Health

Learn to Write Expository Essay About Mental Health - Examples & Tips

What is an Expository Essay About Mental Health?

An expository essay is a type of academic writing that provides an explanation, description, or argument about a certain topic. It seeks to explain and clarify the subject matter for the readers.

The goal of this type of essay is not to share your opinion or persuade the readers, but rather to inform them.

An expository essay on mental health aims to discuss and inform about different aspects of mental health.

The term mental health can refer to various aspects, such as mental health issues, psychological resilience, emotional health, etc. So, the scope of an expository essay on mental health is quite broad depending on your topic.

Here is a video that explains what mental health means in simple words:

Essay About Mental Health Examples

If you are wondering what a good essay about mental health issues looks like, here are a few example essays to help you get started:

Expository Essay About Social Media And Mental Health

Expository Essay Example About Depression

Expository Essay About Mental Health Awareness

Importance of Mental Health Essay Example

Expository Essay About Mental Health Of Students

Need more expository writing samples? Check out our expository essay examples blog!

Expository Essay Topics About Mental Illness

Here is a list of topics about mental health to help you start.

How does mental health affect physical health in children and adolescents?
The role of stigma in mental health problems.
What are the basic principles of positive psychology?
How are physical & emotional health related?
How can mindfulness improve mental health condition?
What is the importance of world mental health day?
Technology's impact on modern mental health issues.
Understanding trauma-informed care and its importance.
The role of the media in creating stereotypes about mental health issues.
How do different cultures view mental health disorders?
Common misconceptions about mental health in the United States.

You can choose one of these topics, to begin with. Moreover, these topics will help you brainstorm your own topic as well.

You can check out our expository essay topics blog for a list of creative topic ideas.

How To Write an Essay About Mental Health

Now that you know what an expository essay on mental health is and have some topics to choose from, it’s time to start writing.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Choose Your Topic:

Brainstorm some ideas related to mental health. Try to pick a topic that interests you so that researching and writing about it will be easier for you.

Choosing a topic that is narrow enough to be covered within the word limit is also important. Moreover, make sure that the topic is not too complex for you to explain.

2. Conduct Research:

Once you have chosen your topic, it’s time to conduct extensive research.

A good expository essay should include facts, evidence, and other supporting information from reliable sources like journals, books, and articles. Make sure that you cite your sources properly.

3. Outline the Essay:

An outline will help you organize your ideas and create a clear structure for your essay. It is also an important step to ensure that all the necessary information is included in the essay.

In an expository essay outline , you should include the main points you want to discuss. Additionally, it should include the supporting evidence and arguments you gathered during the research.

4. Write the Introduction:

The introduction is the first part of your essay. It should include a hook to grab the reader’s attention and introduce the topic. Additionally, you should provide a brief overview of what will be discussed in the essay.

Finally, you should end your mental illness essay introduction with a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of your essay.

5. Write the Body Paragraphs:

The body paragraphs are where you explain and expand on your main points. Each paragraph should include evidence to support your claims and a brief explanation of how the evidence is related to the topic.

Remember that each body paragraph should focus on one main point and be organized in a logical manner.

6. Write the Conclusion:

The conclusion is where you restate the thesis statement and summarize the main points of the essay. Additionally, you should provide a brief explanation of how these points support your thesis statement.

Finally, end your conclusion with a call to action or an insightful thought that encourages readers to learn more about mental health.

7. Edit and Proofread:

Once you are done writing the essay, it’s important to go through each sentence and look for mistakes.

Make sure that all grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors are corrected. Additionally, make sure that the essay is well-structured and flows logically from one point to another.

Editing and proofreading can help you improve the quality of your work and ensure that all necessary information is included.

Following these steps will help you write a clear and well-researched expository essay on mental health.

Tips for Writing a Mental Health Essay

Writing about mental health requires more than a basic understanding of the subject. It is a sensitive and emerging topic, and new research is being produced every day. So, you need to be careful while proceeding with your essay.

Here are a few tips that can help you write a worthwhile essay on mental health:

Get Involved

Mental health essays often benefit greatly when written with personal insight or experience.

If you have any personal life experiences related to mental health, incorporate them into your essay to add more depth. Make your essay relatable to people’s daily life.

Focus on Solutions

When discussing a sensitive topic like mental health it’s important to focus on the solutions.

Consider suggesting ways people can manage their own mental wellness or outlining how families can support each other during difficult times.

Be Empathetic

While writing your essay try to put yourself in the reader’s shoes so that you present the information in a kind and sympathetic manner.

For many people, mental problems are a part of life. So avoid any language that could potentially be offensive or insensitive towards those who struggle with mental illness.

If you or someone you know is going through a rough time, feeling depressed, or thinking about self-harm, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit its website here. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

Wrapping it up,

Mental health is a complex and important issue, and writing an essay on it requires proper research, understanding, empathy, and focus. By following these steps and tips, you can write an effective essay on mental health that will be well-received by your readers.

Do you want a professional to write it for you instead? Don't worry, we've got your back.

MyPerfectWords.com provides a pro essay writing service and can help you write the perfect mental health essay. Our team of expository essay writers has in-depth knowledge of the subject.

Our expository essay writing service will provide you with a well-written, high-quality essay that is sure to get you top grades.

So, why wait? Request ' do my essay for me ' and hire the top essay writer now!

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Keep reading

90 Exploratory Essay Topics

Crafting a captivating essay begins with selecting the right topic. While a unique and well-researched topic can engage the readers, a clichéd one might make your work seem tedious. Here are over 50 fresh ideas for an insightful exploratory essay.

Table of Contents

Guidelines for Choosing an Exploratory Essay Topic

When you select a riveting topic, be prepared to delve into comprehensive research, which can sometimes be challenging. Diversifying your sources, including both local and international ones, will enrich your essay, making it more appealing to your audience.

Ensure your topic has specific boundaries and genuinely represents the content of your essay. A broad topic might not cover all its aspects in the essay, leading to potential questions from readers. Similarly, a very narrow topic might not resonate with the entirety of your work.

Comprehensive Exploratory Essay Topics

Comparing music perception: Speakers vs. headphones.
The seasonal effect: Is depression weather-dependent?
Universal and unique: Ethics codes across professions.
Greenwashing: Exposing false eco-initiatives of major brands.
Grammy vs. Oscar: The art of selecting top artists.
Health myths: Are all diseases rooted in stress?
Decoding charisma: Recognizing a charismatic individual.
The “good person” criteria: Psychological and societal viewpoints.
Balancing act: Tolerance and religious beliefs in modern times.
Video games: Are they harmful or beneficial?
Therapeutic melodies: Music’s healing powers.
Movie experience: The cinema vs. home streaming.
Comics evolution: Tracing their journey from past to present.
Online translation pitfalls: Why aren’t they perfect?
Popularity vs. happiness: Understanding the disparity.
Boomers vs. Zoomers: Separating myths from actual differences.
Millennial melancholy: Unraveling causes of their loneliness and depression.
Green future: Predicting eco-trends in the next decade.
The expansive horizon: Benefits of traveling beyond city limits.
Nature’s call: The need to embrace wilderness amidst urban life.
Book to screen: Challenges in adapting classic literature.
Animated dilemmas: Mature themes in children’s films.
Cultural appropriation: Navigating its criticisms and challenges.
Representations in media: Exploring gender in films and literature.
Global migration: Weighing the pros and cons of globalization.

College-centric Exploratory Topics:

Animal testing: Is it justified for curbing diseases like cancer?
Modern life’s nemesis: The negative ripple effects of boredom.
Environmental alarms: Is global warming imminent?
Comic legends: Are they today’s mythological heroes?
Bad cinema: What truly makes a movie flop?
Film nostalgia: Why do remakes often miss the mark?
Elon Musk’s vision: The merit of Mars exploration and space research.
Satirical insights: Comedy shows as political commentaries.
Celebrity stances: Should artists be political, or remain neutral?
Current artistic waves: Photography and drawing trends in the 21st century.

Exploratory Essay Topics on Sports

Sports and physical activity play an integral role in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Beyond the game: International competitions as political instruments.
Sports and national pride: How athletics shape a country’s global image.
E-Sports’ meteoric rise: Tracing its growth and future trends.
Why are school and college sports programs essential?
More than just moves: Recognizing dance as a competitive sport.
Celebrating national sports: The significance of local athletic events.
A journey through time: The evolution of the Olympic Games.
The contentious world of sports doping and performance enhancement.
More than just a game: How sports serve as societal connectors.

Deep-Dive into Mental Health Exploratory Essay Topics

Hollywood’s portrayal: Challenging misleading representations of mental illnesses in films.
Cinematic impact: Do movies like “Joker” and “Thirteen Reasons Why” shape behavior negatively?
Delving into the psyche: Exploring unique psychological traits of adolescents in various subcultures.
Unmasking school bullying: Understanding its long-term effects and methods of prevention.
The silent struggle: Unraveling the intricacies of teenage loneliness.
A closer look at eating disorders and their therapeutic interventions.
The profound influence of arts—music and visual—on mental well-being.
Searching for meaning: Evaluating life’s purpose versus feelings of isolation.
Value orientations in those predisposed to depression: An in-depth study.

Recognizing the signs of anxiety disorders and effective coping mechanisms.

Intriguing Psychology Exploratory Essay Topics

Envisioning our future: Possible trajectories of human evolution.
Biological age versus psychological age: Unraveling the complexities.
Cultivating character: The role of formal education and self-guided growth.
Navigating guilt and the journey towards genuine forgiveness.
Decoding youth slang: Is it a manifestation of children’s need for identity?
Unveiling Beauty: Psychological perspectives on how we gauge attractiveness.
Communication challenges faced during adolescence.
Delving into psychosomatics: Separating myths from truths about diseases stemming from the mind.
Modern teens and their relationship with money: A psychological exploration.
Charting one’s course: The dilemmas of professional self-determination in today’s world.

Understanding Human Emotions

The psychology behind sudden emotional outbursts.
Emotional intelligence: Nature or nurture?
The role of hormones in shaping our emotions.
Childhood experiences and their impact on adult emotional health.
Managing emotions: Techniques and their efficacy.

The Dynamics of Group Behavior

How crowds influence individual decision-making.
The psychology of cults: Why do people join?
Peer pressure: The unseen forces at play.
In-group vs. out-group dynamics in multicultural societies.
The balance of conformity and individuality in group settings.

Neuroscientific Advances in Psychology

How brain scans are revolutionizing our understanding of emotions.
Neural pathways: How habits shape our brain.
The role of neuroplasticity in lifelong learning.
Sleep and its impact on cognitive functions.
The connection between gut health and mental well-being.

Childhood and Developmental Psychology

The psychological impact of helicopter parenting.
Nature vs. nurture: Revisiting the age-old debate in light of new research.
The role of play in cognitive and emotional development.
Early signs of learning disabilities and interventions.
The importance of emotional resilience in early childhood.

Coping Mechanisms and Mental Health

The rise of mindfulness and meditation in treating anxiety.
Substance use: Escapism or a cry for help?
Art therapy and its benefits in treating trauma.
The psychology of denial as a coping mechanism.
Virtual reality as a tool for treating PTSD.

Need Expert Help With Your Essay?

Navigating the intricate world of psychology can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re struggling to bring your ideas to life or simply need a guiding hand, our top-notch essay writing service is here to assist. Composed of experienced writers well-versed in numerous subjects, we ensure your essay will not only be compelling but also deeply insightful. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your work to its highest potential. Contact us today and let our experts craft an essay that stands out!

The most engaging exploratory essay topics often combine elements of surprise, relevance, intriguing language, and debatable issues. If you’re uncertain about crafting a top-notch essay, remember that you can always seek professional assistance online from seasoned writers.

Expository Essay on Mental Health

Jump ahead to:

Every year the World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10. It was established as an annual work by the international mental health organization by the then UNO secretary-general. Mental health services vary significantly from country to country. At the same time, developed countries in western countries provide mental health programs for all age groups. Also, third-world countries are struggling to meet the basic needs of families. Therefore, it is prudent to focus on the importance of mental health for one day. A mental health article is about understanding the importance of mental health to everyone’s life.

Mental Health

In terrible years, this did not have a specific theme. The primary purpose was to motivate and represent the community on important issues. Also, for the first three years, one of the essential activities done to make this day special was a 2-hour television broadcast by a US information agency satellite system.

Mental health is not just a matter of mental and emotional health. Instead, it is a state of mental and emotional health where a person can use their perceptive powers and emotions to meet everyday needs and activities in society. According to the WHO, there is no single ‘official’ definition of mental health.

Thus, there are many factors such as cultural differences, competing professional theories, and independent evaluation of how mental health is defined. Also, many experts agree that mental disorder and mental illness are not adjectives. So, in other words, when perceived mental disorders are not present, they are not a sign of mental health.

One way to think about mental health is to look at how a person performs successfully and effectively. As a result, elements like feeling competent, knowledgeable, managing typical amounts of stress, keeping good relationships, and living an autonomous life are essential. Also, this includes recovery from difficult situations and the ability to recover.

Significant Benefits of Good Mental Health

Mental health is related to the overall personality of the person. Therefore, the essential function of school and education is to protect the mental health of boys and girls. Physical active body and its fitness is not the only measure of good health. Instead, it is simply a way to improve a child’s mental and moral health. Two significant factors that contribute to feelings of low self-esteem are low self-esteem. Thus, it significantly affects the child. As a result, they lose their self-esteem and confidence. This should be avoided, and children should always be encouraged to believe in them.

Mental Illness

The way we are physically ill, we can also be mentally ill. Mental illness is a disorder of the human body, including mood, thinking, and behaviour changes. Mental illness can be caused by stress or a reaction to an event. It can also raise genetic factors, biological imbalances, child abuse or trauma, social degradation, poor physical health etc. Mental illness is treatable. You can seek professional help in this area or overcome the disease with good thinking and change your lifestyle.

Regular exercise such as morning walks, yoga, and meditation is an excellent treatment for mental health. It is also essential to eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep. You can prevent mental illness by taking care of yourself, such as calming your mind by listening to fantastic music, socializing, setting realistic goals and taking care of your body.

Experts say….

Many health experts have noted that mental, social, and emotional health are essential components of a healthy body. Physical fitness is a combination of physical, emotional, and mental strength. Emotional fitness has been recognized as a condition in which the mind can stay away from negative thoughts and focus on artistic and creative works. It means that the person should not be too sensitive. He should not find himself filled with stories, which are not very important. He should not overreact to situations, should not get upset or distracted, which is part of life. Those who do so are not healthy, although they may be physically fit and in good health. There are no gyms to do that properly, but yoga, meditation, and reading a book, which tells us how to be emotionally intense, help us find strength.

Mental illness is a growing phenomenon in the 21st century. Not everyone gets the help they need. Although mental illness is common and can affect anyone, there is still widespread prejudice. People are still reluctant to accept mental illness because of this stigma. They are embarrassed to admit it and seek medical attention. Physical and psychological health are inextricably linked. Both are equally important to a person.

Our society needs to change its mind about mental illness or disorder. People should get rid of the stigma associated with the disease and educate themselves about it. If mental illness is not treated in time, the consequences can be devastating.

October 10 is considered World Mental Health to create more awareness about mental health. The goal of this day is to raise global awareness about mental health issues and make every effort to promote mental health.

Physical and emotional well-being are the keys to success in all aspects of life. People should be aware of the effects of mental illness and should give greater importance to keeping the mind healthy the way the physical body is kept healthy. Psychological and physical health cannot be separated from one another.

Download Pdf of the Expository Essay on Mental Health

If you want to Download the Pdf of Expository Essay on Mental Health then click on the given link it is free of cost.

Expository Essay on Importance of Education in 500-600 Words | Free Pdf
Expository Essay on True Friendship in 600-650 words | Free Pdf

1 thought on “Expository Essay on Mental Health in 900-1000 words | Free Pdf”

Thank you for reading our blog. We hope that you found it informative and helpful. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Celebrating 75 Years

Research. discovery. hope..

Explore our Events and Stories

Health Topics

Anxiety Disorders
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Eating Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Schizophrenia
Suicide Prevention
More Topics

Featured Topics

Director’s Message: Excellent to the “Core”: World Class Neuroimaging at NIMH

FY 2024 Budget Fact Sheet

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month

Science updates.

Thumbnail image for the 'Speaking Up About Mental Health' National Essay Contest. The image features three gold award winners: a young woman from Tustin, CA, a young man from Jupiter, FL, and a young woman from Philadelphia, PA. Each winner's photo is displayed with their name and location underneath.

NIH Announces Winners of 2023-2024 High School Mental Health Essay Contest

Illustration of a DNA helix over top of a human brain

Scientists Map Networks Regulating Gene Function in the Human Brain

Characterizing Childhood Irritability Across Ages and Stages

Meetings and events, nimh intramural research program training opportunities, workshop: discrimination and mental health disparities, promoting mental health for sexual and gender minority youth.

Director of NIMH

Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.

NIMH Strategic Plan

Read about our plan for the institute's research priorities.

Inside NIMH

Funding News for Current and Future NIMH Awardees.

Find NIMH funding opportunities and announcements, including those specific to clinical research and training, and learn more about NIMH funding strategies, the application process, and grants management.

Finding Treatment

If you or someone you know has a mental illness, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for yourself, a friend, or a family member.

Join A Study

Learn more about how to participate in outpatient and inpatient studies at the NIH Clinical Center, a hospital dedicated to the highest quality research.

Featured Resources

Young adult reading brochure in clinic waiting room

Brochures and Fact Sheets

Explore NIMH brochures and fact sheets. En español .

Learn more about our research areas, policies, resources, and initiatives.

Investigators

Learn more about scientists, physicians, and clinicians in NIMH’s Division of Intramural Research Programs (IRP).

Learn more about Research Domain Criteria Initiative (RDoC), a research framework that supports new ways of studying mental disorders.

Social Media

Connect with Us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Support for Clinical Trials

Learn more about clinical trials and funding opportunity announcements.

Mission and Vision
Scientific Advancement Plan
Science Visioning
Research Framework
Minority Health and Health Disparities Definitions
Organizational Structure
Staff Directory
About the Director
Director’s Messages
News Mentions
Presentations
Selected Publications
Director's Laboratory
Congressional Justification
Congressional Testimony
Legislative History
NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan 2021-2025
Minority Health and Health Disparities: Definitions and Parameters
NIH and HHS Commitment
Foundation for Planning
Structure of This Plan
Strategic Plan Categories
Summary of Categories and Goals
Scientific Goals, Research Strategies, and Priority Areas
Research-Sustaining Activities: Goals, Strategies, and Priority Areas
Outreach, Collaboration, and Dissemination: Goals and Strategies
Leap Forward Research Challenge
Future Plans
Research Interest Areas
Research Centers
Research Endowment
Community Based Participatory Research Program (CBPR)
SBIR/STTR: Small Business Innovation/Tech Transfer
Solicited and Investigator-Initiated Research Project Grants
Scientific Conferences
Training and Career Development
Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
Data Management and Sharing
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Population and Community Health Sciences
Epidemiology and Genetics
Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP)
Coleman Research Innovation Award
Health Disparities Interest Group
Art Challenge
Breathe Better Network
Healthy Hearts Network
DEBUT Challenge
Healthy Mind Initiative
Mental Health Essay Contest
Science Day for Students at NIH
Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español
Brother, You're on My Mind
Celebrating National Minority Health Month
Reaching People in Multiple Languages
Funding Strategy
Active Funding Opportunities
Expired Funding Opportunities
Technical Assistance Webinars

Community Health and Population Sciences
Clinical and Health Services Research
Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences
Intramural Research Program
Training and Diverse Workforce Development
Inside NIMHD
ScHARe HDPulse PhenX SDOH Toolkit Understanding Health Disparities For Research Applicants For Research Grantees Research and Training Programs Reports and Data Resources Health Information for the Public Science Education

NIMHD Programs
Education and Outreach
2024 Awardees
Agaana: 2024 Mental Health Essay
Extramural Research
Intramural Research
NIMHD Collaborations
Fuel Up to Play 60 en Espanol
COVID-19 Information and Resources

2024 Mental Health Essay Contest Awardee: Honorable Mention

Accountability for Authority: The Responsibilities of Schools

Agaana, maryland.

Agaana, 2024 NIH Mental Health Essay Contest awardee

In my ninth-grade health class, we had a unit solely about mental illnesses and we each chose a mental illness to make a slideshow about. From the list, one of them stood out to me: generalized anxiety disorder. I was a relatively extroverted kid throughout my childhood and had no trouble making friends. Then, with the start of middle school, I suddenly felt a new feeling. Anxiety plagued me, changing me into a completely different, withdrawn person. I hadn’t even realized I had anxiety or had someone to talk to about it until the feeling became too much to bear in eighth grade. People shouldn’t have to struggle without even knowing the issue they are facing.

Schools have and are making progress toward teaching students about mental illness and health. In my school, mandatory health classes cover topics such as identifying and addressing poor mental health, and clubs have taken place to provide students with a safe space. Schools should continue to promote this coverage because poor mental health among teens is an essential matter to address. Approximately 37% of high school students in the U.S. suffer from mental health issues.

In addition to teens having to struggle with their difficult emotions and thoughts, poor mental health plays a part in the future of teens. It can lead to falling grades, which may impact their ability to follow their academic goals. It can also impact long-term behaviors and habits that can be hard to break, such as drug and alcohol addiction. Schools must address mental health issues among teens because of how school largely influences these issues.

School influences students and their mental health in many different ways. Some teens’ mental health issues can be directly rooted in academics and getting good grades. Students tend to feel much pressure from external and internal forces to achieve academic success. Parents may inflict pressure upon their kids to get good grades for numerous reasons, such as for the kids to have good opportunities for future academics/employment or for pride that the parents can express to others. This can make a student feel like their worth only comes from academic success, leading to poor mental health. Students can also feel like this under self-inflicted pressure. From my experience, the tie between self-worth and academic success seems to have been ingrained in my mind throughout childhood because of the praise that came with good grades. To combat this, schools need to promote clubs about hobbies and self-care. In addition, there could be safe spaces within the school for students to de-stress with permission from teachers for short periods during classes, between classes, or even during lunch.

Students can also suffer from matters within the school that don’t relate to academics, such as bullying or fitting in with peers. Although anti-bullying initiatives have improved, bullying still occurs. It can transpire between peers or even friends in obvious or subtle ways, depending on the situation. Adult figures to communicate with are essential in trying to resolve these issues. Students may not speak out for fear of the consequences of their bully finding out they told an adult. A trustworthy adult needs to listen to the student and proceed in the way the student thinks is best, but also offer support and solutions when needed. Support also needs to be provided to students who feel excluded in school. Oftentimes, this help can be provided through a counselor. I think that schools could offer more funding for counseling in ways such as more available resources in-person and even online. An alternative solution could be to create a student-led committee that communicates with other students entirely anonymously online. This can be done through a site with moderating bots to prevent the usage of names of students from both sides. I think this could be helpful because teens may feel more validated and understood by others their age who are going through similar experiences. It could also be an outlet for students to share the knowledge they’ve accumulated about mental health.

In addition, teens can struggle because of the general pressure that school puts on students to balance while taking care of other aspects of their lives. Naturally, many teens feel that it is difficult to maintain academics along with sports, hobbies, clubs, work, social lives, home lives, and more possible aspects of their lives. This often leads to immense stress. In my school, there is a student enrichment time (S.E.T.) initiative in which students have about 30 minutes to work on whatever they have to do, similar to a study hall. I find this particularly beneficial because it is hard to find time to do homework and study outside of school when there are so many more things to balance. I think that study hall time could be integrated within classes, such as at the beginning and/or end of class. That way, students can do homework, study, or do anything they need to catch up on. Therefore, the stress on students would be reduced.

Discussing symptoms of mental health issues and providing teens with resources to help them cope with their specific issues is integral to improving their mental health. Schools hold a great responsibility to do this because of how much they contribute to a student’s mental health. This can be because of academics, the school’s social situation, and the pressure of balancing school with matters outside of school. I sincerely believe that schools have made great strides in identifying how important mental health is, and I hope greater improvements are made to help teens in both the present and the future.

NIH recognizes these talented essay winners for their thoughtfulness and creativity in addressing youth mental health. These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government.

Page published May 31, 2024

May 2024: NIH Announces Winners of High School Mental Health Essay Contest

Dec. 2023: High School Students Invited to Reflect on Mental Health Stigma in National Essay Contest

National Institute of Mental Health

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Staying Connected

Funding Opportunities
News & Events
HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
Privacy/Disclaimer/Accessibility Policy
Viewers & Players

Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Body Image — Body Image and its Impact on Mental Health

Body Image and Its Impact on Mental Health

Categories: Body Image Body Shaming

About this sample

Words: 713 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 713 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

The impact of body image on mental health, factors influencing body image, promoting a positive body image.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

Expert in: Psychology Social Issues

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 850 words

2 pages / 732 words

3 pages / 1439 words

6 pages / 2586 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Body Image

Physical appearance and personality are two interconnected aspects of an individual's identity, each playing a significant role in shaping how we perceive ourselves and others. While physical appearance is the immediate visual [...]

Mary Maxfield is a renowned author and scholar whose essay "Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating" delves into the complex relationship between food, morality, and individual identity. Through her [...]

The adolescent years are a crucial period for self-discovery and identity development. Body image and self-esteem play a significant role in shaping the experiences of adolescents. This qualitative essay embarks on an in-depth [...]

Subrahmanyam, K., & Smahel, D. (2011). Digital youth: The role of media in development. Springer Science & Business Media.Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.Kim, J., & Lee, J. [...]

Fang, A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2010). Relationship between social anxiety disorder and body dysmorphic disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(8), 1040-1048.Murthy, R. S. (2004). Mental health consequences of war: A brief review [...]

The body image has passed through history, where it has been concerned with the beauty of the human body. Every change in the society around it, the emergence of the media, the change of culture, and its impact on other cultures [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

Share full article

When Prison and Mental Illness Amount to a Death Sentence

The downward spiral of one inmate, Markus Johnson, shows the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill.

Supported by

By Glenn Thrush

Photographs by Carlos Javier Ortiz

Glenn Thrush spent more than a year reporting this article, interviewing close to 50 people and reviewing court-obtained body-camera footage and more than 1,500 pages of documents.

Published May 5, 2024 Updated May 7, 2024

Markus Johnson slumped naked against the wall of his cell, skin flecked with pepper spray, his face a mask of puzzlement, exhaustion and resignation. Four men in black tactical gear pinned him, his face to the concrete, to cuff his hands behind his back.

He did not resist. He couldn’t. He was so gravely dehydrated he would be dead by their next shift change.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“I didn’t do anything,” Mr. Johnson moaned as they pressed a shield between his shoulders.

It was 1:19 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2019, in the Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security prison a few hours south of Chicago. Mr. Johnson, 21 and serving a short sentence for gun possession, was in the throes of a mental collapse that had gone largely untreated, but hardly unwatched.

He had entered in good health, with hopes of using the time to gain work skills. But for the previous three weeks, Mr. Johnson, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, had refused to eat or take his medication. Most dangerous of all, he had stealthily stopped drinking water, hastening the physical collapse that often accompanies full-scale mental crises.

Mr. Johnson’s horrific downward spiral, which has not been previously reported, represents the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill. Many seriously ill people receive no treatment . For those who do, the outcome is often determined by the vigilance and commitment of individual supervisors and frontline staff, which vary greatly from system to system, prison to prison, and even shift to shift.

The country’s jails and prisons have become its largest provider of inpatient mental health treatment, with 10 times as many seriously mentally ill people now held behind bars as in hospitals. Estimating the population of incarcerated people with major psychological problems is difficult, but the number is likely 200,000 to 300,000, experts say.

Many of these institutions remain ill-equipped to handle such a task, and the burden often falls on prison staff and health care personnel who struggle with the dual roles of jailer and caregiver in a high-stress, dangerous, often dehumanizing environment.

In 2021, Joshua McLemore , a 29-year-old with schizophrenia held for weeks in an isolation cell in Jackson County, Ind., died of organ failure resulting from a “refusal to eat or drink,” according to an autopsy. In April, New York City agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Nicholas Feliciano, a young man with a history of mental illness who suffered severe brain damage after attempting to hang himself on Rikers Island — as correctional officers stood by.

Mr. Johnson’s mother has filed a wrongful-death suit against the state and Wexford Health Sources, a for-profit health care contractor in Illinois prisons. The New York Times reviewed more than 1,500 pages of reports, along with depositions taken from those involved. Together, they reveal a cascade of missteps, missed opportunities, potential breaches of protocol and, at times, lapses in common sense.

A woman wearing a jeans jacket sitting at a table showing photos of a young boy on her cellphone.

Prison officials and Wexford staff took few steps to intervene even after it became clear that Mr. Johnson, who had been hospitalized repeatedly for similar episodes and recovered, had refused to take medication. Most notably, they did not transfer him to a state prison facility that provides more intensive mental health treatment than is available at regular prisons, records show.

The quality of medical care was also questionable, said Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, Sarah Grady and Howard Kaplan, a married legal team in Chicago. Mr. Johnson lost 50 to 60 pounds during three weeks in solitary confinement, but officials did not initiate interventions like intravenous feedings or transfer him to a non-prison hospital.

And they did not take the most basic step — dialing 911 — until it was too late.

There have been many attempts to improve the quality of mental health treatment in jails and prisons by putting care on par with punishment — including a major effort in Chicago . But improvements have proved difficult to enact and harder to sustain, hampered by funding and staffing shortages.

Lawyers representing the state corrections department, Wexford and staff members who worked at Danville declined to comment on Mr. Johnson’s death, citing the unresolved litigation. In their interviews with state police investigators, and in depositions, employees defended their professionalism and adherence to procedure, while citing problems with high staff turnover, difficult work conditions, limited resources and shortcomings of co-workers.

But some expressed a sense of resignation about the fate of Mr. Johnson and others like him.

Prisoners have “much better chances in a hospital, but that’s not their situation,” said a senior member of Wexford’s health care team in a deposition.

“I didn’t put them in prison,” he added. “They are in there for a reason.”

Markus Mison Johnson was born on March 1, 1998, to a mother who believed she was not capable of caring for him.

Days after his birth, he was taken in by Lisa Barker Johnson, a foster mother in her 30s who lived in Zion, Ill., a working-class city halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. Markus eventually became one of four children she adopted from different families.

The Johnson house is a lively split level, with nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors’ children, family keepsakes, video screens and juice boxes. Ms. Johnson sits at its center on a kitchen chair, chin resting on her hand as children wander over to share their thoughts, or to tug on her T-shirt to ask her to be their bathroom buddy.

From the start, her bond with Markus was particularly powerful, in part because the two looked so much alike, with distinctive dimpled smiles. Many neighbors assumed he was her biological son. The middle name she chose for him was intended to convey that message.

“Mison is short for ‘my son,’” she said standing over his modest footstone grave last summer.

He was happy at home. School was different. His grades were good, but he was intensely shy and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in elementary school.

That was around the time the bullying began. His sisters were fierce defenders, but they could only do so much. He did the best he could, developing a quick, taunting tongue.

These experiences filled him with a powerful yearning to fit in.

It was not to be.

When he was around 15, he called 911 in a panic, telling the dispatcher he saw two men standing near the small park next to his house threatening to abduct children playing there. The officers who responded found nothing out of the ordinary, and rang the Johnsons’ doorbell.

He later told his mother he had heard a voice telling him to “protect the kids.”

He was hospitalized for the first time at 16, and given medications that stabilized him for stretches of time. But the crises would strike every six months or so, often triggered by his decision to stop taking his medication.

His family became adept at reading signs he was “getting sick.” He would put on his tan Timberlands and a heavy winter coat, no matter the season, and perch on the edge of his bed as if bracing for battle. Sometimes, he would cook his own food, paranoid that someone might poison him.

He graduated six months early, on the dean’s list, but was rudderless, and hanging out with younger boys, often paying their way.

His mother pointed out the perils of buying friendship.

“I don’t care,” he said. “At least I’ll be popular for a minute.”

Zion’s inviting green grid of Bible-named streets belies the reality that it is a rough, unforgiving place to grow up. Family members say Markus wanted desperately to prove he was tough, and emulated his younger, reckless group of friends.

Like many of them, he obtained a pistol. He used it to hold up a convenience store clerk for $425 in January 2017, according to police records. He cut a plea deal for two years of probation, and never explained to his family what had made him do it.

But he kept getting into violent confrontations. In late July 2018, he was arrested in a neighbor’s garage with a handgun he later admitted was his. He was still on probation for the robbery, and his public defender negotiated a plea deal that would send him to state prison until January 2020.

An inpatient mental health system

Around 40 percent of the about 1.8 million people in local, state and federal jails and prison suffer from at least one mental illness, and many of these people have concurrent issues with substance abuse, according to recent Justice Department estimates.

Psychological problems, often exacerbated by drug use, often lead to significant medical problems resulting from a lack of hygiene or access to good health care.

“When you suffer depression in the outside world, it’s hard to concentrate, you have reduced energy, your sleep is disrupted, you have a very gloomy outlook, so you stop taking care of yourself,” said Robert L. Trestman , a Virginia Tech medical school professor who has worked on state prison mental health reforms.

The paradox is that prison is often the only place where sick people have access to even minimal care.

But the harsh work environment, remote location of many prisons, and low pay have led to severe shortages of corrections staff and the unwillingness of doctors, nurses and counselors to work with the incarcerated mentally ill.

In the early 2000s, prisoners’ rights lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against Illinois claiming “deliberate indifference” to the plight of about 5,000 mentally ill prisoners locked in segregated units and denied treatment and medication.

In 2014, the parties reached a settlement that included minimum staffing mandates, revamped screening protocols, restrictions on the use of solitary confinement and the allocation of about $100 million to double capacity in the system’s specialized mental health units.

Yet within six months of the deal, Pablo Stewart, an independent monitor chosen to oversee its enforcement, declared the system to be in a state of emergency.

Over the years, some significant improvements have been made. But Dr. Stewart’s final report , drafted in 2022, gave the system failing marks for its medication and staffing policies and reliance on solitary confinement “crisis watch” cells.

Ms. Grady, one of Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, cited an additional problem: a lack of coordination between corrections staff and Wexford’s professionals, beyond dutifully filling out dozens of mandated status reports.

“Markus Johnson was basically documented to death,” she said.

‘I’m just trying to keep my head up’

Mr. Johnson was not exactly looking forward to prison. But he saw it as an opportunity to learn a trade so he could start a family when he got out.

On Dec. 18, 2018, he arrived at a processing center in Joliet, where he sat for an intake interview. He was coherent and cooperative, well-groomed and maintained eye contact. He was taking his medication, not suicidal and had a hearty appetite. He was listed as 5 feet 6 inches tall and 256 pounds.

Mr. Johnson described his mood as “go with the flow.”

A few days later, after arriving in Danville, he offered a less settled assessment during a telehealth visit with a Wexford psychiatrist, Dr. Nitin Thapar. Mr. Johnson admitted to being plagued by feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and “constant uncontrollable worrying” that affected his sleep.

He told Dr. Thapar he had heard voices in the past — but not now — telling him he was a failure, and warning that people were out to get him.

At the time he was incarcerated, the basic options for mentally ill people in Illinois prisons included placement in the general population or transfer to a special residential treatment program at the Dixon Correctional Center, west of Chicago. Mr. Johnson seemed out of immediate danger, so he was assigned to a standard two-man cell in the prison’s general population, with regular mental health counseling and medication.

Things started off well enough. “I’m just trying to keep my head up,” he wrote to his mother. “Every day I learn to be stronger & stronger.”

But his daily phone calls back home hinted at friction with other inmates. And there was not much for him to do after being turned down for a janitorial training program.

Then, in the spring of 2019, his grandmother died, sending him into a deep hole.

Dr. Thapar prescribed a new drug used to treat major depressive disorders. Its most common side effect is weight gain. Mr. Johnson stopped taking it.

On July 4, he told Dr. Thapar matter-of-factly during a telehealth check-in that he was no longer taking any of his medications. “I’ve been feeling normal, I guess,” he said. “I feel like I don’t need the medication anymore.”

Dr. Thapar said he thought that was a mistake, but accepted the decision and removed Mr. Johnson from his regular mental health caseload — instructing him to “reach out” if he needed help, records show.

The pace of calls back home slackened. Mr. Johnson spent more time in bed, and became more surly. At a group-therapy session, he sat stone silent, after showing up late.

By early August, he was telling guards he had stopped eating.

At some point, no one knows when, he had intermittently stopped drinking fluids.

‘I’m having a breakdown’

Then came the crash.

On Aug. 12, Mr. Johnson got into a fight with his older cellmate.

He was taken to a one-man disciplinary cell. A few hours later, Wexford’s on-site mental health counselor, Melanie Easton, was shocked by his disoriented condition. Mr. Johnson stared blankly, then burst into tears when asked if he had “suffered a loss in the previous six months.”

He was so unresponsive to her questions she could not finish the evaluation.

Ms. Easton ordered that he be moved to a 9-foot by 8-foot crisis cell — solitary confinement with enhanced monitoring. At this moment, a supervisor could have ticked the box for “residential treatment” on a form to transfer him to Dixon. That did not happen, according to records and depositions.

Around this time, he asked to be placed back on his medication but nothing seems to have come of it, records show.

By mid-August, he said he was visualizing “people that were not there,” according to case notes. At first, he was acting more aggressively, once flicking water at a guard through a hole in his cell door. But his energy ebbed, and he gradually migrated downward — from standing to bunk to floor.

“I’m having a breakdown,” he confided to a Wexford employee.

At the time, inmates in Illinois were required to declare an official hunger strike before prison officials would initiate protocols, including blood testing or forced feedings. But when a guard asked Mr. Johnson why he would not eat, he said he was “fasting,” as opposed to starving himself, and no action seems to have been taken.

‘Tell me this is OK!’

Lt. Matthew Morrison, one of the few people at Danville to take a personal interest in Mr. Johnson, reported seeing a white rind around his mouth in early September. He told other staff members the cell gave off “a death smell,” according to a deposition.

On Sept. 5, they moved Mr. Johnson to one of six cells adjacent to the prison’s small, bare-bones infirmary. Prison officials finally placed him on the official hunger strike protocol without his consent.

Mr. Morrison, in his deposition, said he was troubled by the inaction of the Wexford staff, and the lack of urgency exhibited by the medical director, Dr. Justin Young.

On Sept. 5, Mr. Morrison approached Dr. Young to express his concerns, and the doctor agreed to order blood and urine tests. But Dr. Young lived in Chicago, and was on site at the prison about four times a week, according to Mr. Kaplan. Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, was not one of those days.

Mr. Morrison arrived at work that morning, expecting to find Mr. Johnson’s testing underway. A Wexford nurse told him Dr. Young believed the tests could wait.

Mr. Morrison, stunned, asked her to call Dr. Young.

“He’s good till Monday,” Dr. Young responded, according to Mr. Morrison.

“Come on, come on, look at this guy! You tell me this is OK!” the officer responded.

Eventually, Justin Duprey, a licensed nurse practitioner and the most senior Wexford employee on duty that day, authorized the test himself.

Mr. Morrison, thinking he had averted a disaster, entered the cell and implored Mr. Johnson into taking the tests. He refused.

So prison officials obtained approval to remove him forcibly from his cell.

‘Oh, my God’

What happened next is documented in video taken from cameras held by officers on the extraction team and obtained by The Times through a court order.

Mr. Johnson is scarcely recognizable as the neatly groomed 21-year-old captured in a cellphone picture a few months earlier. His skin is ashen, eyes fixed on the middle distance. He might be 40. Or 60.

At first, he places his hands forward through the hole in his cell door to be cuffed. This is against procedure, the officers shout. His hands must be in back.

He will not, or cannot, comply. He wanders to the rear of his cell and falls hard. Two blasts of pepper spray barely elicit a reaction. The leader of the tactical team later said he found it unusual and unnerving.

The next video is in the medical unit. A shield is pressed to his chest. He is in agony, begging for them to stop, as two nurses attempt to insert a catheter.

Then they move him, half-conscious and limp, onto a wheelchair for the blood draw.

For the next 20 minutes, the Wexford nurse performing the procedure, Angelica Wachtor, jabs hands and arms to find a vessel that will hold shape. She winces with each puncture, tries to comfort him, and grows increasingly rattled.

“Oh, my God,” she mutters, and asks why help is not on the way.

She did not request assistance or discuss calling 911, records indicate.

“Can you please stop — it’s burning real bad,” Mr. Johnson said.

Soon after, a member of the tactical team reminds Ms. Wachtor to take Mr. Johnson’s vitals before taking him back to his cell. She would later tell Dr. Young she had been unable to able to obtain his blood pressure.

“You good?” one of the team members asks as they are preparing to leave.

“Yeah, I’ll have to be,” she replies in the recording.

Officers lifted him back onto his bunk, leaving him unconscious and naked except for a covering draped over his groin. His expressionless face is visible through the window on the cell door as it closes.

‘Cardiac arrest.’

Mr. Duprey, the nurse practitioner, had been sitting inside his office after corrections staff ordered him to shelter for his own protection, he said. When he emerged, he found Ms. Wachtor sobbing, and after a delay, he was let into the cell. Finding no pulse, Mr. Duprey asked a prison employee to call 911 so Mr. Johnson could be taken to a local emergency room.

The Wexford staff initiated CPR. It did not work.

At 3:38 p.m., the paramedics declared Markus Mison Johnson dead.

Afterward, a senior official at Danville called the Johnson family to say he had died of “cardiac arrest.”

Lisa Johnson pressed for more information, but none was initially forthcoming. She would soon receive a box hastily crammed with his possessions: uneaten snacks, notebooks, an inspirational memoir by a man who had served 20 years at Leavenworth.

Later, Shiping Bao, the coroner who examined his body, determined Mr. Johnson had died of severe dehydration. He told the state police it “was one of the driest bodies he had ever seen.”

For a long time, Ms. Johnson blamed herself. She says that her biggest mistake was assuming that the state, with all its resources, would provide a level of care comparable to what she had been able to provide her son.

She had stopped accepting foster care children while she was raising Markus and his siblings. But as the months dragged on, she decided her once-boisterous house had become oppressively still, and let local agencies know she was available again.

“It is good to have children around,” she said. “It was too quiet around here.”

Read by Glenn Thrush

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice. He joined The Times in 2017 after working for Politico, Newsday, Bloomberg News, The New York Daily News, The Birmingham Post-Herald and City Limits. More about Glenn Thrush

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

Advanced Search
Journal List
J Urban Health
v.94(3); 2017 Jun

Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the “Anti-gay Propaganda Law” in Mental Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Moscow, Russia

Emily hylton.

1 Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Room E7141, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA

Andrea L. Wirtz

Carla e. zelaya, carl latkin.

2 Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA

Alena Peryshkina

3 AIDS Infoshare, Moscow, Russian Federation

Vladmir Mogilnyi

Petr dzhigun, irina kostetskaya.

4 Department of Statistics, The University of Haifa, Mt Carmel, Israel

Chris Beyrer

Associated data.

Depression is a major public health problem in the Russian Federation and is particularly of concern for men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM living in Moscow City were recruited via respondent-driven sampling and participated in a cross-sectional survey from October 2010 to April 2013. Multiple logistic regression models compared the relationship between sexual identity, recent stigma, and probable depression, defined as a score of ≥23 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We investigated the interactive effect of stigma and participation in the study after the passage of multiple “anti-gay propaganda laws” in Russian provinces, municipalities, and in neighboring Ukraine on depression among MSM. Among 1367 MSM, 36.7% ( n = 505) qualified as probably depressed. Fifty-five percent identified as homosexual ( n = 741) and 42.9% identified as bisexual ( n = 578). Bisexual identity had a protective association against probable depression (reference: homosexual identity AOR 0.71; 95%CI 0.52–0.97; p < 0.01). Those who experienced recent stigma (last 12 months) were more likely to report probable depression (reference: no stigma; AOR 1.75; 95%CI 1.20–2.56; p < 0.01). The interaction between stigma and the propaganda laws was significant. Among participants with stigma, probable depression increased 1.67-fold after the passage of the anti-gay laws AOR 1.67; 95%CI 1.04–2.68; p < 0.01). Depressive symptoms are common among MSM in Russia and exacerbated by stigma and laws that deny homosexual identities. Repeal of Russia’s federal anti-gay propaganda law is urgent but other social interventions may address depression and stigma in the current context.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11524-017-0133-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction

Depression and other mental health disorders represent a large proportion of the global burden of disease and are the second leading cause of global disability [ 1 , 2 ]. In the Russian Federation, this trend is consistent, if not magnified, among men. Here, the prevalence of depressive symptoms in men residing in urban areas has been reported as high as 23% in 1999–2000, as defined by a score of ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale [ 3 ]. As of 2011, the suicide rate among Russian men was estimated at 35.1 per 100,000 persons—one of the highest in the world. [ 4 ] Global reports suggest that men who have sex with men (MSM) often have higher prevalence of depression than heterosexual men [ 5 ], and the little research that has been conducted in Russia on the topic suggests that such patterns may persist among MSM [ 6 ]. Analysis of HIV-infected MSM found that over one-third have reported symptomology indicative of probable depression and more than half of MSM in Moscow have reported hazardous or harmful levels of alcohol abuse that may be related to depression [ 7 ].

Across settings, research among MSM has shown that homophobia and social stigma may contribute to depression [ 8 ]. While less is known from the Russian Federation, research from similar epidemiologic settings in Central Asia has provided some insight, demonstrating that even where homosexuality has been decriminalized, stigmatization of homosexuality persists [ 9 ], and MSM who regularly practice the receptive role during anal intercourse experience increased levels of stigma [ 10 ]. Social stigma in Central Asia has been associated with reduced access to health and social services among MSM [ 9 , 11 ], including key HIV prevention and treatment services [ 9 ]. Depressive symptoms among MSM in Central Asia has been explained in part by high prevalence of community-level stigma [ 9 ]. Research from other countries with similar contexts in which homosexuality is decriminalized but where there is no legal protection for MSM against discrimination [ 12 ] have demonstrated the association between increased levels of perceived and experienced stigma and depression among MSM [ 13 , 14 ] and inconsistent use of condoms and depression among MSM [ 15 ]. Social support [ 16 ] and social cohesion [ 13 ] within the MSM community, however, appear to have a protective effect against depression among MSM in these countries.

Recent events within Russia provide context and rationale for understanding the factors associated with poor mental health outcomes among MSM. In June 2013, the Russian government issued the “anti-gay propaganda law,” a national ban on “propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations” that criminalized the sharing of information related to same sex practices. The law effectively legitimized public stigma and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT) in Russia [ 17 , 18 ]. This came on the heels of similar laws in the City of St. Petersburg (March 2012) that would fine individuals up to 500,000 rubles (approximately $17,000 USD) for spreading “homosexual propaganda,” as well as other related legislation in multiple oblasts (administrative divisions) across the Russian Federation, and a widely praised draft law in neighboring Ukraine (October 2012) that would impose up to 5 years imprisonment for spreading “propaganda of homosexuality [ 19 ].” While Russia’s national anti-gay propaganda law was not passed until 2013, the St. Petersburg, other provincial laws, and Ukraine bill (subsequently revoked in 2015 after the conclusion of this study) [ 20 ] received heavy media attention at the time, prompted considerable political and social discussion around the acceptance of homosexuality in Russia, and built substantial support for a possible federal law in Russia. Subsequently, a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2013 found that nearly three in four Russians believed that society should not accept homosexuality [ 21 ]. Political analysts have since suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance that homosexuality is a threat to Russian society [ 17 ] is part of a political narrative that deliberately links non-traditional sexualities to an imperialistic West [ 18 ]. Given related literature [ 22 ] and current events in Russia, this research sought to assess the level of depression among MSM in Moscow, Russia, explore the relationship between sexual identity and depressive symptoms among MSM in Russia, and explore the role of environmental changes in acceptance of homosexuality in the Russian Federation as it relates to depression.

The data for this analysis was gathered through a cross-sectional, NIH-funded study conducted in Moscow, Russia, between October 2010 and April 2013. The research was a collaborative effort conducted jointly by Johns Hopkins University and AIDS Infoshare, a local non-governmental organization that provides anonymous HIV testing and counseling and STI screening and treatment in an LGBT-friendly context in Moscow. All sampling, data collection, and biologic testing methods have been previously described [ 7 , 23 ].

Participants

Inclusion criteria required participants to be fluent in Russian, assigned male at birth, aged 18 years or older, currently reside in Moscow, report anal sex with a man in the past 12 months, and provide verbal informed consent. Participants were recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a chain recruitment method that is used to reach hidden or hard-to-reach populations [ 24 ]. Participants were provided 1000 rubles (approximately $40 USD) as reimbursement for their participation in the study and 500 rubles ($20 USD) for each peer recruited into the study. Thirty-one waves of recruitment produced a sample of 1367 participants for the analysis [ 23 ].

Informed by formative research [ 25 ], cognitive testing [ 26 ], and pilot testing methods, the structured survey was designed to gather information on sociodemographic characteristics, sexual practices and identity, substance use, experienced and perceived stigma, and mental health symptoms. Depression symptoms were the outcome of interest and sexual identity, stigma, and other known correlates [ 13 , 15 , 27 – 30 ] of depression were covariates of interest for this analysis. Measures of sexual identity and practices were adapted from the US CDC’s National Health Behavior Survey [ 31 ] and included questions about sexual identity (“heterosexual,” “homosexual,” “bisexual,” or “other”) and about the sex of the respondent’s sexual partners in the last 12 months (male or female).

The CES-D scale [ 32 ] was used as a screening tool for current (past 7 days) depressive symptomology (Cronbach’s α 0.889). The CES-D score was stratified into three categories: “unlikely to be depressed” (CES-D <16), “possibly depressed” (CES-D 16–22), and “probably depressed” (CES-D ≥23) [ 32 ]. Given that 36.7% endorsed a score of probably depressed ( n = 505) and 11% of the sample scored in the possibly depressed range ( n = 121), coupled with our interest in understanding the factors that were correlated with greater probability of depression [ 33 ], scores were transformed to a binary variable: “unlikely or possibly depressed” (CES-D <23) and probably depressed (CES-D ≥23).

A five-item scale was used to identify recent (last 12 months) experienced stigma (Cronbach’s α 0.713). This was a subscale of a larger stigma scale that had been developed from qualitative research [ 25 ], underwent cognitive testing [ 26 ] among MSM participants for further refinement, and were reviewed by MSM participants to assess face validity. The experienced stigma subscale included experience of public mocking, poor treatment by family members, experience of physical assault, being forced to move accommodation, and experiencing poor treatment within healthcare facilities due to sexual preferences. A positive indication for any one of these five variables was defined as a recent experience of stigma. The alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), a validated scale in Russia, was included in the survey for identification of alcohol use in the last 12 months (Cronbach’s α = 0.80) [ 34 ]. AUDIT scores were stratified into three groups: a score <8 representing abstinence or low use, 8–15 “hazardous use,” and ≥16 “harmful use,” including those with potential alcohol dependency (score of 20 or higher), according to WHO categories [ 35 ].

Statistical Analysis

Survey data were analyzed using the STATA version 14 statistical software (Stata Corporation, College Station, USA). Depression, measured by the CES-D score, was the primary outcome of interest. Descriptive analysis was performed using Pearson’s chi-squared test. Sensitivity analyses were performed first using binary logistic analysis with unlikely to be depressed and a combined “possibly or probably depressed” and then using ordered logistic analysis with all three categories. A final sensitivity analysis was performed to test whether the model results changed with the inclusion of bisexual behavior (reporting both male and female sex partners) in place of bisexual identity.

Data collected via RDS recruitment are often weighted during statistical analysis to provide population prevalence estimates. Population estimates for the population characteristics and depression were calculated using the RDS-II estimator (Volz-Heckathorn) and bootstrapping with 1000 iterations to produce 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) [ 36 ]. Both crude sample proportions and RDS-weighted population prevalence estimates are provided in Appendix .

On exploratory analysis, the linear relationship between CES-D scores and time in which participants were surveyed was evaluated given increasing homophobia and the ultimate passage of the propaganda law. This relationship was significant, thus, we included the date of when participants completed the survey as a covariate in the model. This was transformed to a binary variable with March 7, 2012 as a breakpoint: the date in which the governor of St. Petersburg signed a law banning the sharing of homosexual propaganda [ 37 ]. While our study took place in Moscow City, political and media attention to the St. Petersburg law created an atmosphere of increased violence and discrimination against the LGBT population across Russia. The category for participation in the survey after the passage of the law is also inclusive of other key time periods that signify the deteriorating climate for LGBT populations, including the passage of the draft Ukraine law that received wide support and discussion in Russia (October 2012) and the date when the anti-gay propaganda law was introduced to the Russian Parliament (January 2013) [ 38 ]. Our model tests for an increase in the odds of probable depressive symptoms before and after the St. Petersburg law as a binary variable and as an interaction term with experienced stigma.

Variables known to be associated with depression symptoms (income, sexual identity, experience of stigma, social connectedness, alcohol use) [ 13 , 15 , 27 – 30 ] or with a p value of p < 0.10 in bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable model. The Furnival-Wilson leaps-and-bounds algorithm was used to perform variable selection on a wide array of models with depression as the outcome of interest and socioeconomic, demographic, experiential, and behavioral factors as predictor variables. Akaike’s information criteria were used to select the best model, and multiple logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for the variables in the selected model. Collinearity for the model was checked using variance inflation factors (VIFs). While the VIF for the interaction between survey date and experience of stigma was 2.88, all other VIFs were well under 2.0, indicating that collinearity is not of concern. Pearson’s goodness-of-fit test was used to check model fit.

Ethical Review

The study was approved by both the Ethics Committee of the State Medical University, IP Pavlov, St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Institutional Review Board, Baltimore, Maryland.

A total of 1376 MSM with a median age of 30 years [IQR 24–36] were enrolled in the study, 85.7% of whom were born within Russia. Over half (55%) identified as homosexual, 42.9% identified as bisexual, and 2.1% identified as other sexual identities, including heterosexual. By contrast, 64.6% reported only male sexual partners, while 35.4% reported both male and female partners in the last 12 months. Thirty-six percent reported experiencing stigma due to their sexual preferences. Over one-third (36.7%) qualified as probably depressed ( n = 505), 11% as possibly depressed ( n = 151), and 52.3% unlikely to be depressed according to the CES-D ( n = 720).

Table Table1 1 presents the participant demographic and behavioral characteristics stratified by depression symptomatology. Appendix Table 1 presents the RDS-weighted estimates stratified by depression symptomatology. Those with symptoms indicating probable depression (CESD ≥23) were more likely to have full-time employment (59.7%) than those with symptoms indicating unlikely or possible depression (CESD <23; 51.4%, p = 0.03). MSM in the probable depression group were more likely to identify as homosexual (64.7% vs. 49.5, p < 0.001) and less likely to report feeling comfortable with their sexual orientation (86.5 vs. 93.2%; p value <0.001) than those in the unlikely/possible depression group. Those with probable depression scores reported higher levels of experienced stigma (62.7 vs. 39.4%; p value <0.001) than those who were possibly/unlikely depressed. A larger proportion of those with probable depression had been detained in jail or prison (8.6%) than those with unlikely/possible depression (4.6%; p value <0.01). A greater proportion of those in the group with probable depression participated in the survey after the “propaganda law” was signed into law in St. Petersburg (61.4%) compared to those in the unlikely/possibly depressed group (48.7%; p value <0.001).

Demographic and behavioral characteristics of MSM in Moscow, Russia, by depression symptomatology from 2010 to 13 ( N = 1376)

Table Table2 2 displays the bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses of sexual identity, stigma, passage of the anti-gay propaganda laws, and other correlates with probable depression. After controlling for other confounders, the odds of probable depression was 29% lower among those identifying as bisexual (AOR 0.71 95%CI 0.52–0.97; p = 0.03) as compared to those reporting homosexual identity. The adjusted odds of depression was nearly twice as high for those who reported experiencing stigma in the last 12 months (ref: little/no stigma; AOR 1.75; 95%CI 1.20–2.56; p < 0.01). Those who reported discomfort with their sexual identity had almost sixfold increased odds of depression relative to those who reported feeling comfortable with their sexual identity (AOR 5.85; 95%CI 2.71–12.64; p < 0.001). A history of jail or detention was associated with a nearly twofold increased odds of probable depression (AOR 1.78; 95%CI 1.00–3.17; p = 0.05) compared to those who did not have a history of detention. Probable depression was also 35% lower for those with five or more sexual partners in the last 6 months (ref: ≤1 partner; AOR 0.54; 95%CI 0.37–0.81; p < 0.01).

Crude and adjusted relative odds of depression ( N = 1376)

a Adjusted model includes income, marriage to a woman, sexual identity, comfort with sexual preference, number of sexual partners, experience of stigma, social connectedness to gay space, alcohol use, history of detention in jail or prison, date of taking survey, and time-stigma interaction

Prior to including the interaction between time and experienced stigma in the multivariable model, the adjusted odds of depression for those who were surveyed after the signing of the St. Petersburg propaganda law was 1.5-fold greater than that of participants who were surveyed before the approval of the law (AOR 1.65, 95%CI 1.23–2.22; p = 0.001). After including the interaction between time and experience of stigma in the final model, the adjusted odds of depression associated with the survey date was no longer significant (AOR 1.34, 95%CI 0.95–1.91; p = 0.10). The interaction itself, however, was significant, and computed estimates for the combination with the interaction were highly significant. In this case, among people with experienced stigma, depression increased twofold after the passage of the St. Petersburg law (ref: participation prior to the law; AOR 2.24; 95%CI 1.49–3.39; p < 0.001). Finally, in the period after the law was passed, the odds of probable depression among people with experienced stigma were almost threefold that of those without experienced stigma (AOR 2.92; 95%CI 2.02–4.24; p < 0.001).

A sensitivity analysis was performed with the same multivariable model but including the variable measuring behavioral bisexuality in terms of the gender of reported sex partners in the last 12 months (in lieu of bisexual identity). Here, the association became stronger as the adjusted odds ratio dropped from 0.71 (95%CI 0.52–0.97, p = 0.03) in the previous model to 0.58 (95%CI 0.42–0.81; p < 0.01).

Depression is common in the Russian Federation, and particularly so for MSM. Over a third of MSM in this sample qualified with “probable depression” according to the CES-D scale, and nearly half scored high enough to qualify as at least “possibly depressed.” These estimates for MSM in Russia exceed the general estimates of 23% for possible depression (CES-D cutoff of 16) in men in urban areas of Russia [ 3 ]. While methodological differences and temporal effects may play a role, differences may also be explained, in part, by the high prevalence of experienced stigma and its strong relationship with depressive symptoms.

Evidence has shown that sexual identity may be a correlate of depression and other mental health outcomes. In this study, bisexual identity appears to provide a protective effect against depression among MSM in Russia. Discomfort with sexual identity was also strongly associated with depressive symptoms. The protective relationship between bisexual identity and depression contradicts the general body of research, which predominantly originates from the USA, that has demonstrated increased risk for poor mental health outcomes with bisexual identity and similarly high risk for poor social wellbeing compared to those who identify as homosexual or heterosexual [ 22 ].

One reason for this surprising discrepancy may be the context of increasing and state-sanctioned homophobia in Russia. In a country that has criminalized information related to same sex behaviors, and ultimately criminalized LGBT visibility, the political and social environment has become increasingly hostile towards MSM. The discourse around the anti-gay movement has promoted traditional morals, masculinity, and traditional sexual relations and has been associated with increased violence towards LGBT populations and may decrease individual comfort with one’s sexual identity [ 18 ]. It is possible that endorsing a level of opposite-sex attraction in addition to same-sex attraction allows a degree of psychological refuge from feelings of exclusion, self-stigma, and experiences of violence. Discomfort with sexual identity may further be measuring underlying, internalized homophobia, which has demonstrated significant impact on mental health, including anxiety and depression [ 39 ].

The experience of detention in jail or prison also had a strong relationship with depressive symptoms. While we did not collect information about the reason for imprisonment, it would be interesting to know if sexual identity played either a real or perceived role in the justification for imprisonment.

Several factors limit the inferences of this study. The study was cross-sectional, limiting our ability to determine the temporal relationship between sexual identity and depression and prevents causal association. However, the use of recall periods for experiences of stigma (past 12 months) and depression (past 7 days) allows some interpretation of temporality. We utilized a tool to measure depression symptoms rather than depression diagnosed by a mental health professional, which may potentially misclassify participants; however, the CES-D has been well-established and validated in the Russian context. Enrollment and testing methods, criteria for study inclusion, and financial incentives may have influenced our sample. It is also possible that RDS did not reach particular subgroups within the MSM community. However, this study is unusual in its success of recruiting a large number of MSM (31 waves and over 1300 MSM) in a highly stigmatized setting. Despite potential limitations, RDS seems to have been one of the most productive pathways of recruiting MSM in this context [ 23 ].

Our results show that homosexual identity, experience of stigma, and experience of imprisonment are all associated with depressive symptoms in MSM in Russia. The passing of anti-gay propaganda laws in the region in 2012 and in the Russian Federation in 2013 [ 40 ], which effectively criminalizes information related to homosexual and bisexual identity, further modifies the relationship between stigma and depression among MSM. Because social support has been shown to be protective against depression in MSM in this context [ 41 ], interventions that build social support in the MSM community in Russia and enable access to non-stigmatizing mental health services may help to combat the negative effects of stigma and help protect against depression in this population.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

(DOCX 35 kb)

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank SANAM clinic and Tatiana Bondarenko for insight, support, and use of the SANAM clinic for conduct of qualitative research and the Be Safe study. We appreciate the efforts put forth by Irina Deobald and Konstantin Dyakonov in the formative phases of this project. We are deeply thankful to the participants who contributed their time and personal experiences to this study.

Authors’ Contributions

CB, ALW, CEZ, NG, VM, AP, and CL collaborated in the design and oversight of the overall study. PD and KI collected data. EH conducted data analysis. ALW reviewed and provided input to the statistical analysis. EH and ALW wrote the initial drafts of this manuscript. All authors had full access to the data, reviewed and edited the manuscript, and all take responsibility for its integrity as well as the accuracy of the analysis.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Funding for this study came from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH R01 MH085574-01A2) “High Risk Men: Identity, Health Risks, HIV and Stigma” funded from 2009 to 2014. Drs. Wirtz, Latkin, Galai, and Beyrer are also supported by the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research (P30AI094189).

IMAGES

exploratory essay draft 2
essay on mental illness
Mental Health Essay
Essay
Mental Health Case Study Essay (600 Words)
Argumentative Essay on Mental Health pdf

VIDEO

Mental health| Mental
The Healing Garden : Exploratory Dialogues
An excerpt from a book I wrote
‘Enough: Black MENtal Health’ extended interview
Local lawmakers explore Nashville model for a consolidated mental health, safety and justice center
Exploratory Digital Essay Project

COMMENTS

Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice
Other exploratory studies have found that many of these individuals with mental illness appear to turn to social media to share their personal experiences, seek information about their mental health and treatment options, and give and receive support from others facing similar mental health challenges (Bucci, Schwannauer, & Berry, 2019; Naslund ...
Max: 2024 Mental Health Essay
NIH recognizes these talented essay winners for their thoughtfulness and creativity in addressing youth mental health. These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government. Page published May 31, 2024. Read Tenacity Through Tumultuousness by Max, a ...
Michaela: 2024 Mental Health Essay
These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government. Page published May 31, 2024. Read Exposing the Impact of Social Media on Teenage Mental Health by Michaela, a 2024 NIH Teen Mental Health Essay Contest Awardee.
Essay on mental health
Mental health, an integral facet of human well-being, shapes our emotions, decisions, and daily interactions. Just as one would care for a sprained ankle or a fever, our minds too require attention and nurture. In today's bustling world, mental well-being is often put on the back burner, overshadowed by the immediate demands of life.
Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic
Abstract. Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were ...
How to write an exploratory essay [Updated 2023]
An exploratory essay utilizes the same basic structure that you'll find in other essays. It includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets up the context for your topic, addresses why that topic is worthy of study, and states your primary research question (s). The body paragraphs cover the research that you ...
NIH Announces Winners of 2023-2024 High School Mental Health Essay
May 31, 2024 • Institute Update. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Speaking Up About Mental Health essay contest. Out of more than 370 submissions across 33 states, NIH awarded 24 youth (ages 16-18) finalists with gold, silver, bronze, and honorable mention prizes.
Further Evidence on the Global Decline in the Mental Health of the
Further Evidence on the Global Decline in the Mental Health of the Young. David G. Blanchflower, Alex Bryson, Anthony Lepinteur & Alan Piper. Working Paper 32500. DOI 10.3386/w32500. Issue Date May 2024. Prior to around 2011, there was a pronounced curvilinear relationship between age and wellbeing: poor mental health was hump-shaped with ...
Savannah: 2024 Mental Health Essay
People get labeled as "dangerous", "crazy", "weak", "weird" due to society's outlook and perspective on mental health. People are often stigmatized by their problems and not recognized as individuals. 19.86% of adults face mental health issues, 4.91% of people face severe mental health issues. Lastly, 7.7 million kids and ...
500 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas
These essays not only provide an opportunity to challenge existing stigmas and misconceptions but also encourage critical thinking and informed debate. In this article, we present a comprehensive collection of 500 mental health argumentative essay topics and ideas. This extensive list is designed to inspire students, educators, and ...
Mental Health Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas
401 essay samples found. This section is dedicated to argumentative and persuasive essays on mental health awareness in the United States. Mental illness and psychological problems are social issues that require a solution. A student can represent their point of view and perspective through an argumentative essay about mental health.
Mental Health: Prioritizing Education, Access, and Awareness
Conclusion. In conclusion, prioritizing mental health is imperative for individuals and society. By dispelling stigma and misconceptions, promoting education and awareness, and improving access to mental health services, we can create a supportive environment that fosters well-being and growth. It is crucial to recognize that mental health is ...
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness
Mental health is very important at every stage of our life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood and even until we get old. Mental health is the state of an individual who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment. It affects how we think, act and feel. Also, it helps to determine how we handle ...
332 Mental Health Essay Topics & Mental Illness Ideas
332 Mental Health Essay Topics & Mental Illness Ideas. Written by. Sarah Martinez. 18 May 2024. 2723 words. 13 min read. Mental health essay topics include a crucial aspect of human well-being with diverse facets, offering many subjects to study about. Some themes may range from the psychology of happiness, exploring how positive thinking ...
Learn How to Ace Your Expository Essay About Mental Health
Make your essay relatable to people's daily life. Focus on Solutions. When discussing a sensitive topic like mental health it's important to focus on the solutions. Consider suggesting ways people can manage their own mental wellness or outlining how families can support each other during difficult times. Be Empathetic.
Gabriel: 2024 Mental Health Essay
Gabriel, New Jersey. "My children and I were decorating the Christmas tree when we heard about the Pearl Harbor attack.". "We were newlyweds honeymooning in the Florida Keys. Then suddenly, the radio announced that JFK was assassinated!". "I found out when my third-grade teacher Mrs. Jones announced an early dismissal because the ...
The Mental Health of Elite Athletes: A Narrative Systematic Review
Distance runners; USA. Athletes in this study showed low tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion scores, and high vigour scores. The measure of global mood and trait anxiety accounted for 45 % of the variance in athlete performance, highlighting the link between positive mental health and performance.
90 Top Exploratory Essay Topics and Ideas
College-centric Exploratory Topics: Top 10 Light-Hearted Exploratory Essay Topics. Exploratory Essay Topics on Sports. Deep-Dive into Mental Health Exploratory Essay Topics. Intriguing Psychology Exploratory Essay Topics. Understanding Human Emotions. The Dynamics of Group Behavior. Neuroscientific Advances in Psychology.
Exploratory Essay Final Draft
exploratory essay final draft - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Mental health issues are common among college students but many do not seek treatment despite wanting help. Significant barriers to treatment include the stigma associated with mental illness, the high cost of treatment without insurance coverage, and ...
Expository Essay on Mental Health in 900-1000 words
Mental illness is a disorder of the human body, including mood, thinking, and behaviour changes. Mental illness can be caused by stress or a reaction to an event. It can also raise genetic factors, biological imbalances, child abuse or trauma, social degradation, poor physical health etc. Mental illness is treatable.
Mental Health Argumentative Essay Examples & Topics
Mental health essay topics listed in this category focus on: forms of mental illness, mental illness as a social issue (especially considering its increasing rates), stigmatization of people affected by it in different cultures, examples, and representation of mental illness in literature and pop culture, correlation with other aspects/ phenomena (e.g. drug addiction), current and past ...
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Learn about NIMH priority areas for research and funding that have the potential to improve mental health care over the short, medium, and long term. Resources for Researchers Information about resources such as data, tissue, model organisms and imaging resources to support the NIMH research community.
Jordan: 2024 Mental Health Essay
NIH recognizes these talented essay winners for their thoughtfulness and creativity in addressing youth mental health. These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government. Page published May 31, 2024. Read A Weighted Wait by Jordan, a 2024 NIH Teen ...
A journey through Russian mental health care: A review and evaluation
Mental health disorders are among the leading causes of disease and long-term disability globally and, therefore, are one of the greatest challenges for public health. Modern approaches to mental health care (MHC) promote the reduction of inpatient bed numbers in favor of flexible community and outpatient services; however, the implementation ...
PDF Welcome to The I World Congress on Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of
To participate in the I World Congress on Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of the XXI Century, you are asked to register for the event. Registration is only possible online: www.mental-health-congress.ru Organized by The Congress is organized by the Union for Mental Health of Russia, the Russian Professional Psychotherapeutic League,
Agaana: 2024 Mental Health Essay
These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government. Page published May 31, 2024. Read Accountability for Authority: The Responsibilities of Schools by Agaana, a 2024 NIH Teen Mental Health Essay Contest Awardee.
Body Image and Its Impact on Mental Health
The Impact of Body Image on Mental Health. Research has consistently shown that negative body image is associated with a range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. When individuals hold negative beliefs about their bodies, they are more likely to experience low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy.
When Prison and Mental Illness Amount to a Death Sentence
It was 1:19 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2019, in the Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security prison a few hours south of Chicago. Mr. Johnson, 21 and serving a short sentence for gun possession, was ...
Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the "Anti-gay
On exploratory analysis, the linear relationship between CES-D scores and time in which participants were surveyed was evaluated given increasing homophobia and the ultimate passage of the propaganda law. ... We utilized a tool to measure depression symptoms rather than depression diagnosed by a mental health professional, which may potentially ...

Mental Health Essay

Introduction

Importance of Mental Health

Negative Impact of Mental Health

Mental Disorders: Types and Prevalence

Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

Conclusion: Mental Health

Short Essay about Mental Health

Frequently Asked Questions

Related articles

Literary Analysis Essay Example: Discover How to Analyze Literature and Improve Your Writing Skills

Proposal Essay Examples: Convincing Ideas for Your Research Paper or Essay

Biographical Essay: Tips and Tricks for Writing a Perfect Biography

Create a Perfect Essay Structure

Will I Get Caught Using Chat GPT?

How to Write an Evaluation Essay That Engages and Persuades: Helpful Tips and Inspiring Examples

How To Write Reflection Essays

BibGuru Blog

How to write an exploratory essay [Updated 2023]

What is an exploratory essay?

What to include in an exploratory essay

What to expect in an exploratory essay assignment

Exploratory essay outline and format

Body paragraphs

Frequently Asked Questions about exploratory essays

Further Evidence on the Global Decline in the Mental Health of the Young

More from NBER

Mental Health - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Supply of Mental Health Insurance Coverage

Mental Health Counseling

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Social Media and Mental Health

Mental Health and Obesity

Effects of Childhood Trauma on Children Development

Mental Health Concerns for Children in Foster Care

Veterans Mental Health Care

Effects of Childhood Trauma on Development and Adulthood

The Mental Health Stigma

Mental Health Problem Solution

Applied Behavior Analysis and its Effects on Autism

How Cyberbullying Impact on Mental Health

Soldier’s Mental Health in all Quiet on the Western Front

The Impact of Friendships on a Woman’s Mental Health

The Negative Effects of Social Media on Mental Health

Drug Abuse – Destructive Pattern

Mental Health in Schools

Mental Health of Teens and the Catcher in the Rye

Mental Health and Social Media

The Dark Side of Adoption: Mental Health in Adoptees

The Brain of a Psycopath

Exercise Benefits for Physical and Mental Health

Importance of Mental Health

Domestic Violence and Women’s Mental Health

Marijuana Mental Health Depression

The Unfamiliar Childhood Disorder – Reactive Attachment Disorder

Mental Health Screenings and the Effect on Gun Violence

Crime and Punishment: Women Mental Health in Prison

Schizophrenia: Mind and Mental Health

Related topic

How To Write An Essay On Mental Health

Exploring the Various Aspects of Mental Health

Addressing Challenges and Misconceptions

Concluding with the Importance of Mental Health Awareness

332 Mental Health Essay Topics & Mental Illness Ideas

Best Mental Health Topics

Simple Mental Health Topics

Interesting Mental Health Essay Topics

Mental Health Essay Topics

Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics

Mental Health Persuasive Essay Topics

Mental Health Controversial Topics for Essays

Mental Health Debate Topics

Mental Illness Essay Topics

Mental Illness Argumentative Essay Topics

Mental Illness Persuasive Essay Topics

Mental Illness Informative Essay Topics

Mental Illness Essay Topics for Health Exams

The Impact of Mental Illness on Families and Relationships Topics

The Role of Genetics and Environment in Mental Illness Topics

Emerging Trends in Mental Health Research and Treatment Topics for Essays