stress and mental health informative essay

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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.

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• Stress Essays

Stress and Health Essay

Stress is the state of being worried, run-down or overwhelmed by difficulties experienced in the modern daily lives. Health is the state of being free from any physical or psychological disease or malfunction. When one is stressed therefore, it has direct effects on the individual’s health as the main impact of stress is the distortion of the psychological and physical state. Stress in most cases is emotional and has evident symptoms so much as many human beings fail to admit that they are under stress. This serves the reason as to why many people in the modern generation die of illnesses caused by stress as compared to the generation before us who lived longer. Even though stress is well known for the damage that it causes to people’s health, at some point it appears helpful to the human body systems (Charleston & Nathan, 2012, p. 23-27).

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Situations as such are during educational examinations where stress may help in fastening one’s thinking capacity and probably becoming more creative or when trying to meet work deadlines, making one more productive at place of work. However, many are the cases where stress causes body illnesses which leads to early deaths and sequentially affecting the nation at large when many citizens die of this chronic issue, stress. These illnesses include heart diseases, blood pressure and poor immune system amongst many more. This means that increase in stress is most likely going to increase health problems to people and may even lead to death. Research has shown that many are the people from the current generation die of problems that were initially caused by chronic stress (American Psychological Association, 2015).

Whenever the body experiences stress, some hormones are released to take care of the situation. These hormones are the reason as to why people experience blood pressure as they raise it, increase the rate at which the heart beats and raise the levels of blood sugars. These are the changes that make short term stress helpful, as they help one increase the strength and speed at which they act to overcome the issue at hand. Additionally, rapid and extended change in the above factors, may lead to dangerous illnesses. These changes are also the cause of digestive illnesses, fertility problems and a weak immune system. They may also go as far as causing viral infections such as common cold or the flu, depression, anxiety, lack of sleep and bad headaches (Natural Cancer Institute, n.d). Another main and alarming damage that stress may cause is the mental disorder. Apart from the illnesses highlighted above, stress in most cases serves responsible for mental illnesses to many patients. A mentally ill individual may not be productive as expected and is at some point of no use to the society. These are the dangers that people expose themselves to when they overwork, overthink and subject themselves to any other form of stress. At all cost therefore, human beings need to identify when they are under stress conditions and know how to deal with the situations so as to overcome them. People can choose to live long, which can be achieved by simply controlling any stress that comes their way in the course of daily activities (Fink, 2009, p. 3-5).

Research also shows that the main reason why many people suffer stress is the mental and emotional development. Many people engage their brains and emotions in issues of their daily lives, not knowing that when this is overdone, it may lead disastrous conditions that trigger stress related illnesses. Long working hours serves as the main cause of stress amongst many. This is because some of the duties many people undertake on daily basis are stressful and involve engagement of the brain. Many people therefore cause stress unto themselves, sometimes unknowingly.

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Others go ahead in overthinking on job tasks even when not in their places of work. This means they even add working hours to themselves unaware of the dangers they are exposing themselves to. People do this as they worry about the future. Everyone wants a promising future and does their best in fighting for it. They forget that they may fail to even live to see the future they fight and struggle for depending on the way they do it. It is good to express concern for the future but with limits so as to avoid chronic stress which will have to mess up with the same future.

This is all linked up by the excessive anxiety about work and is a major cause for alarm across the world. Blame at some point is also on employers as they cause stress to their employees. This makes the employee ever stressed about how to increase their productivity and to cope with upcoming issues in job affairs. It is the main reason people extend work emotions and thoughts to even outside working hours which are long already. The way the employers treat these employees also affects their emotions and may cause stress and in the end bring about stress related illnesses (National Cancer Institute, 2012). All the work pressure comes in due to competition in various fields. People are said not know how to cope with competition especially in the business field. They wrongly extend emotionally and mentally into how they will stand out as the best with competition perfection. This makes them mentally busy day and night which is harmful to their body systems.

Everyone wants to integrate work and build up their family and social lives. This aspect may bring about diseases such as blood pressure, depression and the likes (Dewe et al., 2012, p. 11-17). Another aspect of life is the struggle in relationships and marriages. Many people end up involving themselves in marriages that take away their happiness for the rest of their lives. This in many cases happens unknowingly due to haste in choosing partners which leads to settling with the wrong people at the end of it. The stress on how to find solutions has great effect as it builds mental and emotional disturbance. Continuation of such intense stress may also lead to various stress related illnesses. It is therefore good to evaluate oneself before settling down. This way one is able to realize the kind of people they can settle with. It helps in later identifying the right people and engaging themselves in marriages for better and happier lives (Griffin, n.d).

The condition of lack of sleep is brought about by stress and may be harmful as it can lead to stress related illnesses. When one spends sleepless nights, the most probable situation is that the brain is much engaged in thinking of certain issues, solutions or even making plans. If this continues for a long time therefore, it may lead to cause of long term headaches and depression (Siegel, 2008). This condition therefore must be avoided at all cost by running away from stress causing events for it proves to be much dangerous to the health of human beings. It is one of the surest symptoms of stress and it should be attended to with immediate effect to avoid developments of next stages. Obesity is also as a result of stress. When people are under stress they tend to consume a lot of junk food and eventually end up suffering from obesity.

When this is identified therefore, the victim needs to handle their stress levels carefully and strive to reduce them. These two effects of stress end up leading to heart diseases. At this stage, it becomes a hustle in getting treatment for a condition that would have simply been avoided by refraining from any stress related situation (Charleston & Nathan, 2012, p. 47-53). Another disease that may come along with the effects of stress is cancer. Not much research has been done about cancer, but it has been proven that when many people are under stress, they tend to take alcohol and smoke cigarette at a high rate. Alcohol and cigarette lead to cancer development in parts of the human body (American Psychological Association, 2015). This therefore makes cancer and heart diseases some of the illnesses that come along with stress. To fight these diseases, it begins with prevention from involving oneself with stress related situations. Otherwise, it becomes very much difficult and expensive to treat these diseases.

In conclusion, stress is identified as the worst form of injustice an individual would ever do to themselves. Stress related problems are bad news that no one would wish to be associated with. It is easier to prevent one-self from the diseases brought about by stress as compared to trying to cure them. Efforts against causes of stress are therefore worth making in everyone’s daily life. All the same, not all changes triggered by stress happen to be negative. Some changes are positive depending on how far the stress extends. Stress that is short term positively affects the victim in that it helps to improve their speed in thinking and their level of creativity. On the other hand, long term stress brings about increased blood pressure and sugars among many other conditions, which later mature up to diseases. Physical exercise is part of the recommendations from the doctors to avoid any stress related problems amongst many such as enough sleep. It is said that a normal human being should sleep for around seven to eight hours.

• American Psychological Association. 2015, Understanding Chronic Stress. [Online] Available at [Accessed 20 Apr 2015].
• Charleston, E. A. & Nathan, R. G. 2012, Stress Management: A Comprehensive Guide to Wellness. New York, Ballantine Books. Dewe, P. O’Driscoll, M. & Cooper, C. 2010, Coping with Work Stress. West Sussex, Wiley & Sons.
• Fink, G. 2009, Stress Science Neuroendocrinology. Burlington, Elsevier Science.
• Griffin, M. n.d, 10 Health Problems Related to Stress That You Can Fix. [Online] Available at [Accessed 20 Apr 2015].
• Mayo Clinic Staff. n.d, Stress Management. [Online] Available at [Accessed 20 Apr 2015].
• National Cancer Institute. 2012, Psychological Stress and Cancer. [Online] Available at [Accessed 20 Apr 2015].
• Siegel, S. 2008, Stress and Health. [Online] Available at [Accessed 20 Apr 2015].

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How Does Stress Affect the Body? Essay

Introduction.

Stress is an inseparable part of any human experience, which is why its effects on the body need to be examined further. Although efforts must be applied to reduce the extent of stress and the exposure to it, eradicating the specified phenomenon from an individual’s life is presently impossible and barely productive (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Instead, the effects of stress and their mitigation need to be learned closer to reduce possible health outcomes. Especially after the pandemic of COVID-19 has made the levels of stress in people worldwide skyrocket, the significance of studying the levels of stress on the human body has grown tremendously (Schönrich et al. 3). This paper will examine the effects of stress on different systems within a human body, further recommending the strategies that can be used to alleviate the adverse outcomes.

Stress: Definitions

Before proceeding with listing the multiple outcomes of stress affecting the human body and its multiple systems, one might want to define the subject matter first. The notion of stress might seem simple enough, meaning mostly feeling of unease caused by negative emotions. However, the concept of stress is far more complex due to the presence of multiple factors determining its development, as well as the numerous ways in which it can manifest itself (Schönrich et al. 2). Therefore, to define stress, one may need to consider several perspectives.

As a separate health issue, stress does not occur in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5). Instead, DSM-5 offers definitions for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD), anxiety, and related conditions (American Psychiatric Association 265). The described approach is quite reasonable since the very notion of stress is quite broad. Indeed, examining the subject matter, one will recognize the presence of a twofold nature of it. Namely, stress encompasses both the state of anxiety and emotional unease, while also implying the range of external factors affecting an individual. Collier et al. suggest that stress should be defined as “the environment that places a strain on a biological system” (10367). As shown in the described definition, the notion of stress is seen as a combination of the components that elicit negative emotions and confusion.

Stress and the Human Body

To examine the effects of stress on the human body, a basic understanding of how the human body functions are needed. To simplify the exploration of the complex neurological pathways that the stress response suggests, one may need to isolate eleven primary systems within the human body. These are the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, reproductive, digestive, immune, urinary, and exocrine (Rathus and Nevid 17). Since changes occur within every system and are intertwined closely within the human body, it is crucial to consider each with the described connection in mind.

Effects of Stress on the Musculoskeletal and Exocrine Systems

As an immediate and instinctive response to stress, the muscles in the human body become tense. The specified reaction causes muscles to become the shield against a possible injury, also allowing one either to fight effectively or to run (Rathus and Nevid 121). The increase in muscle tension is spurred by the rise in the levels of cortisol, which is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex located in the adrenal gland (Rathus and Nevid 121). In turn, chronic stress causes muscles to be overly tense constantly, which may lead to long-term effects such as muscle cramps (Rathus and Nevid 122). Prolonged stress also affects the exocrine system in the long term, causing hair loss and brittle nails.

Effects of Stress on the Respiratory System

In the event of a sudden introduction of stress factors, the respiratory system responds in increased activity. Namely, the number of breaths per minute increases due to the rise in the need to supply oxygen to muscles and the brain (Hales and Hales 22). The described outcome is linked directly to the aforementioned “fight or flight” instinct, which enables the body to increase the speed and precision of its reactions to external factors. Furthermore, due to the constriction of the air pathways, breaths become shorter and faster (Rathus and Nevid 124). Thus, the respiratory system becomes overloaded in the event of acute stress; in fact, studies show that an asthma attack may occur as a result (Rathus and Nevid 124).

Effects of Stress on the Cardiovascular System

Due to the need to supply an increased amount of oxygen to lungs and muscles, the rise in breaths per minute causes the cardiovascular system to function at a faster pace as well, raising the heartbeat significantly. The observed phenomenon is explained by stronger heart contractions caused by the increase in the levels of cortisol, as well as adrenaline and noradrenaline (Hales and Hales 22). Furthermore, due to the need for a larger oxygen intake for the body, the amount of blood pumped through the blood vessels and the heart increases substantially, causing a faster heart rate and an increased workload for the cardiovascular system.

Effects of Stress on the Nervous System

Being under the influence of stress-inducing factors, the nervous system also produces an immediate response. However, before assessing the effects of stress on it, one should mention that the nervous system is typically split into two main parts, namely, the autonomic and somatic ones (Hales and Hales 24). The former, in turn, is subdivided into the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous systems (Hales and Hales 24). The latter plays a direct role in activating the aforementioned “fight or flight” response as it sends signals to the adrenal medulla and the pituitary gland (Hales and Hales 22). As a result, the glands releasing cortisol, adrenalin, and noradrenalin are activated, causing immediate changes in the rest of the systems, particularly, the endocrine and the respiratory ones. Thus, the chain of immediate responses toward the emerging risk is launched. When affected by stress in the long term, the nervous system continues to respond, causing further deterioration of the body.

Effects of Stress on the Endocrine System

As emphasized above, stress factors cause an immediate release of the hormones that activate the rest of the systems. Therefore, what is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis within the endocrine system is activated once stress factors emerge. As a result, stress-related hormones, primarily, cortisol, adrenalin, and noradrenalin, are produced. Cortisol, in turn, supplies the energy needed to address a stress-related situation.

Effects of Stress on the Gastrointestinal and Reproductive Systems

The gastrointestinal system also responds to stress quite promptly due to the immense number of neurons in it. However, due to the disruption of the standard functioning of the gastrointestinal cells, stress can result in muscle spasms within the gastrointestinal system. The described phenomenon may entail a variety of effects ranging from diarrhea to constipation.

Examining the effects of stress on the human reproductive system, one should consider the differences between the male and female ones. In the male system, due to the rise in the levels of testosterone, which is activated through the parasympathetic path, the phenomenon of arousal is often observed as a response to immediate threat and stress (Hales and Hales 23). In the female reproductive system, long-term effects such as the disruption of the menstrual cycle and the inability to conceive can be seen as the key outcomes.

Effects of Stress on the Urinary and Excretory Systems

In an overactive bladder, the increased level of stress may lead to more rapid functioning and the need to urinate more frequently, leading to incontinence. In the long term, the specified effects may cause additional health conditions, such as bladder inflammation. Similarly, the excretory system’s functioning is disrupted to a considerable degree under the influence of both short- and long-term stress. The specified effects are likely to aggravate until the stress factors are removed from an individual’s environment, which is why the threat of kidney damage must be considered for those experiencing constant emotional distress.

Effects of Stress on the Immune System

As a rule, a significant drop in the functioning of the immune system is observed after individual experiences severe stress. When considering short-term stress, the immune system of an individual remains unaffected for the most part; however, in the long term, the immune system suffers significantly. Due to the focus on managing a specific set of stress factors, the human body loses the ability to produce antibodies as effectively as it used to do. Consequently, one’s ability to withstand the impact of multiple health threats is diminished to a large extent, causing one to become more susceptible to infectious diseases and, overall, more vulnerable to health threats. The described outcomes suggest that the immune system must remain one of the priorities when addressing stress as a health concern.

Effects of Stress on the Lymphatic System

Finally, the effects that stress produces on the lymphatic system of an individual need to be touched upon. The lymphatic system is also affected once an individual is exposed to stress, causing the neural-inflammatory signaling to be reduced significantly. Long-term exposure to stress may cause the development of cancerous cells in lymph nodes, as a recent study explains (Le and Sloan 3). Therefore, addressing the problem of stress promptly is essential to prevent oncological issues from developing.

Although stress is often taken for granted and believed to have mostly superficial effects solely on the nervous system, it affects profoundly the entirety of the human body. Even in the instances when stress occurs for a short amount of time, the changes taking place in one’s body are very noticeable, causing a string of adverse effects. In the long term, the effects of stress on one’s health are detrimental since stress affects every single system. Thus, creating strategies for managing stress as a tangible threat to one’s well-being is instrumental. Moreover, promoting patient education concerning the strategies for managing stress and preventing it from taking place needs to be designed.

Works Cited

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) . American Psychiatric Publishing.

Center on the Developing Child. “Brief: Connecting the Brain to the Rest of the Body.” CDC , Web.

Collier, Robert J., et al. “A 100-Year Review: Stress Physiology Including Heat Stress.” Journal of dairy science, vol. 100, no. 12, 2017, pp. 10367-10380. Web.

Hales, Dianne, and Julia Hales. Personal Stress Management: Surviving to Thriving . Nelson Education, 2016.

Le, Caroline P., and Erica K. Sloan. “Stress-Driven Lymphatic Dissemination: An Unanticipated Consequence of Communication between the Sympathetic Nervous System and Lymphatic Vasculature.” Molecular & Cellular Oncology , vol. 3, no. 4, 2016, pp. 1-8.

Mental Health. “Anxiety Global.” OurWorldData , 2020, Web.

Rathus, Spencer A., and Jeffrey S. Nevid. Psychology and the Challenges of Life: Adjustment and Growth . John Wiley & Sons, 2019.

Schönrich, Günther, Martin J. Raftery, and Yvonne Samstag. “Devilishly Radical NETwork in COVID-19: Oxidative Stress, Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), and T Cell Suppression.” Advances in Biological Regulation , vol. 77, 2020, pp. 1-12.

“The Body Systems.” Adelphi , 2020, Web.

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Life Stress and Health: A Review of Conceptual Issues and Recent Findings

George m. slavich.

1 Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Life stress is a central construct in many models of human health and disease. The present article reviews research on stress and health, with a focus on (a) how life stress has been conceptualized and measured over time, (b) recent evidence linking stress and disease, and (c) mechanisms that might underlie these effects. Emerging from this body of work is evidence that stress is involved in the development, maintenance, or exacerbation of several mental and physical health conditions, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety disorders, depression, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Stress has also been implicated in accelerated biological aging and premature mortality. These effects have been studied most commonly using self-report checklist measures of life stress exposure, although interview-based approaches provide a more comprehensive assessment of individuals’ exposure to stress. Most recently, online systems like the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) have been developed for assessing lifetime stress exposure, and such systems may provide important new information to help advance our understanding of how stressors occurring over the life course get embedded in the brain and body to affect lifespan health.

The notion that psychological stress can affect mental and physical health is extremely popular nowadays. Indeed, one can hardly read the news without seeing a new article detailing the deleterious effects that stress has on health or describing how individuals can better cope with stress to reduce their disease risk, enhance their well-being, and realize their “full potential.” The television provides little relief in this regard. There, people hear about new psychopharmacological, herbal, and behavioral remedies that promise to reduce their stress levels and risk for a variety of health conditions, some of which are well known (e.g., chronic pain, depression) and others of which were recently invented (e.g., “Low T” [testosterone]).

This tremendous interest in stress makes sense given the fundamental drive that humans have to better understand life’s circumstances and factors that ultimately impact survival. At the same time, viewing stress as an obvious trigger of disease—or as a construct that has a face-valid, commonly agreed upon definition—has led to substantial complication and confusion. Even in the scientific literature on stress and health, the construct of “stress” is frequently described in different ways and often with little detail or specificity. Likewise, although it has long been assumed that stress affects health, exactly how stress gets “under the skin” to promote disease has remained largely unknown. This has occurred in part because scientists have only recently developed the tools that are necessary to assess biological processes that link experiences of stress with disease pathogenesis.

The purpose of this article is to briefly review contemporary ideas and research on stress and health. First, I examine some ways in which stress has been conceptualized and defined over the years. Second, I describe self-report and interview-based instruments that have been developed to assess life stress exposure. Third, I summarize recent findings linking stress and health and mechanisms that might underlie these effects. Fourth, I highlight the emerging focus on examining associations between lifetime stress exposure and health. Finally, I introduce some techniques that instructors can use to teach students about stress and health.

Historical Perspectives on Stress

The belief that daily life can be filled with persistent problems and unrelenting challenges goes back centuries. In Greek mythology, for example, Sisyphus is seen pushing a boulder up a mountain repeatedly, day after day, only to have it roll back down just before he gets to the top ( Camus, 1955 ). The metaphor is physical but conjures up modern images of finishing a long list of tasks, only to be given more by your boss, or cleaning out your e-mail inbox, only to wake up to 15 new messages the next morning. In more recent times, Sir Clifford Allbutt (1895) wrote about how the “whirl of the railway, the pelting of telegrams, the strife of business, the hunger for riches, [and] the lust … for coarse and instant pleasures” (p. 214) caused nervousness, disability, hysteria, and frightfulness. Fast-forward to today and the conversation involves how car traffic, the never-ending flow of digital messages, and the complexities of juggling school, work, and family life are making people anxious, depressed, and physically ill. Although the definition of stress has changed over time, therefore, the notion that stress is an inherent part of life has remained constant ( Monroe & Slavich, 2016 ).

General interest and writing about stress led the way to more formal thinking about this construct during the 19th century. Claude Bernard and Charles Darwin were among the first to describe how, in order to survive, organisms must adapt to ever-changing environmental circumstances ( Weiner, 1992 ). Then, during the 20th century, specific terms for conceptualizing stress emerged. Walter Cannon was among the first theorists to discuss how common emotions have specific physiologic consequences that help the body maintain homeostasis during different situations ( Weiner, 1992 ), and Hans Selye was the first to systematically investigate how different types of social–environmental provocation affect the body ( Selye, 1976 ). Selye’s work was extremely influential in this context, and his perspective still pervades thinking and research on stress and health. According to Selye (1976) , stress is “the nonspecific response of the body to any demand” (p. 74), and stressors are “that which produces stress” (p. 78).

Conceptualization and Measurement of Life Stressors

One important consequence of Selye’s work was that scientists could now make clearer distinctions between external life stressors, such as an argument with a friend or boss, and the internal biological effects that such stressors have on the body. This distinction spurred increased interest in measuring the activity of different biological systems (e.g., brain, sympathetic nervous system, immune system) that might respond to stressors in the environment, as well as an increased focus on assessing life stressors (e.g., divorce, getting fired, being physically attacked). An early technique for assessing stressors was Adolph Meyer’s “life chart” methodology, which enabled researchers to categorize the stressors that individuals experienced ( Meyer, 1951 ). In the 1960s and 1970s, though, comprehensiveness gave way to simplicity, and researchers began using easy-to-complete, self-report checklist measures of life stressor exposure, in which respondents simply indicate whether they have experienced each stressor described on a list ( Dohrenwend, 1998 ; Monroe, Slavich, & Georgiades, 2014 ). Some of the most commonly used self-report checklist measures of stress exposure are the Social Readjustment Rating Scale ( Holmes & Rahe, 1967 ), the List of Threatening Experiences ( Brugha & Cragg, 1990 ), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire ( Bernstein et al., 1994 ), and the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire ( Felitti et al., 1998 ). The most frequently used measure is probably the Perceived Stress Scale ( Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983 ), although this instrument assesses aspects of the stress experience (e.g., “How often have you felt nervous and stressed?”) as opposed to a person’s exposure to specific stressors.

Although self-report checklist measures are inexpensive and relatively easy to administer, researchers have raised concerns about their reliability and validity ( Brown, 1974 ; Dohrenwend, 2006 ; Hammen, 2005 ; Monroe, 2008 ; Paykel, 2001 ). The first concern involves whether individuals can accurately remember life events that have happened to them without the assistance of an interviewer who can remind the person of specific events or dates. Research has demonstrated that people can reliably recall major life stressors over long periods of time, but that the quality of such reports is best when individuals’ life histories are probed in a systematic manner by a trained interviewer ( Brewin, Andrews, & Gotlib, 1993 ). Because memories of important events can change over time and can be influenced by mood, a second concern involves whether individuals can self-report on the nature or severity of past stressors in an objective, unbiased manner. This is a particularly important issue in research on stress and depression, given that depressed individuals often exhibit negative biases in attention and memory ( Gotlib & Joormann, 2010 ). Because self-report checklist measures typically describe stressors in relatively general terms, a third concern involves whether researchers actually know what has happened to a respondent given his or her endorsement of a particular item on a checklist. If a checklist item reads, “Did you experience a recent illness or injury?” for example, a person’s endorsement of that item might mean that he or she recently broke a toe, but it could also mean that the person was diagnosed with cancer. Finally, there are concerns about the extent to which self-report checklist measures of stress inadvertently assess the outcomes under study. For example, some checklist measures enquire about sleep problems, anxiety symptoms, and other affective and behavioral outcomes, and this can conflate the measurement of stress with the dependent variables being examined.

To address these limitations, researchers have developed a number of interview-based systems for assessing life stress exposure. These systems ask different questions, but they are similar in that each employs a trained interviewer who inquires about the respondent’s recent life experiences in great detail. To ensure that the stressors are properly characterized with respect to their severity and specific features, the information that is collected about each stressor is then summarized and presented to a panel of expert raters who make consensus judgments about the timing, nature, and severity of each reported stressor. Two of the most commonly used interview-based systems for assessing recent life stress exposure are the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule ( Brown & Harris, 1978 ) and the UCLA Life Stress Interview ( Hammen et al., 1987 ).

Dimensions and Characteristics of Life Stressors

A major benefit of interview-based systems for measuring life stress is that they yield a tremendous amount of information about each stressor, including when and how many times the stressor occurred, how long it lasted, and how it impacted the person’s life. This information enables investigators to verify that the stressors being analyzed occurred before (and not after) the health problems they are trying to study, to distinguish between acute and chronic stressors, and to assess the impact that different types of life experiences have on health. Interview-based systems also produce a wealth of information about the social–psychological characteristics of each stressor, and this information can in turn be used to identify the specific forms and features of life stress that are most relevant for different health outcomes.

The accumulation of stressor characteristics data from so many instruments has given rise to numerous ideas regarding what exactly makes stress harmful for health. Despite great interest in identifying the most deleterious aspects of stress, however, there is little agreement on what features of stressors are most important to measure. One early and still very dominant perspective, based on Selye’s work, is that life stress represents a singular construct, wherein stressors of different types have similar effects on the body. A second idea propagated by Holmes and Rahe (1967) is that stressors can be ranked by the degree of change or upheaval they typically cause in individuals’ lives. A third perspective derived from the work of Steven Maier, Jay Weiss, Martin Seligman, and others focuses on the extent to which people perceive stressors as controllable ( Maier, 1986 ; Seligman, 1975 ; Weiss & Goodman, 1985 ; for a review, see Maier & Watkins, 2005 ). A fourth formulation, adopted mostly by psychopathology researchers, is that stressors can be sorted into life domains, such as “interpersonal” and “achievement,” and that a stressor’s impact is enhanced when it matches the content of a person’s cognitive vulnerability (e.g., a rejection-sensitive person experiencing an interpersonal stressor; Clark & Beck, 1999 ). Finally, a fifth perspective advanced by Brown and Harris (1978) is that stressors are most impactful when they cause substantial cognitive upheaval or disrupt a person’s goals, plans, and aspirations for the future.

In addition to these formulations, some researchers have taken a more evolutionarily based perspective on what makes particular stressors stressful. Broadly speaking, these theories underscore that humans are fundamentally motivated to maintain close social bonds because of the nurturance and protection that others provide (e.g., Baumeister & Leary, 1995 ; Gilbert, 1992 ; Leary, 2007 ). As a result of this innate motivational drive, the termination of close social bonds is hypothesized to be particularly emotionally distressing, especially when such bonds are intentionally terminated. Several studies have examined predictions derived from these theories, and this body of work suggests that stressors involving interpersonal loss are some of the strongest precipitants of emotional distress, even when compared to other stressors that are similarly severe ( Kendler, Hettema, Butera, Gardner, & Prescott, 2003 ; Slavich, Thornton, Torres, Monroe, & Gotlib, 2009 ; see also Brown, Harris, & Hepworth, 1995 ). Moreover, experiences of interpersonal loss may make individuals more sensitive to subsequent stressors involving loss ( Slavich, Monroe, & Gotlib, 2011 ), with individuals’ perceptions of such events potentially playing an influential role in shaping the stress experience and response ( Blascovich, 2007 ; Crum, Salovey, & Achor, 2013 ; Lebois, Hertzog, Slavich, Feldman Barrett, & Barsalou, 2016 ). In sum, then, although the concept of stress has been viewed from many different angles over the years, one of the most recent and fruitful perspectives has been to understand the implications that stressors have for social relationships, with a particular focus on the different circumstances under which interpersonal loss can occur (e.g., death of a loved one vs. a relationship break up).

Stress and Health

These developments in the conceptualization and measurement of life stress have helped greatly advance the science of stress and health. Indeed, nowadays, there is little debate about whether life stress plays a role in affecting health. As summarized in Figure 1 , extensive research has examined these effects, and the take-home message from this literature is that stress exposure increases risk for poor clinical outcomes across a variety of major health conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis ( Cutolo & Straub, 2006 ), depression ( Kendler, Karkowski, & Prescott, 1999 ; Monroe, Slavich, Torres, & Gotlib, 2007 ), cardiovascular disease ( Kivimäki et al., 2006 ), chronic pain ( Loeser & Melzack, 1999 ), human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS ( Leserman, 2008 ), ovarian cancer ( Lutgendorf et al., 2013 ), and breast cancer ( Bower, Crosswell, & Slavich, 2014 ; Lamkin & Slavich, 2016 ). Stress has also been implicated in accelerated biological aging and premature mortality ( Epel et al., 2004 ; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010 ; for a review, see Cohen, Janicki-Deverts, & Miller, 2007 ).

Life stress and health. Life stress has been implicated in the development, maintenance, or exacerbation of several major mental and physical health conditions, in addition to accelerated biological aging and premature mortality.

Mechanisms Linking Stress and Health

Given that life stress is associated with so many different health outcomes, researchers have recently attempted to identify whether stress increases risk for different disorders through a common biological pathway. One of the most recent and potentially important findings in this context involves the discovery that stress can upregulate components of the immune system involved in inflammation ( Segerstrom & Miller, 2004 ; Slavich & Irwin, 2014 ). Moreover, consistent with the stress–health links described above, there is emerging evidence showing that stressors involving interpersonal loss and social rejection are among the strongest psychosocial activators of molecular processes that underlie inflammation ( Murphy, Slavich, Chen, & Miller, 2015 ; Murphy, Slavich, Rohleder, & Miller, 2013 ; for a review, see Slavich, O’Donovan, Epel, & Kemeny, 2010 ). Although inflammation is typically thought of as the body’s primary response to physical injury and infection, researchers have recently identified that inflammation plays a role in several of the most burdensome and deadly diseases ( Couzin-Frankel, 2010 ; Slavich, 2015 ), thereby making inflammation a potential common pathway linking stress with several disease states.

Although life stress is a strong risk factor for disease, not everyone who experiences stress gets sick. As a result, some researchers have turned to the brain to understand individual differences in how people experience stress, as well as how the brain initiates downstream biological processes that promote disease. A recent finding in this context has been the discovery that stressors involving social evaluation and rejection, which can induce experiences of “social pain,” activate some of the same brain regions that are engaged by physical pain ( Dedovic, Slavich, Muscatell, Irwin, & Eisenberger, 2016 ; Kross, Berman, Mischel, Smith, & Wager, 2011 ; for a review, see Eisenberger, 2012 ). There is also evidence that some of the same genetic factors that regulate experiences of physical pain may influence experiences of social pain ( Slavich, Tartter, Brennan, & Hammen, 2014 ). Moreover, individual differences in neural responses to social stress in these particular brain regions predict differences in inflammatory responding to social stress ( Muscatell et al., 2015 ; Slavich, Way, Eisenberger, & Taylor, 2010 ). As a result, one emerging idea is that individuals who are more neurally sensitive to social stressors may mount greater inflammatory responses to social stress ( Slavich & Irwin, 2014 ; Slavich, O’Donovan, et al., 2010 ). Such a reactivity profile may be adaptive in the short term, as it can help prevent the spread of infection and accelerate wound healing and recovery. If repeatedly engaged, however, heightened neuroinflammatory responses to social stress may increase a person’s risk for a number of diseases that involve inflammation ( Nusslock & Miller, 2016 ; Slavich & Irwin, 2014 ).

Recent research has also begun to examine how social stressors affect the activity of the human genome ( Slavich & Cole, 2013 ). Because people cannot detect changes in their own genomic activity, they generally experience their bodies as being biologically stable over time and across the different social and environmental circumstances they experience in daily life. In reality, though, the human genome is continually shifting its activity to coordinate biological processes that are needed to sustain life and to calibrate the body to deal with the surrounding social, physical, and microbial environment. Some of the earliest work on this topic found that living in a rural versus urban environment has a substantial effect on individuals’ genomic profile ( Idaghdour, Storey, Jadallah, & Gibson, 2008 ). Around the same time, Cole and colleagues (2007) found that more than 200 genes were differentially expressed in lonely versus nonlonely individuals. Because many of those differentially expressed genes are involved in immune system activity, including inflammatory responding and the antiviral response, these data provided some of the first indications that experiences of social stress and adversity may affect disease risk and mortality in part by influencing some of our most basic biological processes—namely, the expression of our genes.

Lifetime Stress Exposure and Health

In addition to this research on the biological mechanisms linking stress and health, recent work has focused on understanding the implications that different forms of life stress have for disease. At a basic level, stressors can occur as acute life events, such as getting fired or finding out that a loved one has died, or as chronic difficulties, such as living in a dangerous neighborhood or having persistent financial or marital problems ( Monroe & Slavich, 2016 ; Slavich, 2016 ). Research has shown that these two forms of stress have different effects ( Monroe et al., 2007 ; Muscatell, Slavich, Monroe, & Gotlib, 2009 ). In addition, a small but growing body of work is showing that the impact of acute life events and chronic difficulties occurring over a person’s lifespan may exert a cumulative effect on the body that has implications for the development of disease ( Lupien, McEwen, Gunnar, & Heim, 2009 ).

The notion that stress can exert biological “wear and tear” on the body that develops over time is not new. Indeed, several theorists have proposed different models for how acute life events and chronic difficulties may accumulate and disrupt biological systems that lead to altered neural and immune system function, oxidative stress, accelerated biological aging, and ultimately different disease states and premature mortality (e.g., Graham, Christian, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2006 ; Lupien et al., 2009 ; McEwen, 1998 ). What is new in this area of research, however, is the ability to measure all of the different acute life events and chronic difficulties that individuals have experienced over the life course and to relate individuals’ unique lifetime stress exposure profiles to biological and clinical outcomes.

The instrument that has been developed for assessing lifetime stress exposure is called the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN). This online system enquires about 96 different types of acute life events and chronic difficulties that a person might have experienced over the life course. For each stressor that a person endorses, follow-up questions ascertain how bad the stressor was (severity), how many times the person experienced the stressor (frequency), when the stressor occurred (timing), and how long it lasted (duration). Based on this information, the STRAIN can produce 115 different stress exposure scores and life charts that enable researchers to characterize a person’s experience of many different types of stressors over the lifespan. The tool has thus been helpful for advancing the conceptualization of stress, but also for documenting how lifetime stress exposure affects mental and physical health in the general population ( Toussaint, Shields, Dorn, & Slavich, 2016 ), as well as clinical outcomes in specific disease populations ( Bower et al., 2014 ). Looking forward, much more research is needed to understand how lifetime stress exposure increases disease risk in healthy and vulnerable populations ( Myers et al., 2015 ). Research is also needed to elucidate the biological mechanisms that link lifetime stress exposure and health ( Seo, Tsou, Ansell, Potenza, & Sinha, 2014 ).

Teaching Stress and Health

Understanding how stress affects health is inherently interesting for most people. The topic is especially salient for college students, though, given recent estimates suggesting that 19.3% of male students and 40.5% of female students feel “emotionally overwhelmed” by the demands imposed on them ( Pryor et al., 2012 ). The magnitude of this issue is compounded by the fact that less than one fourth of college students who require treatment for a mental health problem seek professional help ( Blanco et al., 2008 ). These statistics may sound alarming, but the silver lining is that a majority of individuals who experience major life stressors do not get ill. Research has begun to identify cognitive and personality factors that may make individuals more resilient to stress ( Crum et al., 2013 ; Shields, Young Kuchenbecker, Pressman, Sumida, & Slavich, 2016 ; Toussaint, Shields, & Slavich, in press ). Additionally, a growing body of research is demonstrating that several psychological, cognitive, and behavioral interventions may help to improve individuals’ academic performance, stress-related biological reactivity, and mental and physical health ( Black & Slavich, 2016 ; Free et al., 2013 ; Regehr, Glancy, & Pitts, 2013 ; Yeager & Walton, 2011 ).

In addition, stress and health is a readily teachable topic, given that the content for courses and lectures on these issues can be culled in part from students’ personal experiences. Along these lines, we recently conducted two studies in which we aimed to enhance students’ understanding of the link between stress and health by employing a new approach to classroom instruction called transformational teaching ( Slavich, 2005 , 2006 , 2009 ; Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012 ). This approach involves “creating dynamic relationships between teachers, students, and a shared body of knowledge in a way that promotes student learning and personal growth” ( Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012 , p. 576). According to the original formulation of transformational teaching ( Slavich, 2005 ), teachers accomplish these instructional goals by establishing a shared vision for a course, providing modeling and mastery experiences, challenging and encouraging students, personalizing attention and feedback, creating experiential lessons that transcend the boundaries of the classroom, and promoting ample opportunities for preflection and reflection (see Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012 ).

Two recent studies on transformational teaching provide a blueprint for how teachers can integrate the STRAIN into a course or lecture on stress and health to teach students about these concepts (see Slavich & Toussaint, 2014 ). In the first of these studies, all students completed the STRAIN online, which takes approximately 20 min. Then, 2 days later, we randomly assigned half of the students to listen to a 25-min lecture on the conceptualization and assessment of stress, the content and structure of the STRAIN, and the types of stress that were most frequently reported by students (i.e., the overall, class-averaged STRAIN results, with no disclosure of personal information). Students then discussed their experiences completing the STRAIN and reflected on stress–health links in their own lives. In the second study, we randomly assigned students to complete (a) either the STRAIN or a control task and (b) either a STRAIN-specific lecture or a general lecture on stress. The main finding from these two studies was that having students complete the STRAIN before or after a lecture on stress and health significantly improved their understanding of how stress affects health. A list of suggested instructions for how teachers might integrate the STRAIN into a lecture or course on stress and health is presented in Table 1 .

Steps for Integrating the STRAIN into a Course or Lecture on Stress and Health Using Methods from Transformational Teaching.

Note . STRAIN = Stress and Adversity Inventory

Summary and Conclusions

In summary, our understanding of how stress affects health has come a long way since the days of Sisyphus and Selye. Researchers now have clearer distinctions between life stress exposure and response and better frameworks for conceptualizing and defining different forms and features of life stress. This research has been very impactful, as it has highlighted that not all types of stressors are equivalent with respect to their impact on health. This work has also helped investigators elucidate psychological and biological mechanisms that might link experiences of stress with disease. Some of the most recent studies on this topic have adopted a life-course perspective on examining links between stress and health, and this approach has already proven fruitful to the extent that researchers now have an instrument for assessing lifetime stress exposure and new ideas on how adverse experiences might accumulate over time and become embedded in the brain and body to affect lifespan health. Given the relevance of this work for disease onset and progression, it is critical that students understand how stress affects health, as well as what they can do to mitigate these effects. Stress increases individuals’ risk for a variety of diseases, but people also hold substantial power to reduce these effects and improve their personal and collective psychosocial well-being.

Acknowledgments

The author disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Preparation of this review was supported by National Institutes of Health grant K08 MH103443 and by a Society in Science—Branco Weiss Fellowship to George Slavich.

George M. Slavich is an associate professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA and a research scientist at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, where he directs the UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research. His research aims to advance the conceptualization and assessment of life stress and to elucidate psychological and biological mechanisms linking stress with disease. He developed the first online system for assessing lifetime stress exposure, called the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN); formulated the first fully integrated, multilevel theory of depression; and has helped pioneer a new field of research called human social genomics . In addition to research, he is deeply devoted to excellence in teaching and mentorship. Early in his career, for example, he founded the Society of Clinical Psychology’s Section on Graduate Students and Early Career Psychologists, the Western Psychological Association Student Council, and the Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Conference. He has also developed a new approach to classroom instruction called transformational teaching . He has received 16 major awards for research, teaching, and mentorship since 2009. These honors include the Susan Nolen-Hoeksema Early Career Research Award from the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology, the Neal E. Miller New Investigator Award from the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, the Wilbert J. McKeachie Teaching Excellence Award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and the Raymond D. Fowler Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Professional Development of Graduate Students from the American Psychological Association.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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The Importance of Mental Health

Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Akeem Marsh, MD, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who has dedicated his career to working with medically underserved communities.

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Risk Factors for Poor Mental Health

Signs of mental health problems, benefits of good mental health, how to maintain mental health and well-being.

Your mental health is an important part of your well-being. This aspect of your welfare determines how you’re able to operate psychologically, emotionally, and socially among others.

Considering how much of a role your mental health plays in each aspect of your life, it's important to guard and improve psychological wellness using appropriate measures.

Because different circumstances can affect your mental health, we’ll be highlighting risk factors and signs that may indicate mental distress. But most importantly, we’ll dive into all of the benefits of having your mental health in its best shape.

Mental health is described as a state of well-being where a person is able to cope with the normal stresses of life. This state permits productive work output and allows for meaningful contributions to society.

However, different circumstances exist that may affect the ability to handle life’s curveballs. These factors may also disrupt daily activities, and the capacity to manage these changes. 

The following factors, listed below, may affect mental well-being and could increase the risk of developing psychological disorders .

Childhood Abuse

When a child is subjected to physical assault, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or neglect while growing up, it can lead to severe mental and emotional distress.

Abuse increases the risk of developing mental disorders like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or personality disorders.

Children who have been abused may eventually deal with alcohol and substance use issues. But beyond mental health challenges, child abuse may also lead to medical complications such as diabetes, stroke, and other forms of heart disease.

The Environment

A strong contributor to mental well-being is the state of a person’s usual environment . Adverse environmental circumstances can cause negative effects on psychological wellness.

For instance, weather conditions may influence an increase in suicide cases. Likewise, experiencing natural disasters firsthand can increase the chances of developing PTSD. In certain cases, air pollution may produce negative effects on depression symptoms.  

In contrast, living in a positive social environment can provide protection against mental challenges.

Your biological makeup could determine the state of your well-being. A number of mental health disorders have been found to run in families and may be passed down to members.

These include conditions such as autism , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , bipolar disorder , depression , and schizophrenia .

Your lifestyle can also impact your mental health. Smoking, a poor diet , alcohol consumption , substance use , and risky sexual behavior may cause psychological harm. These behaviors have been linked to depression.

When mental health is compromised, it isn’t always apparent to the individual or those around them. However, there are certain warning signs to look out for, that may signify negative changes for the well-being. These include:

• A switch in eating habits, whether over or undereating
• A noticeable reduction in energy levels
• Being more reclusive and shying away from others
• Feeling persistent despair
• Indulging in alcohol, tobacco, or other substances more than usual
• Experiencing unexplained confusion, anger, guilt, or worry
• Severe mood swings
• Picking fights with family and friends
• Hearing voices with no identifiable source
• Thinking of self-harm or causing harm to others
• Being unable to perform daily tasks with ease

Whether young or old, the importance of mental health for total well-being cannot be overstated. When psychological wellness is affected, it can cause negative behaviors that may not only affect personal health but can also compromise relationships with others. 

Below are some of the benefits of good mental health.

A Stronger Ability to Cope With Life’s Stressors

When mental and emotional states are at peak levels, the challenges of life can be easier to overcome.

Where alcohol/drugs, isolation, tantrums, or fighting may have been adopted to manage relationship disputes, financial woes, work challenges, and other life issues—a stable mental state can encourage healthier coping mechanisms.

A Positive Self-Image

Mental health greatly correlates with personal feelings about oneself. Overall mental wellness plays a part in your self-esteem . Confidence can often be a good indicator of a healthy mental state.

A person whose mental health is flourishing is more likely to focus on the good in themselves. They will hone in on these qualities, and will generally have ambitions that strive for a healthy, happy life.

Healthier Relationships

If your mental health is in good standing, you might be more capable of providing your friends and family with quality time , affection , and support. When you're not in emotional distress, it can be easier to show up and support the people you care about.

Better Productivity

Dealing with depression or other mental health disorders can impact your productivity levels. If you feel mentally strong , it's more likely that you will be able to work more efficiently and provide higher quality work.

Higher Quality of Life

When mental well-being thrives, your quality of life may improve. This can give room for greater participation in community building. For example, you may begin volunteering in soup kitchens, at food drives, shelters, etc.

You might also pick up new hobbies , and make new acquaintances , and travel to new cities.

Because mental health is so important to general wellness, it’s important that you take care of your mental health.

To keep mental health in shape, a few introductions to and changes to lifestyle practices may be required. These include:

• Taking up regular exercise
• Prioritizing rest and sleep on a daily basis
• Trying meditation
• Learning coping skills for life challenges
• Keeping in touch with loved ones
• Maintaining a positive outlook on life

Another proven way to improve and maintain mental well-being is through the guidance of a professional. Talk therapy can teach you healthier ways to interact with others and coping mechanisms to try during difficult times.

Therapy can also help you address some of your own negative behaviors and provide you with the tools to make some changes in your own life.

A Word From Verywell

Your mental health state can have a profound impact on all areas of your life. If you're finding it difficult to address mental health concerns on your own, don't hesitate to seek help from a licensed therapist .

World Health Organization. Mental Health: Strengthening our Response .

Lippard ETC, Nemeroff CB. The Devastating Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Increased Disease Vulnerability and Poor Treatment Response in Mood Disorders . Am J Psychiatry . 2020;177(1):20-36. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010020

 Helbich M. Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(10):2207. Published 2018 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph15102207

Helbich M. Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(10):2207. Published 2018 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph15102207

National Institutes of Health. Common Genetic Factors Found in 5 Mental Disorders .

Zaman R, Hankir A, Jemni M. Lifestyle Factors and Mental Health . Psychiatr Danub . 2019;31(Suppl 3):217-220.

Medline Plus. What Is mental health? .

National Alliance on Mental Health. Why Self-Esteem Is Important for Mental Health .

By Elizabeth Plumptre Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

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Importance of Mental Health Essay

• Updated on  
• Apr 9, 2024

Essay on the Importance of Mental Health : A person in good mental health may learn and work efficiently, overcome obstacles in life, realise their full potential, and contribute back to their community. It is an essential component of health and welfare that upholds our ability to make decisions, build relationships, and have an impact on the world around us both as people and as a society. A fundamental human right is mental health. Furthermore, it is for socio-economic, communal, and personal growth.

Quick Read: 200+ Essay Topics for Students

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance
• 1.2 Benefits of Good Mental Health
• 1.3 Conclusion
• 2 100-word Paragraph on the Importance of Mental Health

Essay on the Importance of Mental Health in 500 Words

Mental wellness goes beyond simply being free from mental illness. Everybody experiences it differently, and it falls on a complex range with varying degrees of difficulty and distress, in addition to perhaps having quite distinct social and therapeutic impacts.

Mental health issues encompass a range of mental states and disorders, including psychosocial disabilities and mental disorders, that are linked to considerable suffering, impaired functioning, or self-harm risk. Although it’s not always the case, people with mental health disorders are more likely to have lower levels of mental well-being.

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Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

An emotionally calm and fit individual can handle emotionally challenging circumstances with ease and always feels lively and fully alive. One needs to be physically fit to be emotionally powerful. Even though mental health is a personal matter and what affects one person may not affect another, mental health problems are often caused by several important factors.

Our emotional state, such as anger, depression, fear, irritation, and negative thinking, impacts how fit we are. Regular exercise contributes to a high level of physical fitness because physically fit people are happier and more capable of handling stressful and depressing conditions.

It is suggested that mental fitness entails psychological well-being. It indicates feeling good about our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, all of which enhance our capacity to enjoy life. It strengthens the inner capacity for self-determination. It is a proactive, optimistic term that eschews any potential negative ideas. Cognitive fitness is widely used to characterise the capacity for reason, comprehension, and rational thought by psychologists, mental health professionals, corporations, educational institutions, and the general public.

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Benefits of Good Mental Health

Numerous advantages of good mental health support general well-being and quality of life. The first benefit is that it increases resilience, which makes it simpler for people to handle the highs and lows of life. Resilience fosters self-development and fortitude in the face of adversity, making it feasible to effectively manage stressors and adapt to differences and barriers. Additionally, a person’s ability to effectively manage negative emotions like sadness or anxiety as well as several positive emotions like contentment, happiness, and peace are all made possible by having good mental health. 

Furthermore, the establishment and upkeep of wholesome relationships are critically dependent on mental health. People who are in good mental health have good communication skills, empathy, and support for one another, which promote relationships and interactions that are constructive. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between better mental and physical health outcomes. People who place a high priority on their mental health are also more likely to practice healthy habits that improve physical health overall and lower their risk of disease, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and enough sleep. Finally, mental health improves performance and productivity across a range of life domains, including work, school, and personal objectives. Better concentration, judgement, and creativity are fostered by a focused and clear mind, which eventually results in greater success and fulfilment.

The general well-being and quality of life are contingent upon mental health. One of the body’s most potent organs, the mind, controls how every other organ functions. Our body as a whole works differently when our minds are unsettled. Being in excellent mental and physical condition is the key to success in anything in life. People should emphasise preserving the state of their minds in the same manner that they manage their physical well-being, given the adverse effects of mental illness. The physical and mental states of an individual are inextricably linked.

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100-word Paragraph on the Importance of Mental Health

Quick Read: Essay on Mental Health in English

Ans: Elements of mental well-being include psychological, social, and emotional health. It affects our feelings, thoughts, and actions. It affects our capacity for stress management, social interaction, and intelligent decision-making. Every stage of life—from childhood and adolescence to adulthood—values mental health.

Ans: Some advice for enhancing your mental health Make an effort to de-stress. Look for methods to be creative and learn. Take some time to enjoy the outdoors. Make connections with other people. Take care of your physical well-being. Make an effort to get better sleep.

Ans: Organisations around the world will have the opportunity to come together in observance of World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2024, with the theme “Mental health is a universal human right.” 

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

• Categories: Mental Health Social Isolation Stress Management

About this sample

Words: 1622 |

Updated: 4 November, 2023

Words: 1622 | Pages: 4 | 9 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, mental health awareness, video version, emotional well-being, psychological well‐being, social well-being.

• Health Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aginglifecarejournal.org/health-effects-of-social-isolation-and-loneliness/.
• Top of Form Mental Health Myths and Facts https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts
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• Bottom of Form Rodriguez, B. D., Hurley, K., Upham, B., Kilroy, D. S., Dark, N., & Abreu, E (n.d.).Happiness and Emotional Well-Being. Retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/understanding/index.aspx.
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Mental health informative speech topics | example & outline, rachel r.n..

• September 10, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas

It’s important to be informed about mental health, especially since it’s something that so many people struggle with. In this article, we’ll cover some mental health informative speech topics that can help you raise awareness and start conversations about this important issue.

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What You'll Learn

Mental Health Informative Speech Ideas

When it comes to giving a speech, there are many different topics that you can choose from. However, if you want to give an informative speech about mental health, then you will need to make sure that you choose a topic that is both interesting and informative. To help you get started, here are some mental health informative speech ideas:

1. The Importance of Mental Health

2. The Different Types of Mental Illness

3. The Causes of Mental Illness

4. The Symptoms of Mental Illness

5. The Treatments for Mental Illness

6. The Impact of Mental Illness on Society

7. The Stigma Associated with Mental Illness

8. How to Help Someone with Mental Illness

9. mental Health in the Workplace 10. How to Talk about Mental Healthwith Family and Friends

Mental Health Speech Ideas

When it comes to giving a mental health speech, there are many different topics that you can choose to discuss. However, it is important to make sure that you select a topic that will be both informative and interesting to your audience. To help get you started, here are four mental health speech ideas:

This is a great topic for an informative speech as it can help to educate your audience on the importance of looking after their mental health. You could discuss the various factors that can impact mental health, such as stress, diet, and exercise. Additionally, you could provide tips on how to improve mental wellbeing.

2. The Warning Signs of Mental Illness

Another informative topic for a mental health speech is discussing the warning signs of mental illness. This can help people to better understand when they or someone they know may be developing a mental illness. It is important to note that not all warning signs will be present in every case, but some common ones include changes in mood, sleep patterns, and appetite.

3. The Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness which can make it difficult forpeople to seek help. This topic can be used to raise awareness of the stigma and to encourage people to break the silence around mental illness. Additionally, you could provide tips on how to support someone with a mental illness.

4. Personal Stories

Finally, another option for a mental health speech is to share personal stories. This could either be your own story or that of someone you know. Sharing personal stories can help to break down the barriers around mental illness and show people that they are not alone.

Hopefully, these mental health speech ideas have given you some inspiration for your next speech. Remember to choose a topic that you are passionate about so that you can deliver an engaging and informative speech.

Mental Health Informative Speech Topics

It can be difficult to come up with ideas for an informative speech, especially when the topic is something sensitive like mental health. In this article, we’ll give you some Mental Health Informative Speech Topics that will help you get started on your next big project!

When it comes to mental health, there are a lot of informative speech topics to choose from. Whether you want to educate others about mental illness, the warning signs of suicide, or how to cope with anxiety and depression, there is a wealth of information out there.

In this blog section, we’ll explore some of the most popular mental health informative speech topics. We’ll provide an overview of each topic, as well as some tips on how to deliver an effective and engaging speech.

Mental Health Informative Speech Topic #1: Mental Illness

There are many different types of mental illness, and it’s important to educate yourself and others about the signs and symptoms. Mental illness can be difficult to identify, but it’s important to be aware of the warning signs so that you can get help if you or someone you know is struggling.

Mental Health Informative Speech Topic #2: Suicide Prevention

Suicide is a serious issue, and it’s important to be familiar with the warning signs. If you or someone you know is in danger of harming themselves, it’s vital to get help immediately. There are many resources available to those in need, so don’t hesitate to reach out for help

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When it comes to giving an informative speech, there are many potential topics to choose from. But if you want to focus on mental health, there are a few key ideas that can make for an interesting and enlightening speech.

For example, you could discuss the different types of mental illness and how they can be treated. Or you could talk about the warning signs of mental illness and how to get help. You could also focus on the importance of mental health in overall wellness, or share stories about people who have overcome mental illness.

No matter what angle you take, informative speeches about mental health can be both educational and inspiring. So if you’re looking for a topic that will engage your audience and leave them wanting to learn more, consider one of these mental health topics for your next speech.

Mental Health Informative Speech

Informative speeches about mental health can be a great way to raise awareness about important topics related to mental health. By talking about mental health, you can help to break the stigma that often surrounds mental illness and help others to understand more about these conditions. If you are considering giving an informative speech about mental health, here are some potential topics that you could discuss:

1. The different types of mental illness. 2. The symptoms of mental illness. 3. The causes of mental illness. 4. The treatments available for mental illness. 5. The impact of mental illness on individuals and families. 6. The importance of early intervention for mental illness. 7. The challenges faced by people living with mental illness. 8. How to support someone with mental illness. 9. Mental health in the workplace. 10. Promoting positive mental health

informative speech topics on health and fitness

When it comes to giving an informative speech, there are many topics that you can choose from. However, if you want your audience to really learn something new and gain some valuable information, then you should consider talking about health and fitness. After all, these are two topics that affect everyone in some way or another.

There are a lot of different aspects to health and fitness that you can cover in your speech. For example, you could talk about the importance of exercise and how it can impact our overall health. You could also discuss the benefits of eating healthy and how it can help improve our mood and energy levels.

Of course, there are also some risks associated with being unhealthy that you could address as well. For instance, you could discuss the dangers of obesity and how it can lead to serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

Comprehesive SOAP Notes Examples

No matter what angle you decide to take, there is no doubt that informative speech topics on health and fitness will be both interesting and informative for your audience. So if you’re looking for a way to really engage your audience and teach them something new, then this is definitely the route you should take!

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• Smart Living
• Mental Health
• Wedding Ideas

Planning My Dream Wedding Destroyed My Mental Health

Published on 4/12/2024 at 1:55 PM

Content warning: The following story contains mentions of suicide.

The panic attacks come at night, when it's dark and quiet, and there are no distractions to occupy my brain. Sometimes they bring vivid flashbacks of screaming matches with my parents and stressful phone calls with my in-laws. Other times, they make me feel the pain deep in my chest. The worst is when I feel nothing at all, and I lie wide awake next to the love of my life, wishing I could just stop existing.

All because I dared to dream of a perfect wedding.

When my husband Rahim and I got engaged in December 2022, we navigated pushback from his religious Indian Hindu family. They were not thrilled that he, one, converted to Islam, and two, wanted to marry a Pakistani Muslim girl.

But after countless phone calls between our families and an in-person visit, his family reluctantly came around. I thought the hardest part was over.

I never entertained the thought of marriage until I fell in love with my husband. But once I did, getting married and having my dream wedding was all I could think about. I spent months researching vendors and venues, bookmarking budget-friendly hacks , and saving every Desi wedding TikTok I saw.

When it came time to put the plans into motion, I opted for simplicity. I knew my parents would be paying for the bulk of the expenses, as is tradition in South Asian cultures , so I wanted to ease their burden. I scaled back on the extravagance and took on most of the planning to cut out the cost of a wedding planner.

In my lavender haze, I had forgotten that I was the eldest daughter of strict immigrant parents.

Instead of the Big Fat Desi Wedding that was the norm in my culture, I wanted a simple Nikah, an Islamic marriage ceremony, followed by a slightly larger reception. But in my lavender haze, I had forgotten that I was the eldest daughter of strict immigrant parents. They wasted no time inserting their opinion in every detail, big or small. Every single one of my suggestions was met with verbal scrutiny or outright rejection, and I was expected to make all the fixes.

Though I had wanted a separate Nikah and reception ceremony, I ended up merging them into one to save my parents money. I wanted a certain makeup artist, but I ended up hiring a different one my mom preferred. I designed the invitations, but they went through a dozen revisions because my parents always found something wrong. I wanted to set boundaries with guests, like requiring them to show up on time, but my parents protested in fear of offending our guests. The criticism was endless and the dismissal was blatant.

Rahim helped where he could, but at the time, he was living in another state completing his first year of law school. He was also dealing with his own family, who still felt betrayed by his decisions. I didn't want to burden him more.

The wedding became less about celebrating me and my husband, and more about my parents seeking validation from our community and boosting their reputation. I had screaming matches with them every day, followed by weeks when I didn't talk to them at all. At one point, I threatened to cancel the whole wedding in favor of a halal elopement, a simple Nikah at a mosque with only a few guests. This set my parents off even more because as they said, "What would people think?"

At night, my anxiety kept me up for hours, forcing me to go over everything that still had to get done and everything that could go wrong. I was lucky if I got more than four hours of sleep. I didn't have the glow of someone who was about to marry the love of her life. Every day felt worse than the last. The worst days brought thoughts of taking my own life.

The day of my court wedding in Seattle, I had my first panic attack a half hour before we were supposed to stand in front of a judge and legally bind our union. My mother tagged along to act as a witness and a chaperone. On our way to pick up Rahim to go to the courthouse, running on three hours of sleep and an empty stomach, I snapped. I'm not exactly sure what happened — if we had missed a turn because of our wonky GPS or if my mom had enough of driving aimlessly — but she yelled at me as if it was all my fault.

In that moment, I was not myself. All the bottled up emotions from the last few months came spilling forward. I screamed. I cursed. I kicked the dashboard. I sobbed. I will never forget the look on my mom's face. She looked genuinely frightened, and I don't blame her. All of my anger and frustration in that moment was directed at her.

I no longer wanted to go to our court marriage, looking the way I did. I was hyperventilating, with my mascara running, my white dress stained, my heart hammering, and my stomach still empty.

I managed to compose myself, but in that moment, I just wanted to die. I felt ashamed that I had a panic attack in public. I felt guilty that I cursed at my mom. I felt angry that Rahim didn't take me seriously at first because he was focused on getting to the courthouse on time. I was heartbroken that my parents didn't understand the pain they caused me.

After some gentle conversation, Rahim convinced me to get moving. I cried the whole way to the courthouse while desperately trying to fix my appearance. But the courthouse was gorgeous, and our small, intimate ceremony was beautiful despite the events of the past hour.

My mom and Rahim never spoke of it again. But that day stayed with me. I had never had a panic attack in my life. After that day, I had one almost every night leading up to the wedding. Even now, nearly 10 months into my marriage, they come to me, and the only way to ward them off is anxiety medication.

The week leading up to the wedding was chaotic and stressful. My in-laws were upset that Rahim and I omitted some people from the processional. My parents were having their own breakdowns. I told Rahim that there was still time to ditch the wedding and elope, but he lovingly reminded me that would only make things worse.

Our wedding day came and went, and it was fine, though I try not to think about it too much. I remember feeling beautiful in my wedding dress. I remember Rahim and I laughing through our first look because we were terrorized by a group of geese. I remember crying when I saw the decorated reception hall because it was exactly how I envisioned it.

The guests loved the wedding and would tell us so for months to come, much to my parents' delight. My in-laws were all smiles. My parents glowed with pride. I stuck to Rahim's side the entire night, happy that it was all over.

Most people look back on their wedding day with fondness. When I think about mine, my heart rate speeds up, my chest constricts, and my breathing staggers.

When it was time for the rukhsati, the sendoff at the end of the ceremony that signifies a bride departing from her parents' home to her husband's, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. It's usually an emotional, heartfelt goodbye. Most brides cry during theirs. But I sped through it, my eyes completely dry. I hugged a few family members, got in our rented Audi R8, and told Rahim to f-ing drive.

Maybe I sound ungrateful and overdramatic. But I know it should not have been that hard to have a wedding I was happy with. I shouldn't be so traumatized that I can't even look at my professional wedding photos and videos – something my in-laws paid a lot of money for – without triggering a panic attack. And it certainly should never have gotten to the point where I was contemplating taking my own life.

My relationship with my parents is back to normal, which for us means avoiding talking about our feelings and acting like we didn't say the most heinous things to each other. Maybe my parents have moved on, but I'm still feeling the effects of what they put me through. And when I do show quiet resentment, I instantly feel guilty about not being a good daughter. I love them dearly, and I'm working on trying to forgive them. They're human. They wanted my wedding to be their moment, too. I remind myself that forgiving them is the Islamic thing to do.

As far as my in-laws go, a flip switched as soon as the Nikah was performed. Suddenly, I wasn't the Muslim girl who stole their son. I was their daughter. They spoil me endlessly and tell me they love me every chance they get. My father-in-law calls me his butterfly. Though a part of me remains reserved due to their past behavior, I'm eternally grateful for them.

Most importantly, I'm married to the best person I know. I get to spend every single day with Rahim, my best friend, who is the kindest, most gentle soul I know. He is by my side through every step of my healing journey.

Because of him, everything I went through was almost worth it. Almost.

Bareerah Zafar is a Seattle-based journalist who turned her high school reputation of "angry brown girl" into a career in writing. Her work focuses on intersectional stories covering lifestyle, travel, identity, and social justice.

• Personal Essay