What Is Mental Health, And Why Should We Care About It?

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What Is Mental Health, And Why Should We Care About It?

We often talk a lot about mental health but when asked about what mental health is, we at times are not able to encapsulate what does the term mental health means, this article will help us shed some light on the idea of mental health and explain what all consists of a good mental health. Along with that this article will tell us reasons as to why keeping out mental health content should be one of our top priorities. 

Mental health refers to a person’s overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how people think, feel, and behave, and influences their ability to cope with life’s challenges, form healthy relationships, and make decisions.it also encompasses a broad range of factors, including mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder, and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. It also includes conditions such as addiction and eating disorders.

Good mental health is characterized by a positive sense of well-being, resilience in the face of stress and adversity, and the ability to function effectively in daily life. It involves a balance of emotional, social, and cognitive skills and the ability to manage and regulate one’s emotions and behaviors.

Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated with the same level of care and attention. Regular self-care, such as exercise, stress management techniques, and seeking help, when necessary, can help maintain good mental health. Seeking professional help, such as therapy or medication, can also be beneficial for those struggling with mental health issues.

Maintaining mental health is crucial for our overall well-being and quality of life. Our mental health affects every aspect of our lives, from our relationships to our work performance. Here are ten reasons why maintaining mental health is important:

  1. Improved Physical Health: Research shows that there is a strong link between our mental and physical health. People who maintain good mental health are less likely to develop chronic physical health problems such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
  2. Better Cognitive Function: Good mental health is associated with improved cognitive function, including better memory, attention, and decision-making skills.
  3. Enhanced Emotional Well-being: People who maintain good mental health experience more positive emotions, such as happiness and contentment, and are better equipped to manage negative emotions, such as sadness and anxiety.
  4. Increased Resilience: Good mental health helps us to cope better with stress, adversity, and difficult life events. It enables us to bounce back from setbacks and to adapt to changes more easily.
  5. Better Relationships: Good mental health helps us to form and maintain positive relationships with others. It enables us to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and resolve conflicts.
  6. Improved Work Performance: Good mental health is linked to better work performance, including higher productivity, greater creativity, and better job satisfaction.
  7. Reduced Risk of Substance Abuse: People with good mental health are less likely to use drugs or alcohol as a way of coping with stress or emotional pain.
  8. Enhanced Self-esteem: Good mental health is associated with higher self-esteem and self-confidence, which helps us to feel more positive about ourselves and our abilities.
  9. Improved Sleep: People with good mental health are more likely to get good quality sleep, which is essential for our physical and mental health.
  10. Longer Life Expectancy: Research shows that people with good mental health live longer than those who experience mental health problems.

Maintaining good mental health is essential for our overall well-being and quality of life. It helps us to cope better with stress, form positive relationships, perform better at work, and enjoy a longer and healthier life. Taking care of our mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health. 

Blog written by author Ms, Swati Rana

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      Dass 21 Questionnaire

      Check your Depression / Anxiety and Stress Level

      /21

      Question

      1 (s) I found it hard to wind down.

       

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      2 (a) I was aware of dryness of my mouth.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      3 (d) I couldn’t seem to experience any positive feeling at all.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      4 (a) I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g. excessively rapid breathing,
      breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      5 (d) I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      6 (s) I tended to over-react to situations.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      7 (a) I experienced trembling (e.g. in the hands).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      8 (s) I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      9 (a) I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool
      of myself.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      10 (d) I felt that I had nothing to look forward to.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      11 (s) I found myself getting agitated.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      12 (s) I found it difficult to relax.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      13 (d) I felt down-hearted and blue.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      14 (s) I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with what I
      was doing.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      15 (a) I felt I was close to panic.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      16 (d) I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      17 (d) I felt I wasn’t worth much as a person.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      18 (s) I felt that I was rather touchy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      19 (a) I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical
      exertion (e.g. sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      20 (a) I felt scared without any good reason.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      21 (d) I felt that life was meaningless.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      Your score is

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      Locus of control

      A big question we all feel - am I in control of my life?

      This test helps you ascertain the degree of control that you believe  you have over your life and the events that occur. This belief plays a huge role in the satisfaction levels that we feel.

      /10

      1 / 10

      Is there some bad habit, such as smoking, that you would like to break but can’t?

      2 / 10

      Do you take steps, such as exercise and diet to control your weight and fitness?

      3 / 10

      Do you believe that your personality was firmly laid down in childhood so there is little you can do to change it?

      4 / 10

      Do you make your own decisions, regardless of what other people say?

      5 / 10

      Do you find it a waste of time to plan ahead because something always causes you to change direction?

      6 / 10

      If something goes wrong, do usually reckon it’s your own fault rather than just bad luck?

      7 / 10

      Are most of the things you do designed to please other people?

      8 / 10

      Do you often feel you are the victim of outside forces you cannot control?

      9 / 10

      Do you usually manage to resist being persuaded by other people’s arguments?

      10 / 10

      Are you sceptical about the extent to which your horoscope can tell you what you should do and what’s going to happen to you?.

      Your score is

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          How do You Cope with Anger?

          (The Behavioural Anger Response Questionnaire, BARQ)

          What do you most likely to do when you experience anger? This 34-item measure assesses your anger responses for children and adolescents – and may tell you which response you tend to favour when experiencing this strong, unpleasant emotion. A list of statements are provided below. State whether each of the statements are not true, sometimes true, or often true. This measure was developed specifically for children and young adolescents.

          /34

          1 / 34

          I say something nasty to the person who made me angry.

          2 / 34

          I use strong gestures (for example, make a fist, wave my arms, or give a hand sign).

          3 / 34

          I swear or curse, at the person who made me angry.

          4 / 34

          I hit or push the person who made me angry.

          5 / 34

          I express my anger by slamming a door, or hitting something.

          6 / 34

          I shout.

          7 / 34

          I wait until I am calm again and then talk to the person who made me angry. 

          8 / 34

          I carefully think it over and then tell the person who made me angry how I feel.

          9 / 34

          In a calm voice, I tell the person who made me angry how I honestly feel.

          10 / 34

          I try to understand what happened, so I can explain things to the person who made me angry.

          11 / 34

          I stay calm, and I try to talk about the problem and the person who made me angry. 

          12 / 34

          I leave the situation in order to calm down, and then try to solve the problem.

          13 / 34

          I do not show my anger but I talk about what happened with someone afterwards.

          14 / 34

          I leave the situation and look for someone who will agree with me.

          15 / 34

          I leave the situation, find someone to listen to my story, and ask for advice. 

          16 / 34

          I think about the problem first and then talk about it with someone.

          17 / 34

          I leave the situation and call a friend or family member to tell him/her how I feel. 

          18 / 34

          Even without planning it, I usually end up talking about my feelings with someone.

          19 / 34

          I get rid of my anger by playing music, writing, or painting. 

          20 / 34

          I just keep busy, until I stop feeling angry.

          21 / 34

          I work off my anger by doing some sport. 

          22 / 34

          I stay on my own to get rid of my anger.

          23 / 34

          I simply get very busy with other things to get rid of my anger.

          24 / 34

          I work off my anger by doing something else, like playing on the computer.

          25 / 34

          I tell myself that what happened is not important.

          26 / 34

          I try to forget what happened.

          27 / 34

          I put what happened out of my mind.

          28 / 34

          I do not want to have to cause trouble, so I keep my feelings to myself.

          29 / 34

          I just wait to feel better.

          30 / 34

          I try to keep busy so I can forget about what happened.

          31 / 34

          I keep thinking about what I wish I had done, but didn’t do.

          32 / 34

          I find it hard to stop thinking about what happened.

          33 / 34

          I am upset for a long time after this kind of situation.

          34 / 34

          In my mind, I go over the situation that made me angry again and again.

          Your score is

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          Are You Kind to Yourself?

          (The Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form, SCS-SF)

          Are you kind to yourself, and accepting of your personality? Self-compassion relates to your ability to ‘hold one’s suffering with a sense of warmth, connection and concern (Neff, 2003). This ability consists of self-kindness, self-judgement, the view that others suffer too (common humanity), feelings of isolation from others when one fails, as well as mindfulness towards one’s difficult situation and the extent to which one over-identifies with failure. This 12-item measure assesses your self-compassion ability. Simply answer each statement from ‘almost never’ to ‘almost always’ to indicate the extent to which you engage in these behaviours during difficult times of challenge and setbacks.

          /12

          1 / 12

          When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy.

          2 / 12

          I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

          3 / 12

          When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation.

          4 / 12

          When I’m feeling down, I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am.

          5 / 12

          I try to see my failings as part of the human condition.

          6 / 12

          When I’m going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need.

          7 / 12

          When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance.

          8 / 12

          When I fail at something that’s important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure.

          9 / 12

          When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong.

          10 / 12

          When I feel inadequate in some way, I try to remind myself that feelings of inadequacy are shared by most people.

          11 / 12

          I’m disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies.

          12 / 12

          I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

          Your score is

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          How Mindfully Aware and Attentive are You?

          (Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale; MAAS)

          Being mindful means being consciously, deliberately attentive towards your present circumstances and environment, and being curious and non- judgmental towards the thoughts and emotions that arise as a result of one’s situation. This 15-item measure of mindfulness, called the Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale (MAAS) is designed to assess how mindful you generally are.

          /15

          1 / 15

          I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until sometime later.

          2 / 15

          I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of something else.

          3 / 15

          I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.

          4 / 15

          I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.

          5 / 15

          I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.

          6 / 15

          I forget a person’s name almost as soon as I’ve been told it for the first time.

          7 / 15

          It seems I am “running on automatic” without much awareness of what I’m doing.

          8 / 15

          I rush through activities without being really attentive to them.

          9 / 15

          I get so focused on the goal I want to achieve that I lose touch of what I’m doing.

          10 / 15

          I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I’m doing.

          11 / 15

          I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time.

          12 / 15

          I drive places on “automatic pilot” and then wonder why I went there.

          13 / 15

          I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past.

          14 / 15

          I find myself doing things without paying attention.

          15 / 15

          I snack without being aware that I’m eating.

          Your score is

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          The brief resilience scale

          (Brief Resilience Scale, BRS)

          The Brief Resilience Scale was created to assess the perceived ability to bounce back or recover from stress. The scale was developed to assess a unitary construct of resilience, including both positively and negatively worded items.

          The possible score range on the BRS is from 1 (low resilience) to 5 (high resilience).

          /6

          1 / 6

          I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times.

          2 / 6

          I have a hard time making it through stressful events. 

          3 / 6

          It does not take me long to recover from a stressful event. 

          4 / 6

          It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens.

          5 / 6

          I usually come through difficult times with little trouble. 

          6 / 6

           I tend to take a long time to get over setbacks in my life.

          Your score is

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          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale

          (WEMWBS)

          The WEMWBS was developed and tested by a group of researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Warwick.
          The WEMWBS is used to measure subjective well-being in adults ≥16 years.

          As defined by the developers, mental well-being relates to a person’s psychological functioning, life-satisfaction and ability to develop and maintain mutually benefiting relationships. Psychological wellbeing includes the ability to maintain a sense of autonomy, self acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life and self esteem. Staying mentally healthy is more than treating or preventing mental illness.

          Below are some statements about feelings and thoughts. Please tick the box that best describes your experience of each over the last 2 weeks

          /14

          1 / 14

          I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future

          2 / 14

          I’ve been feeling useful

          3 / 14

          I’ve been feeling relaxed

          4 / 14

          I’ve been feeling interested in other people

          5 / 14

          I’ve had energy to spare

          6 / 14

          I’ve been dealing with problems well

          7 / 14

          I’ve been thinking clearly

          8 / 14

          I’ve been feeling good about myself

          9 / 14

          I’ve been feeling close to other people

          10 / 14

          I’ve been feeling confident

          11 / 14

          I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

          12 / 14

          I’ve been feeling loved

          13 / 14

          I’ve been interested in new things

          14 / 14

          I’ve been feeling cheerful

          Your score is

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          Role Fitment

          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)

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          Copy - Personality Tests

          SCS(Self Compassion Scale)

          The brief resilience scale

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