Category Page: Mental Health
Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his own community (WHO, 2001).
Mental health promotion aims to increase individuals’ and communities’ capacity to take control over their lives and their environments by enhancing psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being, competence and resilience (Friedli, 2009). Work to promote mental health focuses not only on individual behaviours but on the wider social and environmental contexts that impact mental health. As such, mental health promotion aims to promote individual positive well-being while reflecting the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity.
References:
Friedli, Lynne. Mental health, resilience and inequalities – a report for WHO Europe and the Mental Health Foundation, 2009.
World Health Organization. (2001). Strengthening mental health promotion [Fact sheet No. 220].
Mental Health Promotion Subcategories: