by Leon Chng

Counsellor & Fitness Coach

1. Introduction

Mental health literacy refers to the knowledge and understanding of mental health disorders, their causes, symptoms, and available treatments. From a psychologist, counsellor, or psychotherapist's perspective, mental health literacy is essential for providing effective support and guidance to clients dealing with mental health issues. It involves not only recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders but also understanding the impact of stigma and cultural beliefs on seeking help and accessing treatment.

2. Understanding Mental Health

Mental health encompasses a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how individuals think, feel, and behave, influencing their daily lives, relationships, and overall functioning. It's important to recognize that mental health is a continuum, ranging from optimal mental well-being to severe mental illness.

Common misconceptions about mental health include equating it with weakness or a lack of willpower. In reality, mental health disorders are medical conditions that can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background. They are often caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

3. Mental Illness vs. Mental Health

Having a mental illness does not automatically mean someone has poor mental health. Mental health exists on a spectrum, ranging from flourishing mental well-being to severe mental illness. Someone with a diagnosed mental illness can still have good mental health if they receive proper treatment, support, and coping mechanisms.

It's essential to differentiate between mental illness, which refers to diagnosable conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, and mental health, which encompasses a broader range of emotional, psychological, and social well-being factors.

Below are some illustrations:

Mentally Sound Person can have Bad Mental Health in aspects of their lives:

Personal Life:

Consider a person who has a stable job, good relationships, and generally copes well with stress. However, they experience a sudden loss of a loved one, such as a parent or close friend. This loss triggers intense grief, leading to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and difficulty functioning in their daily life. Despite being mentally sound before the loss, the circumstances overwhelm their coping mechanisms, causing a decline in mental health.

Professional Life:

Imagine a successful professional who is highly motivated, ambitious, and dedicated to their career. Due to organizational changes at work, they face increased workloads, unrealistic deadlines, and a toxic work environment (where with rising workload or tasks there are more scrutiny and less empowerment). Over time, the chronic stress, pressure, and lack of work-life balance take a toll on their mental well-being. They may experience burnout, exhaustion, and feelings of inadequacy, despite appearing mentally sound from an external perspective.

Anyone with Mental Illness can be in Recovery and Managing Symptoms Well:

Example 1:

A person diagnosed with bipolar disorder struggled for years with mood swings, impulsivity, and difficulty maintaining relationships. Through consistent counselling / psychotherapy, medication management, and lifestyle changes, they learned to recognize early warning signs, practice self-care, and build a strong support network. Now, they effectively manage their symptoms, maintain stable relationships, pursue meaningful activities, and lead a fulfilling life.

Example 2:

An individual with severe social anxiety disorder used to avoid social situations, leading to isolation and loneliness. With the help of exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and gradual desensitization, they gained confidence, developed social skills, and expanded their social circle. While they still experience occasional anxiety, they have learned coping strategies that allow them to engage in social interactions and enjoy meaningful connections.

These examples highlight the dynamic nature of mental health and the importance of support, coping strategies, and resilience in navigating life's challenges, regardless of one's initial mental health status.
According to psychological science, just as eventually our physical health has a threshold to tolerate every day’s reoccurring physically daunting daily living tasks, our mental health (which also relies on cognitive ability) has a threshold to how much “hassles of daily living” one can endure.

*Hence, people with cognitive disabilities (a term that refers to a broad range of conditions that include intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, severe, persistent mental illness, brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias) are not mentally ill. Rather, these are what is known as biological dispositions.

4. Factors Influencing Mental Health

Various factors contribute to an individual's mental health, including biological, psychological, social, and environmental influences.

While a mental illness may be one aspect of someone's mental health, other factors such as resilience, coping skills, social support, and self-care practices play significant roles in overall mental well-being.

People living with mental illnesses can lead fulfilling lives and maintain good mental health by managing symptoms, accessing appropriate treatment like counselling or psychotherapy, building supportive relationships, and practising self-care strategies.

5. Recovery and Resilience Building (Why Counselling and Therapeutic Interventions Play a Crucial Role)

Recovery from mental illness is a complex and individualized journey. It involves learning to manage symptoms, developing coping strategies, and rebuilding a sense of purpose and meaning in life.

Many individuals with mental illnesses experience periods of stability, growth, and resilience, demonstrating that the mere presence of a diagnosis does not solely determine mental health.

Counseling and therapeutic interventions play a crucial role in supporting individuals with mental illnesses in their recovery journey.

These processes help clients develop insight, build resilience, improve coping skills, and in so, become empowered to enhance overall well-being for their own life’s circumstances.

Individuals with challenges or a huge desire to attain a drastic change/goal will also benefit from Counseling and therapeutic interventions

6. Cognitive Developmental Disability Conditions vs Mental Illness

As previously mentioned, cognitive developmental disability conditions and mental illness conditions are distinct but can sometimes overlap in symptoms and challenges.

Here is a deeper review of what both circumstances are:

Cognitive Developmental Disability Conditions:

Definition:

Developmental disabilities are lifelong conditions that affect an individual's physical, cognitive, communication, social, and emotional development. These conditions typically manifest early in life and can significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life.

Examples:

Common developmental disabilities include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Each condition presents unique challenges related to learning, social interaction, communication, motor skills, and behaviour.

Causes:

Developmental disabilities can result from genetic factors, prenatal exposure to toxins or infections, complications during childbirth, brain injuries, or environmental influences. They are not considered mental illnesses but rather neurodevelopmental disorders with complex biological and environmental determinants.

Management:

Management of developmental disabilities often involves multidisciplinary approaches, including early intervention services, educational support, behavioural therapies, speech and occupational therapy, and adaptive technology. The goal is to maximise the individual's potential, independence, and quality of life across different life stages.

Mental Illness Conditions:

Definition:

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that affect a person's thinking, mood, behaviour, and overall mental well-being. Unlike developmental disabilities, mental illnesses can develop at any stage of life and may result from genetic predispositions, biochemical imbalances, environmental stressors, trauma, or a combination of factors.

Examples:

Common mental illnesses include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and eating disorders. Each condition presents with specific symptoms, duration, and severity, impacting various aspects of daily functioning and interpersonal relationships.

Causes:

Mental illnesses can have biological, psychological, social, and environmental causes. Factors such as genetics, brain chemistry, trauma, chronic stress, substance abuse, and life experiences can contribute to the onset and progression of mental health disorders.

Treatment:

Treatment for mental illnesses often involves a combination of counselling or (psychological) therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and support services. The goal is to alleviate symptoms, improve coping skills, promote recovery, and enhance overall well-being.

7. Conclusions

It is important to recognize that while developmental disabilities, mental illnesses and mental health are distinct categories, individuals may experience both simultaneously and have overlapping symptoms. Every unique condition requires tailored (situational) assessment interventions, support, and understanding to address affected individual's unique needs and challenges optimally.

Just as those looking to become physically fitter signing up for personal training or becoming involved via joining such (fitness or physically active community) or signing up for resources (intervention for their physical health trajectory) For those who wish to enhance their resilience to be “mentally fit” to prevent mental health decline, having such areas of support and interventions.

Now for a start, reading this article and beginning your very own journey to attend, introspect and further deepening your mental health literacy is a simple but profound step forward.

Kudos! Thanks for tuning in. Spur on!