Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

It affects how we think, feel,

and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health
is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and
behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

Family history of mental health problems

Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get
better and many recover completely.

Early Warning Signs

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more
of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:

Eating or sleeping too much or too little

Pulling away from people and usual activities

Having low or no energy

Feeling numb or like nothing matters

Having unexplained aches and pains

Feeling helpless or hopeless

Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual

Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared

Yelling or fighting with family and friends

Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head

Hearing voices or believing things that are not true

Thinking of harming yourself or others

Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Learn more about specific mental health problems and where to find help.

Mental Health and Wellness

Positive mental health allows people to:

Realize their full potential

Cope with the stresses of life

Work productively

Make meaningful contributions to their communities

Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

Getting professional help if you need it

Connecting with others

Staying positive

Getting physically active

Helping others

Getting enough sleep

Developing coping skills

Five Warning Signs of Mental Illness

Long-lasting sadness or irritability.

Extremely high and low moods.

Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety.

Social withdrawal.

Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits.

One in five Americans has experienced some form of mental illness, with one in 25 experiencing serious
mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Suicide accounts for over 800,000 deaths globally each year, with over 41,000 in the U.S. alone. It is the
second leading cause of death worldwide for 15-29 year olds.

The rate of mental health disorders doubles for those who have been to war or lived through a major
disaster.

People with a mental health issue are generally nonviolent. In fact, only 3-5% of violent acts can be
attributed to people with a serious mental illness.

Many factors can lead to mental illness, including genetics, physical illness or injury, and traumatic life
experiences.

Many people do not seek treatment for mental illness due to the associated stigma. Only 44% of adults
with diagnosable mental illnesses receive treatment.

Treatment for mental health problems doesn’t only consist of prescribed or OTC medication. Therapy,
yoga, meditation and holistic treatments can all help to assuage symptoms.

By addressing risk factors such as trauma, it is possible to prevent certain mental health disorders,
especially in children and adolescents.

Improving mental health services in low- to medium-income countries is not as costly as some may
think. An investment of only $2-4 per capita would have a major impact on millions of lives.

Each year, serious mental illnesses cost the U.S. almost $200 billion in lost earnings.

50.5% of adults in the U.S. who have had a problem with substance abuse also suffer from mental
illness.

20% of youth have a mental health condition, with one in 10 young people having experienced a period
of major depression.
Members of the LGBTQ community are twice as likely as straight individuals to have a mental health
condition.

70-90% of people who seek proper treatment for mental health disorders witness a significant reduction
in symptoms.

Last but not least: most people living with mental illness lead productive lives despite their challenges.

Mental health is about more than being free of mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder, or
schizophrenia. It is also about having a positive sense of wellbeing. Positive mental health allows us to
enjoy life’s pleasures, believe in our own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work/study
productively and enjoy socialising.

What is positive mental health?

Positive mental health is about reaching our potential and feeling like we always have the chance to give
everything our best shot. Not just feeling positive, but also getting out there in the big bad world.
Positive mental health not only prevents mental ill health, it also leads to greater enjoyment and
satisfaction with one’s life.

What can I do to help maintain positive mental health?

Eat well, be well. A lot of what you put into your body can affect how you feel inside and out. The right
food and drinks can help keep your mind hydrated, active, energetic and at optimum levels for
concentration. Visit out Health Hacks page for more info on how to improve your food.

Get a good night’s sleep. Most people need at least 7 hours of quality sleep to function properly; if this is
causing you problems then it can affect your mood. Don’t worry though, there are a plenty of things you
can work on to get better sleep.

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. You don’t have to run 5k every day or anything, just get your
heart rate going for 30 mins of activity at least 5 days a week. Walking, dancing, swimming, team sports
are only a few ways you can do this. Get more inspiration on our Health Hacks page.

Talk it out. Chatting about things that bother you can help reduce the problem, as they say ‘a problem
halved is a problem solved’. If you’re not comfortable talking to a friend or family member, then it could
be good to try a non-judgemental listening service like the Samaritans.

Cut down on alcohol. Drinking booze when you’re not feeling great can make you feel worse. Alcohol is
a depressant so taking a break from it or cutting down on your intake might help improve your mood.
Stay in touch with friends. Maintaining relationships is a great way to keep a positive mental health. It
can be easy to lose touch with people after school or college and this is a natural occurrence a lot of the
time but make the effort to meet up and socialise, it’ll be worth it.

Take time out. Some people find it hard to balance life between school/college/work/socialising but it’s
important to remember to take time out for yourself sometimes and do things that you enjoy. Me time
can be just as vital as maintaining contact with friends and family!

Factors associated with positive mental health:

Happiness at Work/School

If you are happy at work or school/college, this will help to boost your mental health. You will likely feel
satisfied by your accomplishments - the pats on the back for a job well done or the good grades showing
evidence of your hard work. We humans love routine and a stable work/school/ college life provides
this.

Relationships

Having close friends and family is very good for mental health. Having someone to chat to and socialise
with is pretty essential for well-being. If you do not feel supported by your family, friends can really
swoop in and be there for you. As the saying goes ‘Friends are the family you choose for yourself’.

If you are in a situation where you are being bullied, it is important to get help. It is not your fault, no
matter what the bullies say. Bullies pick on people so that they can feel good about themselves and this
says more about them than it does about you. Get more information on being bullied here.

Money

Having enough money seems to be important for mental health. Worrying daily that the bank/landlord
will knock on your door is very stressful in itself. It also helps when you have enough money to buy
healthy food. Cheaper food may be high in sugar or fat and more healthy food may be more expensive.
The link between food and mood is so significant that the mental health charity, Mind, has written a
guide on the link between the two.

A budgeting service such as MABS should be able to help you budget so that you can manage to afford
all the essentials you need to live a happy healthy life.

Freedom from discrimination

Discrimination seriously impacts mood and mental health. Many groups in society are discriminated
against, for reasons ranging from hair colour to skin colour to sexuality to gender. There are various
organisations in Ireland that help to support people being discriminated against. These organisations
provide legal advice also, as most forms of discrimination are illegal in Ireland. Read more about
discrimination.

Creativity

It is always good to have an outlet for stress or even happiness. Anything from baking to sewing to
singing will help release any pent up frustrations. It is also good to be able to express a full range of
emotions and creative pursuits allow you to do this.

Find out more about positive mental health

The charity Suicide or Survive run Wellness Workshops throughout the year for people who want to
understand and take charge of their mental health. Find out more about Suicide or Survive.

YourMentalHealth.ie is a website dedicated to provide information and awareness for people who want
to improve their mental health or support their loved ones going through tough times.

You can also read more about talking about your mental health.