Kathleen Joy Ytac

HUMSS 11-F

Mental Health Issue

Mental health is not just a concept that refers to an individual`s psychology and
emotional well-being, rather it’s a state of psychological and emotional well-being where an
individual is able to use their cognitive and emotional capabilities, meet the ordinary demand and
functions in the society.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well
being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses
of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her
community.

20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year and 50%
of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24. 10% of children and
young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem yet 70% of
children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate
interventions at a sufficiently early age. For the college students, up to 44% reported having
symptoms of depressions and anxiety.

Most mental illnesses don’t have a single cause, instead they have a variety of causes
called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop a mental
illness. Sometimes the mental illness develops gradually. Other times it doesn’t appear until a
stressful event trigger it.

There are many risk factors and triggers. The first is genetics. Mental illness often runs in
the family. Next is environment. Living in a stressful environment can make you more likely to
develop a mental illness. Things like living in poverty or having an abusive family put a lot of
stress on your brain and often trigger mental illness. Lastly, childhood trauma. Even if you’re no
longer in a stressful environment, things that happened to you as a child can have an impact later
in life.
 Most of us suffered from mental health issue, that is why it’s very important to speak
with a mental professional who can diagnose the issue to help uncover any medical issues that
may be causing symptoms and recommend a treatment plan. Medication and talk therapy or a
combination of the two can be used to treat depression.