Hadia Mushtaq SID:15970

MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is an essential part of our life that is as important as physical health. It has a great
impact on our lifestyle and the lack of understanding about mental health in our society maintains
a harmful cycle of silence and neglect, emphasizing the urge of awareness about this topic among
people. This is something that is very common yet becomes a big taboo if discussed and if we
observe that how it affects our life than we can see those major and minor changes in our personal,
social and professional life that have their own impact on our mental health.
A study named ‘A meta-analysis of cohort studies’ in Dec 22 concludes that in this era of
social media, people are so engrossed in their phones that they are forgetting about their personal
life. They forget about their health, schedule and most importantly their diet, ruining it pretty badly.
In my opinion excessive screen time not only destroying our family prime time, hobbies and
outdoor activities but also leaving a long-time impact on our brains that is now passing into
upcoming generation. It creates frustration in children at a very short age that leads them to throw
tantrums because parents are busy on their social media platforms and not giving the attention and
love they need rather they are giving them phones to calm down instead of spending their time
together. If this thing does not control on time, then it can be turned into some serious mental
disorders.
The effects of social isolation, as highlighted in a 2018 study, includes to depression,
insomnia, and gradual loss of thinking abilities and we are going towards this direction gradually.
This can be harmful not only for us but for people around us too. Social gatherings can offer a
number of health benefits, such as boosting mood, reducing stress yet this generation is isolating
themselves that mostly leads them to harm themselves or commit suicide.
A total of 257 responses to a qualitative questionnaire and 17 in-depth interviews with
individuals with mental health conditions are analyzed and it summarizes, the findings show that
mental health conditions can negatively impact self-perceived job performance in the form of
lower quality of one's work, slower pace, zoning out and more mistakes. In addition, the findings
reveal coping strategies that positively and negatively affect one’s performance at work. Strategies
that negatively influence one’s performance include self-harm, suppressing and hiding one's
symptoms, and forcing oneself to continue to work when feeling unwell. Coping strategies that
tend to positively affect their performance include accepting one's condition and taking time off,
medication and counseling, mindfulness activities, transparent communication, humor, and a
compensation strategy.
Mental health is crucial for overall well-being, yet it often remains a taboo subject in
society. The essay discusses various factors affecting mental health, such as excessive screen time
leading to neglect of personal health and family time. Social isolation, can contribute to depression
and other mental health issues. A study indicates that mental health conditions can impact job
performance, leading to lower quality work and slower pace. Overall, the essay underscores the
importance of raising awareness about mental health and adopting effective coping strategies.