The Measure of Mental Health

From cures to care, a better understanding of mental health can help sufferers gain control of their conditions

Mental health is the capacity to feel, think and act in ways that enhance one's ability to enjoy life and to deal with challenges that come our way. By understanding the science and genetics behind mental health, as well as the fundamental mechanisms behind thought, emotion and behavior, we can begin to see how some people cope better than others.

According to the "Global Burden of Disease," a study commissioned by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, mental health disorders represent four of the 10 leading causes of disabilities for people five years of age and older. In the United States, major depression is the leading cause of disability. Also common are manic-depressive illness, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Mental disorders are tragically linked to mortality, as suicide represents one of the leading causes of preventable death in the US and around the world. Often striking early in life, they frequently have chronic and severe symptoms that can destroy the life and productivity of affected individuals and that of their families and loved ones.

While many types of therapy and medication can now control the symptoms of mental disorders, they cannot cure the disorders themselves. Many medications have unacceptably serious side effects and the medicinal effects of herbs and nutrition need to further study to prove their efficacy in treating various disorders.

Although to some, the term "mental health" carries a stigma, it is the standard and only accurate and all-encompassing term used to address this fundamental component of our well-being. Some aspects of mental health have to do with our emotions, feelings and state of mind. But it would be undermining many other conditions, and the people who suffer from them, to describe them as anything less than illnesses that often have neurological and genetic roots that have to be cared for.

The promotion of mental health requires the involvement of the population as a whole -- both the sick and the well. Instead of defining people by their vulnerabilities, people who practice mental health care should nurture their strengths. Through education, research and community resources, we can better understand mental health and give people control over their own life experiences