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Mental health, what is a mentally healthy person? – Series of articles “How to heal the soul?” Part 25!

We have talked about various mental health disorders, but this time we decided that it is worth looking at what really characterizes a mentally healthy person?! Is there not much like that?!
According to the definition of the World Health Organization (hereinafter WHO), mental health is more than simply the absence of mental disorders, moreover, the mental health of an individual exists in connection with the health of the surrounding society, at the same time everyone is individual, with different difficulties, suffering and sense of well-being, therefore also social and clinical outcome. Complicated, but in short, each one is special and unique; how one person experiences an adverse event in their life will differ from how someone else would feel in a similar situation and it is determined by many individual factors (previous experiences, support or lack thereof, financial situation, upbringing, mentality and even cultural norms, etc.).
Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with stressful life situations, realize their abilities, successfully study and work, and contribute to society. Mental health is a basic human right. It is an integral part of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and the world we live in. As it is in nature, mental health is closely related to physical health. The mental health of each individual is important for the development of both the individual and society as a whole.

Determinants of mental health.

Over the course of life, an individual’s mental health is affected by various factors in various ways.
Individual biological and psychological factors such as heredity, emotional skills, substance abuse, as well as adverse social, economic, geopolitical and environmental conditions, including poverty, violence and social inequality, can make a person more prone to mental health disorders. Although these various factors affect a person throughout his life, particularly sensitive stages of personality development should be noted, such as early childhood (it has been proven that harsh upbringing, physical and psychological abuse, bullying in childhood are important risk factors for the development of mental health disorders later in life).
Positive, protective factors should be mentioned – supportive relationships in the family, which influence the development of individual social and emotional skills from an early age, quality education, a safe living environment, a good environment at work and in the community.
It should be noted that there are quite a lot of factors that cannot be directly influenced, we have felt them vividly in recent years – the decline of the global economy, outbreaks of diseases, humanitarian disasters and migration, wars and increasing climate change.
Since the concept of mental health is relatively subjective and vague, specialists have tried to formulate more transparent criteria for mental health. One such author is the social psychologist M. Jahoda (1907-2001), who already in 1958 put forward her “Theory of Ideal Mental Health”, where she listed 6 indicators of mental health:

1. Positive attitude towards yourself.
The individual evaluates himself positively, incl. one’s abilities and limitations, aware of one’s role and feeling safe in the surrounding environment;

2. Growth, development and self-realization.
An individual feels the desire, is able and achieves goals through learning, development and self-realization;

3. Integration.
Integration involves the ability to respond flexibly to the environment and life developments, helping the individual to maintain a manageable level of anxiety in response to stressful situations.

4. Autonomy (independence).
Refers to an individual’s ability to act independently, self-directed; the individual makes choices and is able to take responsibility for the results of his decisions.

5. Perception of reality.
The individual perceives the surrounding environment without distortions, feels empathy, respect and concern for the wishes and needs of others.

6. Environmental mastery.
It is the ability to adapt to different environments and situations, to act according to the requirements of the environment and situation in which they are, to accept the reactions of other individuals.

It should be noted that, of course, this theory is also not complete, the parameters of the “ideal” are listed here, and for this very reason it has received a lot of criticism, however, until now it retains its place in social psychology, because it quite accurately demonstrates that no one is perfect, but the listed abilities, even in a situation where mental disorders have arisen, help to cope with them more successfully. Therefore, it is never too late and you should not be afraid to seek help, because it is also a way to improve your mental “superpowers”!