What Is Mental Health and Its Importance?
Last updated on April 11th, 2025 at 02:48 pm
Ever thought about what mental health is? Mental health is all of our psychological, emotional, and social well-being, and it is important as it helps us handle stress, work effectively, and build strong relationships.
Despite its importance, maintaining good mental health is a challenge worldwide. Back then, in 2019, about one billion people globally were living with a mental disorder. Shockingly, in some countries, up to 90% of those with severe mental health conditions receive no care.
Additionally, a study from Harvard and the University of Queensland also states that one in every two people may experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Hence, understanding it has become crucial to ensure people get the support and care they need.
Key Takeaways:
- Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act daily.
- It helps us handle stress, work well, and build strong relationships.
- Things like our genes, past experiences, lifestyle, and money problems can affect our mental health.
- We can improve it by talking to a therapist, exercising, meditating, and staying connected with others.
- Raising awareness, discussing mental health, and getting early help can make a big difference.
Definition of Mental Health
The World Health Organization explains mental health as allowing individuals to manage life’s stresses, recognise their abilities, work productively, learn effectively, and contribute to their communities.
It refers to all of our emotional and social well-being, including psychological factors. It impacts how we think, feel, and act in daily life.
Why Is Mental Health Important?
Good mental health is essential because it impacts every part of our lives, such as relationships, physical health, and how we interact with society.
- Daily Life: Good mental health helps us manage stress, make sound decisions, and maintain productivity in our personal and professional activities.
- Relationships: It enables us to build and sustain healthy relationships, leading to effective communication.
- Physical Health: Mental well-being is also closely linked to physical health. Stress and anxiety issues can weaken the immune system and lead to heart disease, digestive issues, sleep problems, and other chronic illnesses, too.
- Society: Individuals with sound mental health are more likely to perform effectively at work or school, which helps them contribute positively to their environments.
So, ignoring it can lead to serious problems like depression, anxiety disorders, and even suicide. That’s why taking care of our minds is just as crucial as taking care of our bodies.
Factors Influencing Mental Health
Several factors, biological, life experiences, financial, and lifestyle issues, can affect an individual’s mental health.
- Biological factors: Genetics, brain chemistry, or hormonal imbalances.
- Life experiences: Trauma, abuse, or loss of a loved one, and other adverse experiences can contribute to these issues.
- Social and economic issues: Poverty, social isolation, unemployment, or discrimination can also impact the mental state of an individual.
- Lifestyle: Lack of sleep, poor diet, or substance abuse(alcohol or drugs).
How to Maintain or Improve Mental Health
Small daily habits such as meditation, exercising, building social relationships, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can improve our mental health.
- Therapy: Seeking professional counseling can help address it effectively.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Practices like meditation can reduce stress and improve emotions.
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity can also improve mental health by releasing endorphins, thus improving mood and reducing anxiety.
- Social Connections: Building and maintaining positive relationships also helps to reduce stress by getting support and reducing feelings of isolation.
- Healthy Lifestyle: Adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, and avoiding substance abuse also improve mental well-being.
Coping Strategies for Stress or Trauma:
- Start a deep breathing exercise. It helps to relax the nervous system and reduce stress.
- Practice journaling, i.e., writing down thoughts and feelings, as it provides clarity and relief.
- Engage in hobbies that you like, such as participating in enjoyable activities. Doing so distracts us from stress and improves our mood.
- Always talk to someone when needed. Share your feelings with friends, family, or a therapist.
- Stay active: Exercise releases endorphins, which boost mood.
- Practice mindfulness and meditation or deep breathing exercises to reduce stress.
- Always try to get enough sleep (7 hrs for adults) as poor sleep leads to anxiety and depression.
- Try to avoid alcohol/drugs. They may provide temporary relief, but worsen it in the long term.
If you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
If you’re struggling to maintain your mental health, Clinic One can help
Mental Health Laws and Policies in Nepal
Nepal has recognised the importance of mental health and has policies to address it.
- National Mental Health Policy 1996: This policy combines mental health services into general healthcare. This ensures its accessibility for all individuals.
- Mental Health Care Act 2073 (2016): This law ensures the right to mental health treatment. Protection from discrimination for people with these conditions.
- National Mental Health Strategy (2020): It was launched to provide primary care mental health services all over the country.
Access to Mental Health Services in Nepal
Mental health services in Kathmandu, Nepal, have improved a lot. Here are some places where support is available.
- Clinic One: Clinic One is a preventive clinic that supports everyone’s mental well-being. With experienced psychiatrists available there, it provides mental health counselling to those in need.
- Koshish Nepal: A national mental health self-help organisation advocating for mental health rights and providing support services.
- Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal (TPO Nepal): An NGO offering community-based mental health services and psychosocial support.
Implementation is still weak, especially in rural areas with limited awareness and resources. Social stigma also aids this and prevents many from seeking help.
Statistics on Mental Health in Nepal
Mental health issues affect approximately 20% of Nepal’s population. Among them, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are the most common. The National Mental Health Survey revealed that 10% of adults experience mental disorders in their lifetime, while 4.3% currently suffer from them.
5.2% of adolescents aged 13-17 years face mental health challenges, mostly due to stress-related issues. A recent study also highlighted that suicide accounted for 61.6% of deaths among women, while farmers (40%) and students (15.4%) emerged as high-risk groups.
Conclusion
Good mental health is important to improve overall well-being as it affects how individuals think, feel, and act. If you are struggling with these issues, try to improve them by exercising, meditating, building social connections, and following a healthy lifestyle. You can also manage it with deep breathing, journaling, and hobbies.
Additionally, if you find any trouble and struggle to improve your mental state, seek medical help. Always remember help exists, and you don’t have to face it alone.
FAQs
Why is mental health awareness important?
Mental health awareness helps individuals recognise earlier signs of worsening conditions, leading to earlier intervention and better outcomes. Hence, it is necessary.
Why is it important to think about mental health?
Considering mental health is essential as it influences our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It also helps handle stress, build and maintain relationships, and make informed decisions.
What are the 10 importance of mental health?
The 10 importance of mental health are as listed below:
- It enhances quality of life by improving overall happiness and life satisfaction.
- Good mental health also improves physical health as it is linked to it.
- You’ll have better relationships by fostering healthier interactions with others.
- It will increase productivity as an individual with improved mental health can perform better in professional and personal endeavors.
- You can effectively manage your stress.
- It minimises the risk of mental illness as it can help prevent the onset of certain mental health conditions.
- Good mental health also enhances self-esteem as a positive mindset promotes a strong sense of self-worth.
- You’ll be better at decision-making due to clear mental faculties, which will lead to more rational and beneficial choices.
- It will increase community well-being by strengthening societal bonds and reducing stigma.
- You can have economic benefits too, as mentally healthy populations can lead to reduced healthcare costs and increased economic productivity.
How to improve mental health?
To improve your mental health, do the following:
- Talk to someone: Friends, family, or a therapist.
- Stay active: Exercise releases mood-boosting endorphins.
- Practice mindfulness: Meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.
- Get enough sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours nightly.
- Eat a balanced diet: Nutrients like omega-3s support brain health.
- Limit alcohol/drugs: They worsen anxiety and depression.
- Set boundaries: Say no to excessive stress.
- Seek professional help: Therapists or helplines.
