People use the words mental health all the time, but they do not always mean the same thing. Some use it to mean a diagnosis. Some use it to mean stress. Others use it to mean being happy. Public health agencies use the term in a more specific way, and knowing that meaning makes it easier to talk about your own health and to notice when something needs attention.
Three trusted definitions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes mental health as "the component of behavioral health that includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being." The CDC adds that it is a state of well-being that lets a person cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) uses nearly the same wording: "Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being." MedlinePlus, the health information service of the National Library of Medicine, says the same thing: "Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being."
Three separate public health sources land on the same short sentence. That agreement is useful. It tells you the definition is not one organization's opinion. It is the working definition used in health information for the public in the United States.
What the definition leaves out
Notice what these definitions do not say. They do not say that mental health means feeling happy all the time. They do not say it means having no hard days. They also do not say it is a label for someone who is unwell.
Every person has mental health, in the same way every person has physical health. Some days it is stronger and some days it is weaker. The word describes where you are, not what is wrong with you.
Emotional, psychological and social
The three words in the definition each point at a different part of life. Emotional well-being has to do with how you feel. Psychological well-being has to do with how you think and make sense of things. Social well-being has to do with how you connect with other people. The next article in this series looks at each of the three in more detail.
For now, the main point is that mental health is a wide idea. It covers feelings, thoughts and relationships together, not just one of them.
Coping, learning, working and contributing
The CDC definition names four things a state of well-being makes possible. You can cope with the stresses of life. You can realize your abilities. You can learn well and work well. You can contribute to your community.
These are ordinary, practical things. They are the things that make up a school day, a work week or a weekend with family. When mental health is strong, these tasks tend to feel manageable. When it is under strain, they can feel harder than they used to.
This is why mental health is not a topic only for people with a diagnosis. It is a part of how any person gets through a normal day.
How it shows up in daily life
Because mental health affects thinking, feeling and acting, it can show up in many places. It can show up in how you handle a disagreement, how you decide between two options, or how you react when plans change.
MedlinePlus lists some signs that a person may be struggling: a change in eating or sleeping habits, withdrawing from the people and activities you enjoy, feeling helpless or hopeless, smoking, drinking or using drugs more than usual, and not being able to perform daily tasks like caring for your kids or getting to work or school.
One of these signs on one bad day is part of life. A cluster of them that lasts is worth paying attention to.
Why a clear definition helps
When everyone uses the word differently, conversations about mental health get confused. A person who thinks the term only means illness may avoid the subject because it feels like it does not apply to them. A person who thinks it only means mood may overlook problems with sleep, focus or relationships.
A plain definition fixes that. Mental health is emotional, psychological and social well-being, and everyone has it. That makes it easier to ask a friend how they are really doing, and easier to notice a change in yourself.
When to ask for help
NIMH advises people to reach out to a health care provider if they have severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted 2 weeks or more. Examples it gives include trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, trouble concentrating, loss of interest in things you usually enjoy, and ongoing irritability.
If you are in crisis or worried about your safety, NIMH points people to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can call or text 988 at any time. The service is free and confidential.
This article is general information and not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your own care.