Mental Health: what is mental health?

The field of mental health is full of disputed terminology with many different definitions, influenced by age, class and gender, people’s experiences and expectations, and cultural and religious beliefs.  Mental health influences how we think and feel, about ourselves and others, and how we interpret events.  It affects our capacity to learn, to communicate and to form, sustain and end relationships.  It also influences our ability to cope with change, transition and life events. See “Mental Health Improvement ‘concepts and definitions 'Concepts and Definitions' (476kB)(Scottish Executive 2004) for further information.

In addition, the 1997 European commission Key Concepts (2604kb) project , was set up to develop and evaluate the best options for the key concepts of mental health promotion in Europe. The project concluded that mental health has both a positive (i.e. well being) and a negative (i.e. mental ill health) dimension. The positive dimension refers to the concepts of well-being and the ability to cope in the face of adversity. The negative dimension relates to negative symptoms defined as psychological distress and to mental disorders along a medical definition established through recognised classifications.

These webpages will cover the whole of mental health. In other words, both mental well being (i.e. positive mental health) and mental ill health.