The words we use in describing the area of worksite health field matter. And you really do want to comprehend the words you’re using, right? Since words matter, it’s essential to be clear about how keywords used in the area are defined. For instance, do the conditions mental health and mental illness mean the same thing? Can they be used interchangeably?

Mental health

The problem of what words mean plays itself out in several areas within the area of worksite wellness, not only in the arena of mental health. Wellness refers to the degree to which one feels enthusiastic and positive about life. It has the ability to manage one’s feelings and associated behaviours, including the realistic assessment of a person’s liberty, limits, and ability to deal effectively with stress. The published models all show that health is a multi-dimensional idea. Illness denotes the existence or absence of disorder.

Mental illness refers to conditions that influence cognition, emotion, and behaviour. These conditions could include: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD. Research indicates that mental illness, particularly depression, is closely associated with different diseases. Mental health is positive psychological functioning which highlights growth, meaning, and private ability.

Good to know

Mental health also covers empathy, control, creativity, love, confidence, endurance, spirituality. Research into mental health has discovered that it affects physical health and biological function. Research demonstrates that high positive influence as measured in terms of happiness, joy, contentment, and excitement is connected with reduced morbidity, increased longevity, reduced health symptoms, better endocrine system function, better immune system reaction, lower inflammatory response and reduced blood pressure.

Wellbeing refers to a condition of happiness, being content and joyful, low levels of distress, with generally positive cognitive and physical health, a positive attitude and having a fantastic quality of life. Like health, health is also a multi-dimensional idea. Recovery from mental illness and substance abuse should be viewed as a bridge between illness and health. Researchers have clearly documented the lack of mental illness doesn’t necessarily indicate the existence of mental health.

Take note

Mental illness and mental health are separate dimensions.

• Mental health and mental illness are rooted in a dynamic and complex biopsychosocial model of disease and health.
• Recent studies demonstrate that higher levels of wellbeing and wellness are linked with greater regulation of biological systems that functions as a protective effect on great physical health.
• Just as different levels of health risk stratification need different health related programming, different approaches are needed for different mental illness sub-populations.

Conclusion

As our understanding and study results have improved over time, our definitions for health, health and mental health have shifted. Additionally it is important to recognize that in addition to understanding what these terms mean, these phrases are operationalized in the office is also critically important, if not more so. The classic example of this being health. Worksite wellness today isn’t wellness in any respect, but actually employee health status direction.