Mental health (assessment and psychoeducation
Mental health is now understood as inextricably linked to overall health and longevity.
In recent decades, health researchers have increasingly focused on lifestyle as a key determinant of health. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of factors related to individual health and quality of life are correlated with lifestyle. Millions of people lead unhealthy lifestyles, which contributes to various conditions, diseases, disabilities and even death. Problems such as metabolic disorders, joint and bone issues, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, overweight and mental health challenges can all be caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Lifestyle factors relevant to health that we can actively and positively influence (at least partially) include diet and body weight, sleep quality, physical activity, quality of social interactions, substance use (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, technology), controlled health care and stress management. Stress, in particular, has become a common global condition: social distancing, isolation, fear, loneliness, health crises, divorce, loss of family or friends, unemployment and financial instability are all events that lead to psychological stress. This stress plays an important role in the development of many illnesses such as inflammatory bowel diseases, skin disorders, cardiovascular diseases and obesity through neurological, metabolic and immune pathways.
What is stress?
Stress is a physiological and/or psychological response to internal or external stressors - stimuli that our body perceives as a demand or threat. This response involves changes that affect nearly every system in the body, including how people feel and behave. Stress can be acute, short-term, situational and even beneficial, helping us solve problems or complete tasks. However, in the context of health we usually refer to chronic stress which is long-term and/or undefined, exhausting processes that make daily functioning difficult.
The physiological response to stress involves the complex interaction of several body systems - structures located in the central nervous system, peripheral body and autonomic nervous system. These closely interact with the immune system which is the third major component of the body's stress response system. This complex dynamic underlies the impact of (mainly chronic) stress on health and makes it a significant risk factor for illness.
Psychologically, people experiencing (chronic) stress often struggle to relax, experience a wide range of emotions and affects - often negative ones such as anxiety and irritability, have trouble concentrating and may suffer from headaches, bodily pain, upset stomach or sleep problems. They often lose their appetite or eat more than usual. Chronic stress can worsen pre-existing health issues and increase the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other substances.
Stressful situations can also cause or worsen mental health conditions, most commonly anxiety and depression, which require clinical care. When we suffer from a mental health condition, it may be because our stress symptoms have become chronic and are starting to impact our everyday functioning including work, school, family and other areas.
Brief assessment and psychoeducation on maintaining mental health, disease prevention, well-being and quality of life
Supporting mental health aims to promote long-term health, strengthen resilience to stress and subjective well-being, enhance quality of life and prevent various physical and mental health conditions.
Increasing motivation to abandon risky health behaviors (e.g. smoking, alcohol consumption, low self-care) and adopt positive ones (healthy sleep rhythm, balanced diet, physical and social activity, etc.), creating a health-positive lifestyle, improving understanding of the psychological and physical changes that occur during adult developmental phases, managing stress and strengthening psychological resilience and positive affect are just some of the ways we can learn, adopt and integrate into daily life. By doing so, we can positively influence our own health, sense of well-being and quality of life at any age - thus also impacting our longevity.
Take care of your mental health and discover how small but targeted lifestyle changes can increase your resilience to stress, improve your daily functioning and enhance your long-term quality of life.