The Rise of Mental Illness and Tips to Improve Mental Health
Mental illnesses can come about from stressful life situations such as financial problems, a loved one’s death or divorce, ongoing chronic medical conditions (ex. diabetes), traumatic experiences, etc. Additionally, many mental illnesses are genetic and can run in the family, but that is not the only factor. There are many additional environmental and social factors in today’s daily activities that can increase mental illness and one major event, such as the pandemic, was also a situation that increased mental illness.
The differentiation between mental illness vs. mental health is that, “A person can experience poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness. Likewise, a person diagnosed with a mental illness can experience periods of physical, mental, and social well-being” (CDC.gov).
Due to the pandemic, individuals have disconnected from friends, family, and places that they may have been used to seeing or visiting on a regular basis. Mental illnesses were already common previously but it is even more so growing since the pandemic and people are not paying attention to the early warning signs. Mental illnesses develop gradually whereas other times, it doesn’t appear until a stressful event triggers them.
There are many different mental illnesses and these are all disorders that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. Some examples of these are depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors.
Additional Factors Affecting Mental Illness
Other factors that contribute to one’s mental illness are environment and lifestyle. One of which is physical environmental factors. If an individual does not have the resources to consume whole, nutrient-rich foods, and relies more so on processed and refined foods, this will affect their body and their brain as it will not function at an optimal level. This can mean that if they are dealt with a difficult situation then their body may not be able to handle the situation accordingly. Poor nutrition can be a factor that increases mental illnesses which justifies that nutrition is not only important to one’s physical health, but it is just as important to one’s mental health as well. Other physical environmental factors can include lack of sleep, smoking, substance abuse, and extreme weather conditions.
One’s social environment can also be a factor. If one does not have a strong social support system whether that be through friends or family, it can make coping much harder for the individual. Other social environmental factors can include, poverty, early loss of a parent, lack of meaningful work, lack of self-care, or even toxic relationships.
Within social environment, a contribution to the growth of mental illness is screen time. There is a happy balance where screen time can have a positive effect on your life as it allows you to stay connected with others and when mindful about screen time, it is linked to positive well-being. This was especially important during the pandemic when individuals were not able to participate in face to face meetings. However, “excessive screen time is reported to be associated with a range of negative mental health outcomes such as psychological problems, low emotional stability, and greater risk for depression or anxiety” (Pandya and Lodha, 2021).
Screen time has grown exponentially over the years, and not only was it a tool during the pandemic, screens are constantly keeping individuals engaged and increasing the average amount of hours previously spent with screens.
Tips on Improving Mental Health
There are possibilities to improve one’s mental illness. Some of these include:
- Staying active and getting physical exercise
- Stay connected with friends and family (and when possible meet in person rather than virtually)
- Get out more — leave the comfort of your home and be out in the fresh air
- Sleep quality — avoid stimulants before bed, take time to wind down, and set a routine around bedtime
- Be mindful of coping mechanisms — many habits are healthy such as exercise, going for a walk, and taking time for self-care but there are unhealthy coping mechanisms such as turning to drugs and/or alcohol, unnecessary retail spending, or turning to junk food constantly
- Discuss — find a professional that you can talk to or are open to
Whenever dealing with mental health or mental illnesses, remember, you are never alone. It’s time to get rid of the stigma around mental illnesses. When need be, do not be afraid to reach out to a health professional for help.
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Resources
Allen, M. S., Walter, E. E., and Swann, C. (2019). Sedentary Behaviour and Risk of Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J. Affect. Disord. 242, 5–13. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021. About Mental Health. [online] Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm#:~:text=Although%20the%20terms%20are%20often,%2C%20and%20social%20well%2Dbeing.>
Pandya, A. and Lodha, P., 2021. Social Connectedness, Excessive Screen Time During COVID-19 and Mental Health: A Review of Current Evidence. Frontiers in Human Dynamics, 3.
World Health Organization. 2022. Mental disorders. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders>
