THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Health
Definition: Sense of well-being, confidence and self-esteem. It enables us to fully enjoy and appreciate
other people, day-to-day life and our environment. When we are mentally healthy we can form positive
relationships, use our abilities to reach our potential, and deal with life's challenges.
Causes of a Poor Mental Health
We have to different factors who interview in this case:

Genetic factors, where there may be a family history of mental health problems.
Biological or medical factors, where there may be chronic illness
Lifestyle factors such as diet, physical exercise, drug and alcohol use and living environment
the experience of chronic or acute stress episodes including trauma or loss of a loved one
Developmental trauma including being a witness to or experiencing violence or abuse. This
may be of a physical, emotional or sexual nature during infancy, childhood and/or adolescence
Patterns of constant self-defeating, pessimistic or negative self-talk

Each person is different and every person has their own way to response.
Things that you can do to maintain a good mental health and physical

Eat a healthy, well balanced diet.

Get regular exercise throughout the week.
Get enough sleep so that you feel refreshed when you wake.
Spend time with those friends and family who value and care about you.
Take time to pay attention to how you are feeling and what you might need.
Make time for a hobby or other activity that you enjoy.
Set goals that are realistic and achievable.
Know that you are not alone, there is someone who can support you even if it seems they are
hard to find.
See a psychologist, counselor or GP for support.

The relationship between Mental and Physical health

Mental health and physical health are fundamentally linked. People living with a serious mental illness
are at higher risk of experiencing a wide range of chronic physical conditions. Conversely, people
living with chronic physical health conditions experience depression and anxiety at twice the rate of
the general population. Co-existing mental and physical conditions can diminish quality of life and lead
to longer illness duration and worse health outcomes. This situation also generates economic costs to
society due to lost work productivity and increased health service use.
Patients with both depression and physical health problems are at particular risk: The physical
problem can complicate depressions assessment and treatment by masking or mimicking its
symptoms.

People with any chronic physical disease tend to feel more psychological distress than do healthy
people. Poor physical health brings an increased risk of depression, as do the social and relationship
problems that are very common among chronically ill patients.
People living with chronic physical conditions often experience emotional stress and chronic pain,
which are both associated with the development of depression and anxiety. Experiences with disability
can also cause distress and isolate people from social supports. There is some evidence that the
more symptomatic the chronic physical condition, the more likely that a person will also experience
mental health problems. Thus, it is not surprising that people with chronic physical conditions often
self-report poor mental health.
People living with mental illnesses often face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, lack of stable
housing, and social isolation. These social factors increase the vulnerability of developing chronic
physical conditions. For example, people who are unable to afford healthier food options often
experience nutritional deficiencies. Poor nutrition is a significant risk factor for the development of
heart disease and diabetes. Similarly, it is more difficult to be physically active when living in an unsafe
or unhealthy neighborhood.
Professor David Goldberg of the Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK, reports that the rate of
depression in patients with a chronic disease is almost three times higher than normal. He explains,
Depression and chronic physical illness are in reciprocal relationship with one another: not only do
many chronic illnesses cause higher rates of depression, but depression has been shown to antedate
some chronic physical illnesses.

BIBLIOGRAFA:

http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-relationship-between-mental-and-physical-health/
http://ontario.cmha.ca/public_policy/the-relationship-between-mental-health-mental-illness-andchronic-physical-conditions/#.V897AvnhBvE
http://www.cottesloecounselling.com.au/physical-mental-health.html