Is Your Mental Health Under Your Control?
Interestingly however, we found that—whether or not our respondents had actually taken action to improve their mental well-being—people who believed they could do something to keep mentally healthy tended to have higher mental well-being than those who didn’t have this belief. So while it’s most beneficial to take steps to improve your mental health, even just believing you can improve it is associated with better overall mental well-being. Though our study didn’t look at the reasons for this link between belief and better mental health, it could be explained by a psychological concept known as the “well-being locus of control.” According to this concept, people who have an internal well-being locus of control believe that their own attitudes and behavior control their well-being. On the other hand, people with an external well-being locus of control think their mental well-being is largely controlled by factors or circumstances outside their control (such as by other people or by chance). It’s possible that having an internal well-being locus of control may subconsciously influence one’s outlook, lifestyle, or coping mechanisms. This in turn may also affect mental health—and previous research has linked this type of belief to fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. This concept may explain why participants who believe they can do something to change their mental health are also more likely to have a high level of mental well-being. And this finding in itself has enormous preventative potential, as a high level of mental well-being is associated with a 69 to 90 percent lower risk of developing a common mental disorder. Keep Mentally Healthy We know from a large body of research that there are many simple things people can do in their day to day to support and even improve their mental health. This is why we developed the Act-Belong-Commit campaign, which provides a research-based mental health “ABC” that can be used by everyone, regardless of whether they’re struggling with a mental health problem or not. Act: Keep physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually active. Do something—such as going for walks, reading, playing games, or taking up a hobby. An active mind and body can foster well-being and help quell overthinking or worrying about things that may be outside of your control. Belong: Keep up friendships and close social ties, engage in group activities, and participate in community events. Do something with someone—whether that’s going to dinner with friends or joining a recreational sports league. Spending time with other people can help you feel more connected and build a sense of identity. Commit: Set goals and challenges, engage in activities that provide meaning and purpose in life, including taking up causes and volunteering to help others. Do something meaningful. This can help you build a sense of meaning, mattering, and self-worth. All three of these domains are fundamental to good mental health. Doing just some of these activities is associated with a range of well-being benefits, including higher life satisfaction, and lower risk of mental disorders, problematic alcohol use, and even cognitive impairment. Feeling active, socially connected, and engaged in meaningful activities is generally linked with better health and a longer lifespan. As part of our study, we were able to show that knowing these ABC principles can make an important difference. Among those who knew about them, about 80 percent said that the ABCs had given them new knowledge about what they can do to support their mental health, and about 15 percent said they had also taken action to enhance it. We should view the current mental health crisis as a wake-up call about how critically important it is that people be equipped with tools that may help them to support and maintain good mental health. The results of our study may serve to remind us just how much of an impact we can have ourselves when it comes to looking after our own mental well-being—even if it’s just believing we can. Ziggi Ivan Santini, mental health researcher, University of Southern Denmark; Charlotte Meilstrup, postdoctoral fellow, University of Copenhagen; Line Nielsen, postdoctoral research fellow, University of Copenhagen; Rob Donovan, adjunct professor, The University of Western Australia, and Vibeke Jenny Koushede, professor and head of the department of psychology, University of Copenhagen. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Interestingly however, we found that—whether or not our respondents had actually taken action to improve their mental well-being—people who believed they could do something to keep mentally healthy tended to have higher mental well-being than those who didn’t have this belief.
So while it’s most beneficial to take steps to improve your mental health, even just believing you can improve it is associated with better overall mental well-being.
Though our study didn’t look at the reasons for this link between belief and better mental health, it could be explained by a psychological concept known as the “well-being locus of control.” According to this concept, people who have an internal well-being locus of control believe that their own attitudes and behavior control their well-being. On the other hand, people with an external well-being locus of control think their mental well-being is largely controlled by factors or circumstances outside their control (such as by other people or by chance).
It’s possible that having an internal well-being locus of control may subconsciously influence one’s outlook, lifestyle, or coping mechanisms. This in turn may also affect mental health—and previous research has linked this type of belief to fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
This concept may explain why participants who believe they can do something to change their mental health are also more likely to have a high level of mental well-being. And this finding in itself has enormous preventative potential, as a high level of mental well-being is associated with a 69 to 90 percent lower risk of developing a common mental disorder.
Keep Mentally Healthy
We know from a large body of research that there are many simple things people can do in their day to day to support and even improve their mental health. This is why we developed the Act-Belong-Commit campaign, which provides a research-based mental health “ABC” that can be used by everyone, regardless of whether they’re struggling with a mental health problem or not.
Act: Keep physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually active. Do something—such as going for walks, reading, playing games, or taking up a hobby. An active mind and body can foster well-being and help quell overthinking or worrying about things that may be outside of your control.
Belong: Keep up friendships and close social ties, engage in group activities, and participate in community events. Do something with someone—whether that’s going to dinner with friends or joining a recreational sports league. Spending time with other people can help you feel more connected and build a sense of identity.
Commit: Set goals and challenges, engage in activities that provide meaning and purpose in life, including taking up causes and volunteering to help others. Do something meaningful. This can help you build a sense of meaning, mattering, and self-worth.
All three of these domains are fundamental to good mental health. Doing just some of these activities is associated with a range of well-being benefits, including higher life satisfaction, and lower risk of mental disorders, problematic alcohol use, and even cognitive impairment. Feeling active, socially connected, and engaged in meaningful activities is generally linked with better health and a longer lifespan.
As part of our study, we were able to show that knowing these ABC principles can make an important difference. Among those who knew about them, about 80 percent said that the ABCs had given them new knowledge about what they can do to support their mental health, and about 15 percent said they had also taken action to enhance it.
We should view the current mental health crisis as a wake-up call about how critically important it is that people be equipped with tools that may help them to support and maintain good mental health. The results of our study may serve to remind us just how much of an impact we can have ourselves when it comes to looking after our own mental well-being—even if it’s just believing we can.
Ziggi Ivan Santini, mental health researcher, University of Southern Denmark; Charlotte Meilstrup, postdoctoral fellow, University of Copenhagen; Line Nielsen, postdoctoral research fellow, University of Copenhagen; Rob Donovan, adjunct professor, The University of Western Australia, and Vibeke Jenny Koushede, professor and head of the department of psychology, University of Copenhagen. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.