According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is the well-being that a person experiences as a result of their proper functioning in cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects, and ultimately, using their potential for coexistence, work, and recreation. Health is one of human beings’ basic needs, which is why governments, communities, families, and individuals must always worry about maintaining optimal levels.
Mental health is determined by social, environmental, biological, and psychological factors and includes conditions such as depression, anxiety, epilepsy, dementia, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders in childhood, some of which have worsened in recent years.
The relationship between physical and mental health is very close since there is a wide variety of diseases that result in clearly identified mental disorders and those that have been called secondary, among which endocrine, heart, immune, and neurological diseases predominate.
An example of this is diabetic patients, a condition suffered by 10% of the population and that causes depressive disorders and secondary personality changes. Also, more than 50% of patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) have mental disorders, mainly mood disorders.
Quality of life and self-determination are two concepts that recently have been the subject of studies to find their relationship with each other to improve the living conditions of people who suffer from mental illness and their families.
Quality of life is a state of general satisfaction, derived from the realization of the person’s potential. It is a subjective sensation of physical, psychological, and social well-being. Subjective aspects include intimacy, emotional expression, perceived safety, personal productivity, and objective health. And objective aspects are material well-being, being in harmony with the physical and social environment and with the community, and objectively perceived health.
A relevant aspect is the evaluation of psychological factors, which have become a key characteristic for measuring the quality of life. Health is one of the main components since it directly influences a person’s daily activities and indirectly as it affects other aspects of their quality of life, such as social relationships, leisure, and autonomy.
It is important to see your doctor to achieve harmony between your physical and mental health. At the ABC Medical Center, there is a multidisciplinary team of medical specialists with the firm purpose of taking care of you.
At the Neurological Center of the ABC Medical Center we can give you specialized care. Contact us!
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With information from the Social Policy Division.
