Abstract
AbstractPeople from all walks of life can suffer from mental health problems such as low mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive problems, even hearing voices. In extreme circumstances, people can begin to fear that other people are plotting to harm them, and some of us even take our own lives. While it is overwhelmingly true that traumatic experiences or on-going deprivation or abuse are possible factors that contribute to psychological problems, there remains an apparent capriciousness to mental health problems. Some people seem to rise above trauma; other people are plagued by great misery without obvious external causes. There is a tendency to explain these differences as reflecting personal, even biological, vulnerabilities. This article is published as part of a collection entitled “On balance: lifestyle, mental health and wellbeing”.
Highlights
People from all walks of life can suffer from mental health problems such as low mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive problems, even hearing voices
Because we actively make sense of the world, and because the framework of understanding that we develop shapes our perceptions, we can find our perspective on the world, our self-concept and the future can spiral into black holes of depression or paranoia from which it is difficult to escape
There are many reasons why psychological health should be a priority for the government (Kinderman, 2015b), and there is an absolute moral imperative to protect the mental and psychological health of citizens, and especially children
Summary
There are many reasons why psychological health should be a priority for the government (Kinderman, 2015b), and there is an absolute moral imperative to protect the mental and psychological health of citizens, and especially children. All human behaviour can be explained in terms of neurological functioning When it comes to unusual or distressing behaviour, it is clear that medication (like many other substances, including alcohol and street drugs) has a clear effect on our neurotransmitters, and on our emotions and behaviour (Moncrieff and Cohen, 2006). We learn to respond in certain ways to events and experiences, and there is increasing evidence that even severe mental health problems are not merely the result of faulty genes or brain chemicals. They are a result of learning: a natural and normal response to the terrible things that can happen to us and shape our view of the world. If a person is raised in an environment where they learn that actions are unlikely to be rewarded; where threats are imminent and unavoidable; where there is little expectation of success or reward; and where failure or loss are highly likely, if not inevitable; we will develop a framework for understanding and responding to challenging events that leaves us highly vulnerable
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