The misconception that could change the way we look at mental health

It’s possible for people with a mental illness to have as good a wellbeing as those who are deemed “mentally healthy”. These were among the findings of a new study, published on Thursday inEarly in her research career, Associate Professor Justine Gatt, lead author of the study, focused on understanding anxiety and depression. She started to wonder why some people coped better with life’s adversities.

“It’s assumed that mental health is this single spectrum. So you’ve got illness on one side and wellness on the other when really it’s two,” says Gatt, the director of Neuroscience Research Australia’s Centre for Wellbeing, Resilience and Recovery, and UNSW Psychology. For instance, in healthy adolescents, more than 10 per cent reported poor wellbeing. In contrast, nearly 65 per cent of participants with a psychiatric diagnosis reported moderate wellbeing, and a small percentage had high wellbeing.If a person who is diagnosed with depression or anxiety receives the right treatment and medication, they can still flourish. “They’ve still got this condition, but it’s under control,” she says. “So they can live thriving lives.

For this reason, Gatt and her team wanted to test the efficacy of a wellbeing tool they originally developed for adults in 2014.There are many lifestyle factors which can mitigate the risk of depression.“You can identify specific genes separate to anxiety and depression symptoms,” she explains. But it also means that more than 50 per cent of our wellbeing comes down to environment.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Footage shows China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft landing on far side of the MoonFootage of China's uncrewed spacecraft landing on the far side of the Moon has been released by Chinese media.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

China’s lunar probe makes first successful takeoff from far side of moonState media hails ‘unprecedented feat’ as Chang’e-6 begins journey back to Earth carrying samples
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »

China’s Chang’e-6 probe lands on far side of the moon aiming to return first samples to EarthSpacecraft to collect samples from rarely explored area before attempting unprecedented liftoff from ‘dark side’ for trip home
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »

China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe returns world’s first samples from far side of the moonRe-entry capsule containing precious cargo from mission has parachuted into Inner Mongolia
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »

The misconception that could change the way we look at mental healthA new study highlights that the presence of illness does not mean an absence of wellbeing.
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

The misconception that could change the way we look at mental healthA new study highlights that the presence of illness does not mean an absence of wellbeing.
Source: brisbanetimes - 🏆 13. / 67 Read more »