Resources

Mental Health

There is no on/off switch for mental health. Just as with physical health, everyone has mental health and it exists on a continuum. Although the terms ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’ are sometimes used interchangeably as though they are the same concept or dimension, this is not the case. Instead, it is helpful to consider mental illness as located towards one end of the continuum and mental health at the other end. Mental illness is identified when people experience significant distress related to their feelings, thoughts and behaviours which impairs their day-to-day functioning (e.g., going to school, maintaining friendships, self-care practices, etc.). In contrast, mental health is reflected when people are generally happy and satisfied in their lives, are emotionally well-balanced, can engage in productive activities and fulfilling relationships and have the ability to change and cope with adversity.

However, mental health does not simply mean the absence of mental illness. There is a huge difference between lack of mental illness (or diagnosis of a mental health disorder, such as anxiety or depression) and happiness, optimism and social engagement. The Canadian Mental Health Association suggests that the core characteristics of positive mental health include:

• Ability to enjoy life (e.g., being able to experience joy even while facing stresses and challenges)

• Resilience (e.g., being able to cope adaptively with problems and obstacles)

• Balance (e.g., seeing other people’s perspectives, managing your own needs with those of others)

• Self-actualization (e.g., putting your strengths and talents to use and doing things that are personally meaningful)

• Flexibility (e.g., being able to shift expectations and goals in positive and realistic ways)

Mental health is also fluid. Where a child, adolescent or adult falls on the continuum can fluctuate over time throughout their lifespan. What kind of mental health they have is often the result of individual resources and experiences, social support, various predisposing factors (e.g., genetics, early childhood experiences) and precipitating factors (e.g., stressful life events). This means that a person can experience positive mental health after treatment for a diagnosed mental illness. Similarly, a person can experience poor mental health even if he or she has no diagnosed mental illness.

When an individual is flourishing or thriving, she or he perceives oneself as having a high quality of life or well-being. She has good self-esteem, warm and trusting relationships, a sense of direction or purpose in life and a desire to develop and grow as a person. For children and adolescents, this can include feeling that they are able to influence the settings they live and learn in (e.g., negotiating curfew time with parents) and be contributing members, make developmentally appropriate decisions for themselves (e.g., who to be friends with) and have a sense of belonging and acceptance in the various groups and communities with which they are involved. An individual who is typically flourishing has normal mood fluctuations, good sleep and eating habits, appropriate attention and energy levels, performs competently in daily activities, is physically and socially active and can take setbacks in stride. When no mental illness is present, this individual may only experience significant difficulties when they have to deal with and/or feel unprepared for major life stressors and changes (e.g., death of a loved one, parents’ divorce, starting high school).

Individuals can also flourish after receiving treatment for a diagnosed mental illness (e.g., anxiety, OCD, depression, etc.). Depending on the individual, treatment may involve psychotherapy, medication and/or environmental changes (e.g., patterns of behaviour in the family, school accommodations).

When a child or adolescent has appropriate tools and strategies to cope with the features of her mental illness, there are often minimal symptoms and she can thrive in various environments and enjoy life.

Monitoring well-being is essential though in order to recognize any changes with mood and stress that she may need support with to manage and prevent any difficulties from worsening. Recovery is not an end state; it is not that an individual no longer has her mental illness, but rather her symptoms have calmed down or stabilized and she is effectively engaging in the world.

On the flip side, when an individual is languishing or only surviving, he or she perceives a low quality of life or well-being. This may be characterized by a sense of emptiness, loneliness, lack of vitality, feelings of being stuck and/or hopeless, believing that he has little control over what happens to him and being unfulfilled within his relationships and pursuits. With poor mental well-being, a child or adolescent may display a negative attitude, nervousness, irritability, trouble making decisions, withdrawal from friends and favourite activities, increased fatigue and low energy, sleep troubles, changes in appetite, procrastination, problems concentrating, decreased performance in school and other tasks, etc. Even without a diagnosed mental illness, poor well-being can really interfere with life satisfaction; ignoring these issues can result in more debilitating problems developing and possibly, mental illness.

When poor mental well-being exists in combination with mental illness, an individual’s life is very negatively impacted. He experiences significant distress and has problems functioning across settings. Children and adolescents in this kind of situation may present with low self-worth, impaired decision-making, lack of connectedness in relationships and communities, poor physical health and suicidal ideation.

Seeking immediate professional mental health support is crucial. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, about 1.2 million Canadian children and youth experience a mental illness but less than 20% receive help.

Childhood is vital time to promote positive mental health and well-being by fostering the strengths, capacities and resilience of youth. In fact, the World Federation for Mental Health (2007) has noted that over 50% of all adult mental health disorders begin before the age of 14 and many can be prevented through mental health promotion and prevention activities.

Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final

Rainer Marie Rilke

Psychologists

Psychology is the science of mind and behaviour, including perception, attention, thoughts, feelings, motivation, interpersonal relationships and psychological resilience. Psychologists are part of a regulated profession, with clear principles and ethics designed to ensure our respect for the dignity of people, responsible caring, integrity of relationships and responsibility to society.

In Ontario, doctoral level psychologists have completed a high level of education and supervised training so that we can offer evidence-based assessment and treatment. This includes completion of 4-year undergraduate degree, 2-year Master’s degree and minimum 4-year Ph.D., degree, various practicum placements and a full year internship placement. This means that what we do is supported by research and we have gone through rigorous evaluation of our knowledge and practices. Additionally, the College of Psychologists of Ontario requires that psychologists complete ongoing professional development in order to keep informed of relevant new research and best practices.

As mental health professionals, we are uniquely equipped to support children, adolescents and/or adults, families and organizations to promote well-being and resilience, not just work through times of difficulty.

Useful Resources

With an overwhelming amount of information available on the internet, it can be hard to figure out what is accurate and if it is coming from a credible source. The following websites are managed by trustworthy professionals and consist of up-to-date material:

Here are some tips based on those outlined by the Canadian Paediatric Society to help determine if websites are providing misinformation:

1. Check to see who developed and runs the website; the person or organization that produced it should be clearly identified and have contact information available. Experts should be identified, including their credentials (e.g., degrees, current positions, etc.) and the website should be endorsed by a trustworthy and respected health agency or professional association.

2. Determine where the posted information comes from and if it is based on scientific research. The website should provide references to sources for evidence (e.g., reports, statistics, journal articles).

3. Ensure the information is recent. The website should clearly show when the information was posted, reviewed or last updated.

4. Consider whether the information is presented in a professional way using clear, easy-to-understand language rather than based on anecdotal experiences of certain individuals without professional expertise in that specific area.

5. Look for signs that a website might not have a balanced point of view. Credible information is based on up-to-date knowledge that comes from proper research. Often, this is not the case when the website is selling a product or service, consists of ads, and non-experts are the main sources of opinion and information. There may be a conflict of interest when the person or organization responsible for the website makes money from the site’s advice or tries to push an agenda (e.g., a biased perspective, publicize an individual). 

6. Make sure that a website that asks for and collects any personal information has a privacy policy and clearly explains what it does with such information; reputable websites will have this whereas other websites may be misleading people about their intentions.

7. Talk to your doctor or a regulated mental health professional to find out if information is objective and accurate when you are not sure. It is likely that they have had questions similar to yours and can clarify and guide you in the right direction. They are happy to help!