Mental Wellness

Issue Overview

What is mental wellness?

The term "mental wellness" indicates a positive state of mental health, free from a range of mental problems. But there are things present in our day-to-day lives that can harm our mental health - financial problems, job stress, bad relationships, and physical limitations, to name a few. There are also some less obvious ones - loneliness that begins in elders after the death of a spouse, the strain of caring both for parents and children that falls on those in their middle ages, and the pressure to finish school, find a job, and begin an independent life that weighs down on teenagers and young adults. All of these situations can have an adverse effect on mental wellness.

Why is this important to me?

Each of us could be faced with a ...

...mental health challenge at some point in our lives. We often think about people who have mental illness as being different from us, unusual, and a little scary. The truth is that most with mental health issues are just like us, and only 6% or fewer have the most severe forms of mental illnesses that are outwardly recognizable.

What can I do to help?

As an individual, you can advance mental wellness in your community.

• Stay informed. Learn to recognize the symptoms of mental health problems, and don't ignore them. 
• Fight the stigma. Remind people, including yourself, that It's Okay to Get Help!  
• Advocate by letting your legislators know how important the issue is, and point out actions that they can take to support mental health and those dealing with mental illness. 

People with mental illness need social and emotional supports in the community to facilitate the process of recovery and to prevent negative outcomes such as homelessness, unnecessary hospitalization, and incarceration. Palm Beach County must provide the types of treatment options needed by those with serious mental illness to avoid negative outcomes. In addition, we need to develop strategies that will encourage people with mental illness to comply with treatment and medication requirements