Balanced Conceptualizations of Mental Health and Behavior

Introduction: Mental Health and Its Determinants

Mental health and illness are shaped by multiple, interacting psychological, biological, and social factors. Clear evidence exists for a relationship between the risk of mental illness and indicators such as poverty and low levels of education. In other studies, low income and poor housing are identified as prime determinants. Greater vulnerability to mental illness among disadvantaged community members is explained through factors such as experiences of hopelessness and insecurity, exposure to violence, rapid social change, and physical ill health. It is also well established that mental health has a direct connection to behavior. Mental, behavioral, and social health problems interact in ways that intensify their combined effects on well-being.

The individuals best positioned to perform and promote mental health — and who hold prioritized roles in doing so — include families, commercial organizations, individuals, health professionals, and communities. Decision-makers at national and local levels of government are particularly important, as their actions influence mental health in wide-ranging ways. International bodies should ensure that nations at different stages of economic development understand the relevance of mental health to community development. This diversification encourages stakeholders to assess the evidence and explore opportunities for intervening and improving mental health within affected populations (Morgan, 2013).

Mental Health, Physical Health, and Behavioral Risk Factors

Violence, substance abuse, and the abuse of children and women lead to health problems such as depression, anxiety, and heart disease. These are prevalent and difficult to address under conditions of low income, unhealthy lifestyle, high unemployment, limited education, gender discrimination, human rights violations, and stressful work conditions (Morgan, 2013). Physical and mental health are closely associated through various mechanisms, including well-documented links between depression and cardiovascular disease. The relevance of mental health to maintaining good physical health is supported by evidence from studies of recovery from physical illness and by substantive clinical discussion.

Mental health is also a key consideration for changes in a community's overall health status. Different forms of evidence illustrate that mental health and its determinants improve alongside positive changes in the physical and social environment (Videbeck, 2013). There is sufficient justification to support policy and program interventions coupled with evaluation of outcomes and processes in both low- and high-income countries. This application requires monitoring the effects on mental health of economic, environmental, and social changes across various platforms. Such actions continue to expand the evidence base, encouraging prudent interventions aimed at improving and maintaining mental health in ways that are suited to specific countries, time periods, populations, and localities (Prager, 2013).

Obesity, Physical Activity, and Energy Balance

Weight gain, obesity, and being overweight are linked to various dietary behaviors, including diets high in fat and carbohydrates and low in fiber. Behaviors in this category include frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and frequent snacking. Physical activity encompasses a broad scope of behaviors, including leisure-time activities, sports participation, work-related activities, and transport-related behavior, all of which are contributors to energy balance. Low levels of physical activity within daily routines are particularly identified as a risk behavior associated with weight gain (Videbeck, 2013). It is impossible to address single factors without also considering universal causal factors for obesity; the interaction and co-existence of specific physical activity and nutrition behaviors together determine the positive or negative energy balance experienced.

Specific behavioral determinants of positive energy balance differ across a broad range of target groups, including children. Emphasis is therefore placed on thorough epidemiological investigations. Studies of the behavioral causes of weight gain provide the basis for examining determinants, with particular behaviors pointing to important methodological considerations (Leach & Aten, 2013). Selective reviews of available evidence across various cultures and countries document how policy, advocacy, project development, regulatory and legislative reforms, research, communications, and evaluation are monitored and achieved in environments at various stages of economic development. The mental health perspective considers different strategies aimed at growing the evidence base and determining cost-effectiveness for actions. International organizations play critical roles in generating and applying this evidence, encouraging social action necessary for monitoring impacts on mental health and for establishing consistent practices and policies (Prager, 2013).