February is Psychology Month, a time to turn our attention to our mental well-being. Psychology Month highlights Canadian psychologists' contributions to this field and increases Canadians' knowledge of psychology. This in turn can help people to live healthy and happy lives, communities to flourish, employers to create better workplaces, and governments to develop effective policies.
Mental Health or Mental Illness?
Mental health includes our emotions, feelings of connectedness to others, thoughts and feelings, and the ability to manage life's highs and lows. Mental illnesses are caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, personality, and environmental factors.
Life events such as violence and trauma during childhood or adulthood can give rise to mental health and substance use problems if support for recovery is not available or sought. Problematic substance use is sometimes linked to poor mental health or mental illness; it can be a coping strategy for untreated trauma, pain, challenging thoughts or emotions, or other health symptoms. The symptoms of mental illnesses can be treated and very often managed effectively; with the proper support, people with mental illnesses can thrive.
Take our quiz today to test your knowledge about mental health and overall psychology month!
To learn more about this critical month, visit the pages linked below: