Mental health
Mental health is important at every stage of life - childhood, adolescence and adulthood - and is defined by a psychological level of well-being characterized by the functionality of the human being in satisfactory conditions of emotional, behavioral, biological and social adaptation. Mental health gives a person the ability to enjoy life, to identify a balance between activities, daily experiences and psychological adaptation efforts in the context of one's own value system.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health includes "subjective well-being, sense of self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, self-actualization of intellectual and emotional potential, among others." The WHO further states that the well-being of human beings is contained in the manifestation of their abilities, in the ability to cope with stress in normal conditions of life, productive work and contribution to their community. However, cultural differences, subjective assessments and competing professional theories may bring different points of view on how to define and approach the concept of "mental health".
A person who has health and behavioral problems may experience stress, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, pain, addiction, ADHD or learning disabilities, mood disorders, or other psychological problems. Counselors, psychotherapists, life coaches, psychologists, health care practitioners or doctors can help manage health problems, according to specific professional qualifications and methods.
Mental health influenced by numerous factors
Costs and incidence Mental health is influenced by numerous factors (genetic, biological, psychological, and social). Poor mental health is associated with drastic social changes, a stressful work environment, gender discrimination, social exclusion, an unhealthy lifestyle, the existence of some diseases, and the violation of human rights. Mental health conditions, unlike mental illnesses, can appear in the context of important events and situations marked by strong stress in private life or at work. According to the figures presented by the European Commission in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health problems affected approximately 84 million people in the member states of the European Union. The total costs of mental illnesses were estimated in 2018 at approx. 4% of GDP (more than EUR 600 billion) in the 28 EU countries, and the pandemic worsened the situation through the effects it produced: isolation, financial instability, and the loss of close people. In the new Eurobarometer survey (2022), 38% of respondents stated that the pandemic had negatively affected their personal income. The percentage in Romania was 50%. Among the women interviewed in Romania, 48% considered that the pandemic had a major impact on the balance between personal and professional life; 37% declared themselves stressed and fearful; and 21% of women either intend to or have already decided to reduce permanent time allocated to paid work. In a 2014 report by the European Commission regarding the promotion of mental health at work, a total value of 136 billion euros was exclusively estimated for costs generated by productivity associated with absenteeism caused by mental illnesses (2007). Of the mentioned costs, 99 billion euros were related to depression and disorders that evolve into anxiety. The costs generated by mental disorders were at that time comparable to those of cardiovascular diseases. Another important aspect is the fact that these amounts are not related to treatments, social insurance, or other costs charged to society in general
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