2 The difference between positive and negative mental health
Positive mental health refers to positive emotions and good mental functioning. This means that an individual is able to be productive, cope with the ordinary (or usual) ups and downs and stresses of life and to use their abilities to realise their potential. Negative mental health is when someone is not able to function well and experiences negative thoughts. These can, sometimes increasingly, dominate their life and impair their functioning in everyday life.
In relation to adult learners, positive mental health means the individual is able to make a positive contribution within studying environments by forming relationships, feeling connected, being confident and able to engage with their study. These capacities have been shown to increase the individual’s peace of mind, happiness and sense of contentment (The Faculty of Public Health, 2022).
However, positive mental health is not necessarily about feeling happy all of the time but is more about being able to cope with the life stresses that may occur on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and being able to continue to live well, study well and work well (World Health Organisation, 2022).
Activity 1 Exploring positive mental health
- Look again at Case study 2 (Nicola’s situation) in the following document: Case studies. In Week 1 you may have explored the social determinants that were potentially affecting her mental health, such as being a single mother and unable to afford her own home.
- This time consider her individual characteristics. Do you think her ability to cope with daily stresses is likely to be weak or strong? Do you think that overall she is likely to have positive or negative mental health? What impact do you think her characteristic may have on her learning?
Discussion
We know that Nicola experiences mild depression (often described as persistent or reoccurring low mood that interferes with everyday activities, relationships and behaviours) and there are occasions (possibly days or weeks) when her mental health may not be good. You can find more information on Mind’s website. However, we also know that she has been able to cope as a young, single mother, as she is caring for her child, and that she has accepted living back with her parents so that she can study. She is highly motivated to study for a qualification because in the longer term she wants to be able to work part-time to afford her own home and support her child.
In this example, Nicola’s mental health may fluctuate and be poor at times, but her overall mental wellbeing could be positive because of her ambitions and progress towards them. Therefore, as you saw in Week 1, mental health may best be understood as just one component of mental wellbeing, as it is possible for Nicola to experience episodes of poor mental health but still having good mental wellbeing overall.
Nicola’s case also illustrates the concept of a continuum of mental health, as introduced in Week 1 (Section 1.1 and Activity 2). Nicola may be high up towards the ‘optimal mental health’ end of the line some of the time and further down towards the ‘poor mental health’ end at others.
Mental health is therefore more than just the absence of mental disorders and, as you have seen, it exists on a complex continuum, experienced differently from one learner to the next. Learners with mental health conditions may experience lower levels of mental wellbeing, but this is not always the case (World Health Organisation, 2022). With the right support, anyone can live well and work towards their goals (Jacob, 2015; Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division, 2022; Kroeker, 2022). This includes the pursuit of educational achievements and highlights the importance of your role as an educator.