2.1 What influences our mental health?
There are a range of influences on physical and mental health – some of which we can be conscious of, and others of which we may not be aware.
Different models have been proposed to help explain what influences our mental health. One of these is the medical model which views mental ill health as something which can be ‘fixed’ through medication, treatment or therapy. A psychological model considers how an individual thinks and feels and the impacts this can have on their subsequent behaviours. Taking a social model view means considering the impact of various external factors, such as employment status, educational background or social and community relationships, on health and wellbeing.
However, these factors are rarely present in isolation and Engel (1977) and others have proposed a biopsychosocial model of wellness that looks at how biological, social and psychological factors all interact to influence the physical and mental health of the individual.