Determinants of Mental Health


There are some aspects of your life that are good indicators of mental health (positive or negative). The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) lists three of the most important factors being:
 
  • social inclusion
  • freedom from discrimination and violence
  • access to economic resources
woman in black jacket and 4 dogs walking on dirt path
Pexels

Click each collapsible row for more information.

This means having some sort of network that you feel connected to. It can be made up of friends, family, trusted adults, or even pets. The more you feel connected or included with your network, the higher chance you have of being mentally healthy.
This factor means being free from any form of discrimination (for example: racism, sexism, ageism), as well as violence will help to increase your mental health. While it may seem as though this factor is not within your control, you do have the ability to choose what environments to spend your leisure time in, as well as who you spend your time with. These choices can have a significant impact on this factor.
While it has not been scientifically proven that money makes someone happy, there have been studies that hint that a moderate amount of income can help to improve mental health. Being able to have a choice because of less economic restraints allows for less stress.