Example of How Mental And Emotional Health Can Affect Behavior at BrighterDay

Impact of Mental Health on Behavior

Mental health significantly influences how individuals think, behave, and interact with others. Understanding the connection between mental and emotional health and behavior provides a more comprehensive perspective on human behavior. It underscores the importance of addressing mental health concerns for overall well-being and functioning.

Social and Economic Effects

Neglecting mental health can affect various aspects of our lives such as work, school, and interpersonal relationships. Poor mental health may lead to decreased energy and motivation, headaches, digestive-related issues, nervousness, mood changes, disrupted sleep, changes in appetite, lack of focus and concentration, constant worry, substance use, emotional dysregulation, or low self-esteem.

Economic factors also play a significant role in mental health and behavior. Unemployment, precarious employment, and employment conditions are routinely linked to increased psychological distress and mental health challenges in various countries. Similarly, poor mental health is prevalent among individuals with lower incomes and significant financial strain.

Discrimination based on race/ethnicity, immigrant status, sexual orientation, and occupational status is associated with negative mental health outcomes [2]. On a positive note, social support, community belonging, and trust in others are significantly associated with better mental health outcomes.

Environmental Influences

The environment we live in can also impact our mental health and, in turn, our behaviors. Neighborhood characteristics, such as urbanicity, neighborhood safety, and access to green spaces, influence mental health outcomes. For example, residents of rural areas have a higher prevalence of mental disorders compared to urban residents. Satisfaction with living environment and neighborhood safety are linked to lower levels of depression.

These findings highlight the crucial role of economic, social, and environmental factors in shaping mental health and influencing behavior. They provide a real-life example of how mental and emotional health can affect behavior, emphasizing the importance of maintaining good mental health for optimal social functioning and well-being.

Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Behavior

Understanding the relationship between self-esteem and behavior is crucial in unraveling the complexities of how mental and emotional health can affect behavior. Self-esteem is your subjective sense of overall personal worth or value, and it plays a significant role in influencing your motivation, mental well-being, and overall quality of life [3].

Self-Esteem Dynamics

Self-esteem is not stagnant; it tends to be lowest in childhood, increases during adolescence and adulthood, and eventually reaches a fairly stable and enduring level. This dynamic nature of self-esteem makes it similar to the stability of personality traits over time.

However, having self-esteem that is either too high or too low can be problematic. Individuals with low self-esteem tend to feel less sure of their abilities, may doubt their decision-making process, have issues with relationships, and experience low levels of confidence. Conversely, individuals with excessively high self-esteem may struggle with relationships, have difficulty accepting criticism, and may overestimate their skills [3].

Behavioral Implications

The link between self-esteem and behavior is profound. Self-esteem impacts your decision-making process, your relationships, your emotional health, and your overall well-being. It also influences motivation, as individuals with a healthy view of themselves understand their potential and may feel inspired to take on new challenges.

On the other hand, low self-esteem has the potential to lead to various mental health disorders, including anxiety and depressive disorders. It may also make it difficult to pursue goals and maintain healthy relationships, thus increasing the risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Thus, a balanced level of self-esteem is crucial for healthy behavior and mental well-being. It is an essential facet of mental health that requires attention and care, further emphasizing the importance of mental and emotional health in shaping behavior.

Mental Health Disorders and Decision-Making

Understanding the link between mental health disorders and decision-making can help shed light on the behavioral changes that often accompany these conditions. This is an example of how mental and emotional health can affect behavior, influencing an individual's daily actions and interactions.

Cognitive Impact of Mental Disorders

Mental disorders can significantly influence an individual's cognitive processes, which in turn, affects their decision-making abilities. For instance, people with schizophrenia can have trouble understanding the relationship between their actions and outcomes, leading them to continuously select less valuable options despite knowing better [4].

Similarly, stimulant dependence can lead to difficulties in adapting to changing environments. This makes it hard for individuals to alter behaviors even when faced with negative consequences, such as ongoing car accidents [4]. Substance dependence can also accelerate the progression to habitual behaviors, making it challenging for individuals to stop seeking drugs even if they no longer find them enjoyable.

In some cases, behavioral approaches such as cognitive remediation therapy can help train the brain to respond better to situations. This can potentially improve visual memory and complex decision-making for individuals with mental illnesses impacting cognition.

Neurobiological Considerations

In addition to cognitive impacts, mental disorders can also have neurobiological implications that affect decision-making. Alterations in the neurotransmitter dopamine, for instance, play a crucial role in decision-making difficulties observed in schizophrenia. This impacts the brain's ability to integrate information from the cortex, influencing an individual's ability to make informed decisions [4].

Understanding these neurobiological considerations can help in the development of targeted treatments and interventions for mental disorders. By addressing the underlying neurochemical alterations, it may be possible to improve decision-making abilities and, consequently, the overall quality of life for individuals with mental health disorders.

In conclusion, mental health disorders can have a profound impact on an individual's decision-making and behavior, through both cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms. This underscores the importance of comprehensive mental health care that addresses both the psychological and physiological aspects of these disorders.

Mental Health in the Workplace

Exploring the connection between mental health and behavior, the workplace serves as a critical context where these dynamics often play out. Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, have significant implications on work productivity and the overall work environment.

Work Productivity and Mental Health

Mental health conditions can profoundly impact an individual's work productivity. For instance, depression and anxiety alone cause the loss of 12 billion working days each year, significantly affecting work performance. This translates to a cost of US$ 1 trillion each year to the global economy due to reduced productivity, emphasizing the economic impact of mental health conditions on the global workforce [5].

Mental Health Condition	Estimated Work Days Lost (billion/year)	Estimated Cost to Global Economy (trillion/year)
Depression and Anxiety	12	1

Without effective support, mental disorders can impact a person's confidence, productivity at work, absence rates, and their ability to retain or gain work. At any given time, an estimated 15% of working-age adults globally have a mental disorder, underlining the prevalence of mental health conditions among the working population.

Creating Supportive Work Environments

Work-related mental health conditions are preventable. It's crucial to protect and promote mental health at work, supporting individuals with mental health conditions to fully participate and thrive in the workplace.

All workers have the right to a safe and healthy working environment, which can act as a protective factor for mental health. However, the work environment can also potentially contribute to worsening mental health conditions, highlighting the importance of a conducive workplace atmosphere for mental well-being.

Creating a supportive work environment involves implementing policies that promote mental well-being, providing resources for mental health support, and fostering a culture that encourages open conversations about mental health. By doing so, companies can help mitigate the impact of mental health conditions on work productivity and behavior, providing a real-life example of how mental and emotional health can affect behavior.

Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health

Childhood maltreatment is a critical yet under-addressed issue that can significantly impact an individual's mental and emotional health and consequent behavior in later life.

Long-Term Consequences

Childhood maltreatment at any stage of development can have long-lasting consequences, increasing the risk for psychiatric and medical disorders. It's associated with an increased risk for mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, as well as greater severity of symptoms and poorer treatment response. Furthermore, it's also associated with an increased risk for comorbidities, such as anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol/substance use disorders (A/SUDs).

According to reports, rates of children being reported to child protective services (CPS) for abuse or neglect have remained high over the last two decades in the United States. It's estimated that one in four children will experience child abuse or neglect at some point in their lifetime, and one out of seven children have experienced abuse within the last year [6].

Childhood maltreatment that occurs earlier in life and continues for a longer duration is associated with worse outcomes. However, maltreatment at any age and across different contexts can result in long-lasting and severe consequences, increasing the risk for mood disorders and other psychiatric disorders.

Neurobiological Effects

Childhood maltreatment isn't only linked with psychological and behavioral consequences but also with neurobiological changes. It's associated with systemic inflammation, alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, genetic and epigenetic changes, and structural and functional changes in the brain. These biological alterations may contribute to the increased risk for mood disorders and the more severe disease course observed in individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment [6].

Additionally, childhood maltreatment is associated with alterations in neural structure and function, including lower gray matter volumes and thickness in prefrontal and limbic regions, decreased white matter structural integrity, and abnormalities in functional connectivity within and between brain regions involved in emotion regulation and stress response. These neurobiological changes may underlie the increased risk for mood disorders following childhood maltreatment.

By unraveling the long-term consequences and neurobiological effects of childhood maltreatment, this section provides a real-life example of how mental and emotional health can affect behavior. It highlights the importance of preventative measures as well as comprehensive mental health support for individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment.