Mental Health

Mental health is a person’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being, and it affects how a person makes decisions, relates to others, handles difficulties, thinks, and feels. Although poor mental health is not the same as mental illness, people in poor mental health may experience mental illness, and mentally ill people may experience both good and poor mental health at various times during their lives.

Mental health is affected and shaped by many factors, including one’s biology, experiences, and family history. Numerous biological factors can affect mental health. Two of the most important biological factors include a person’s genetics and their brain anatomy and function. The human brain contains billions of nerve cells called neurons that communicate using electrical signals, and...