The Facts

What is Mental Health?

At times people think that mental health is a definition of a mental health issue such as anxiety or depression. We all have mental health, some of us have good mental health whilst others struggle with their mental health from time to time due to adverse life events. At times people struggle with chronic mental health issues which they learn to manage with the support of the right professionals. When our mental health is good we manage to fulfil our potential, deal with the stress of daily life, feel productive at work and manage to keep up our relationships with others.

So, a statement one may say to express themselves would be, “I’m struggling with my mental health right now, my anxiety levels are really high.”

Recognising something is not right

For many years, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression were not discussed openly in the community because of stigma associated with the condition. If someone breaks their arm, the process is simple – get an x-ray, receive treatment and begin recovery. Unlike physical injuries such as broken bones, symptoms of anxiety may be deliberately covered up or unintentionally hidden.

Signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression may remain unrecognised or attributed to being associated with certain life stages, stressful events, hormones or personality traits. It’s common for people not to discuss mental health conditions with family members or friends. There is even more stigma around mental health in cultures where health issues of any type are not discussed with members of the immediate or extended family and certainly not with friends.

Negative views or stigma about mental health are often due to misunderstandings, cultural beliefs, misconceptions and/or lack of knowledge about mental health conditions and the associated signs and symptoms.

Browse all Life Areas

Learn about the life areas that can affect your mental health and wellbeing. Find a range of tips and resources below to support you on your own mental health journey.

Work and mental health

Good work can help your mental health. It can contribute to your sense of purpose, daily activity, income and social connection. But poor working conditions can harm your mental health and wellbeing. Learn information on:

• what mentally healthy work is (and why it matters)
• what can influence mental health at work
• how to build a mentally healthy workplace
• tools to improve mental health at work, and to stay well
• supporting someone at work.

 Mentally healthy work and why it matters

Work can come in many different forms. But mentally healthy workplaces generally have a few things in common. They:

• Protect against risks to mental health. Mentally healthy work prevents harm to your mental health. Among other things, this means fair workloads. Fair work practices. And a safe environment.
• Promote wellbeing and the positive aspects of work. Mentally healthy work means things such as fairness, inclusion, and employee development. Good culture thrives from good work.
• Support people with poor mental health. In a mentally healthy workplace, your mental health is prioritised. Awareness, capability, commitment, and meaningful support exist. To help workers feel better, earlier.

Financial wellbeing

Financial health and mental health are linked. Financial challenges can cause significant stress, which can impact our mental health and wellbeing. Similarly, the state of our mental health can make it harder to get on top of our finances. Find information on:

• the signs of poor financial wellbeing
• what factors contribute to poor financial wellbeing
• what you can do to improve your financial wellbeing
• resources to support your financial wellbeing.

Financial wellbeing is about having the financial freedom to make choices that allow you to enjoy life. There are some things that affect our finances that we can’t control, like rising cost of living or unexpected expenses. But there are some things we can control.

Every day we make choices with our money. Each of these decisions, small and large, impact our lives, and these decisions also impact what we call financial wellbeing.

Parenting and mental health

Children and young people who are part of a supportive family are more likely to achieve their best possible mental health. For parents, having the information to understand and care for your child can help support their mental health, and yours. Find resources and services on:

• child mental health
• acknowledging adversity and getting support
• depression and anxiety in children and young people
• perinatal depression and anxiety
• key issues to consider at each stage, from pregnancy to raising teenagers

Families are where children first learn about love, support and belonging.

Children and young people who are part of a strong and supportive family are more likely to achieve their best possible mental health.

Most parents know this. It can also feel like a lot of pressure.

It’s important to understand that there is no ‘perfect’ family. Families are diverse. Each with its own circumstances, joys and challenges.

As a parent, having information and resources to understand and care for your child can help.

So can looking after your own mental health as much as possible.

Seek support from others when you need to. This can be good for your wellbeing, and your family’s.

Youth and mental health

Resources for for young people between the ages of 12 and 25. If you’re feeling sad, down or anxious and these feelings have started to affect your everyday life, then it’s important to find out what’s going on and how you can manage it. Find information on:

• youth mental health challenges
• factors affecting youth mental health
• resources to support your mental health journey as a youth
• how to support a friend if they are struggling.

We all have good days and bad days. However, if you’re feeling sad, down or anxious and these feelings have started to affect your everyday life, then it’s important to find out what’s going on and how you can manage it. The section below is for young people between the ages of 12 and 25.

Stress, anxiety and feeling down can affect anyone, and happens to a lot of us at some point in our lives.

Over 75% of mental health issues occur before the age of 25, while suicide continues to cause the largest loss of life of young people in Australia.

It’s never too early to start looking after your mental health and wellbeing so you can be the best version of yourself.

Youth mental health challenges

 Anxiety

We all experience anxious feelings sometimes – it might be about exam results, a job interview, or who will win the final of a sports match. These feelings are a normal part of life and can help us avoid danger or perform at our best. For some people though, their anxious feelings can be much more extreme. This anxiety is more than feeling stressed – it’s a serious condition that can make day-to-day life difficult.

It’s normal to feel down or sad from time to time. For some people, feelings of sadness and unhappiness can outweigh happy and excited emotions. When you have depression, these sad feelings become overwhelming and long-lasting, affecting how you think, how you feel, and what you do.

Alcohol and drugs

Drugs and alcohol change the balance of the chemicals that help your brain to think, feel and make decisions, both now and in the future. Changing unhealthy drug and alcohol habits can take time, but with support you will notice your mental and physical wellbeing changing for the better.

Looking after your mental health while living with a disability

Living with a disability, physical or intellectual, affects so many parts of a person’s overall mental health and wellbeing. People living with a disability may be at risk of developing anxiety or depression due to:

• social isolation
• lack of employment opportunities
• financial difficulties
• discrimination

As a society we have a responsibility to be aware, kind and supportive to anyone struggling from a disability. Together we can help people fit into society in a more meaningful and caring way.

Taking the first step

It’s important to remember, when you take the first step in dealing with anxiety or depression, you are not alone – support is available for you, too.

Kif Int’s vision is that we all seek to have the best mental health we can possibly have.

In order to support those who are affected anxiety, depression and who have suicidal thoughts we need to have a better understanding of what mental health really is and how we can improve it. Through this we would also contribute to the prevention of mental health issues and be able to help ourselves and others who may be struggling with their mental health.