Mental Health Problems

It’s as important to look after our mental health as it is our physical health.

Mental health problems, including mental illness, can affect the way we think, feel and behave. Some mental health problems are described using words that are in everyday use, for example, ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’. 

This can make them seem easier to understand, but can also mean people underestimate how serious they can be. 

A mental health problem feels just as bad, or worse, than any other illness – only you cannot see it. Mental health problems are very common, affecting one in four people in Scotland, but there is still stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health problems, as well as many myths about what different diagnoses mean. 

There can be some confusion about the difference between mental wellbeing, mental health problems and mental illness. At SAMH, we use these terms in the following way: 

• Mental health problem: a catch-all term to describe any kind of poor mental health, including mental illness and poor mental wellbeing.  

• Mental illness: we use the term 'mental illness' to talk about mental health problems that are long-lasting, have a more significant effect on our daily lives and often require clinical and/or medical intervention. This usually includes a formal diagnosis (such as schizophrenia or bipolar) but may not always be the case. 

• Mild to moderate mental health problems: these are mental health problems that have a mild to moderate effect on our daily lives and can be short-term as well as long-term. They are less likely to require clinical or medical intervention.

• Mental wellbeing: we believe we can have good mental wellbeing while experiencing a mental health problem. If our mental wellbeing is good, we are probably able to cope with the stressors of daily life, be productive and maintain our close relationships, regardless of any diagnosis we might have. The term ‘wellbeing’ can also be applied to lots of parts of our life, such as physical, financial or social wellbeing, which can be good or bad.  

There are also lots of different approaches to the way mental health problems are diagnosed, what causes them and which treatments are most effective. 

However, despite these challenges, it is possible to recover from a mental health problem and live a productive and fulfilling life. It is important to remember that, if you have a mental health problem, it is not a sign of weakness. Most people experiencing a common mental health problem see their symptoms pass quite quickly.  

Symptoms may return from time to time but people are often able to manage them after the first experience. With more serious mental health problems, including mental illness, people also usually find a way of managing their condition. For many people, getting better does not mean going back to their previous life, but might mean making choices to live differently and having power over areas of life that seemed out of control before. Some people emerge from the experience feeling stronger and wiser having learnt more about themselves. 

There is a range of support and treatment to help you, as well as information for your friends and family that might help them understand how you feel. 

To find out more about specific mental health problems, including mental illness, please use the dropdown list at the top of this page.

This section does not cover all mental health problems. If you require more information please get in touch with enquire@samh.org.uk.