Although “mental health” and “mental illness” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Mental health can fluctuate and can exist in or outside the context of diagnosable mental illness.
This article was written by Paul Kurdyak, Vice President, Clinical Lead, Mental Health and Addiction Centre of Excellence, Ontario Health
Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the public’s awareness of mental health issues. Celebrity disclosures of their personal struggles, podcasts, social media and public health campaigns, such National Mental Health Awareness Week in May and Bell’s Let’s Talk Day in January, have helped open conversations about what was once a taboo subject.
This increased awareness of mental health has come with some important benefits. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are less likely to be dismissed as just feeling “blue” or “high strung.” As more people talk about their mental health challenges, others with the same concerns realize they are not alone. We are seeing less stigma associated with therapy, leading to more people, particularly younger people, reaching out for support.
With the rising consciousness of mental health issues, however, there is also some blurring of the line between milder forms of transient distress associated with daily life and clinically significant mental illness.
Mental Health or Mental Illness?
Although “mental health” and “mental illness” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same.
We all have mental health in the same way that we all have physical health; both exist on a continuum from well-being on one end to severe disorder on the other. While we all experience challenges to our mental health at various points in our lives, not everyone has a mental illness or disorder.
Mental health can fluctuate and can exist in or outside the context of diagnosable mental illness. Consider, for example, an individual with schizophrenia who has a strong support system, takes their medication consistently, attends therapy and is engaged with their community. Their mental health may be better than someone without a diagnosable mental disorder who has unhealthy strategies to cope with daily challenges, a weak support system and little community engagement.
Greatest Impact
Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addiction Centre of Excellence is in the business of improving access to and quality of care for individuals who have well-defined mental and substance use disorders.
Our task is huge but straightforward. By focusing on four priority clinical areas – depression and anxiety-related disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and psychosis, and substance use disorder – we are able to direct resources to support specific evidence-based interventions where they are most needed and have the greatest impact.
The Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, for example, has already helped tens of thousands of people in Ontario, and is being developed to increase capacity to help many more. The program offers access to free cognitive-behavioural therapy to adults experiencing depression or anxiety-related disorders. These are the most common mental disorders in the province, often afflicting people when they are young and potentially affecting them for life if not treated. Our work to develop a provincial early psychosis intervention program, on the other hand, targets a much smaller population of individuals being diagnosed with schizophrenia for the first time. While a smaller clinical population, their needs require more complex interventions over longer periods of time.
Virtually everyone in Ontario will be affected by mental illness at some point in their life, either directly or by loving, knowing or working with someone who has experienced mental illness. Through Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, we are connecting people to services that will help them reclaim their lives.
Find out more about our Mental Health and Addictions Programs and Resources to support people who need care and their families.