Lack of a mental disorderSee also: Mental disorder Mental health can also be defined as an absence of a major mental health condition.

Cultural and religious considerationsMental health can be socially constructed and socially defined; that is, different professions, communities, societies and cultures have very different ways of conceptualizing its nature and causes, determining what is mentally healthy, and deciding what interventions are appropriate. Thus, different professionals will have different cultural and religious backgrounds and experiences, which may impact the methodology applied during treatment.Many mental health professionals are beginning to, or already understand, the importance of competency in religious diversity and spirituality. The American Psychological Association explicitly states that religion must be respected. Education in spiritual and religious matters is also required by the American Psychiatric Association.The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a 'state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community'.

The term Global Mental Health refers to the international perspective on different aspects of mental health. Taking into account cultural differences and country-specific conditions, it deals with epidemiology of mental disorders in different countries, their treatment options, mental health education, political and financial aspects, the structure of mental health care systems, human resources in mental health and human rights issues among others. The overall aim of the field of Global Mental Health is to strengthen mental health all over the world by providing information about the mental health situation in all countries and identifying mental health needs in order to develop cost-effective interventions to meet those specific needs. Mental Health and Global Burden of DiseaseMental disorders make a substantial contribution to the Global Burden of Disease. This is a global measure of so-called disability adjusted life years (DALY's) assigned to a certain disease, which is a sum of years lived with disability and years of life lost due to this disease.

Neuropsychiatric conditions account for 14 % of the global burden of disease. Within non-communicable diseases, they account for 28% of the DALY's and thereby more than cardiovascular disease or cancer. The most important contributions to this number have unipolar depression, alcohol-use-disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar depression and dementia. However it is estimated that the real contribution of mental disorders to the global burden of disease is even higher, amongst others due to complex interactions and co morbidity of physical and mental illness. Treatment gapUp to 30% of all people worldwide has a mental disorder, and although interventions for the treatment of mental disorders are available, the proportion of those people with mental disorders who would need treatment but who do not receive mental health care is very high. This so-called treatment gap is estimated to reach about 76-85% for low and middle-income countries, and still 35-50% for high-income countries.

Mental health

Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.The World Health Organization states that there is no one "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how "mental health" is defined. HistoryThe treatment of mental disorders date back to medieval Muslim physicians from the 8th to 15th centuries. An early concept of mental hygiene was introduced by the Muslim physician Abu Zayd al-Balkhi (d. 934), who often related it to spiritual health.In the mid-19th century, William Sweetzer was the first to clearly define the term "mental hygiene". Isaac Ray, one of thirteen founders of the American Psychiatric Association, further defined mental hygiene as an art to preserve the mind against incidents and influences which would inhibit or destroy its energy, quality or development.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Clifford Whittingham Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and opened the first outpatient mental health clinic in the United States. Perspectives Mental wellbeing This section needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) Mental health can be seen as a continuum, where an individual's mental health may have many different possible values. Mental wellness is generally viewed as a positive attribute, such that a person can reach enhanced levels of mental health, even if they do not have any diagnosable mental health condition. This definition of mental health highlights emotional well-being, the capacity to live a full and creative life, and the flexibility to deal with life's inevitable challenges. Many therapeutic systems and self-help books offer methods and philosophies espousing strategies and techniques vaunted as effective for further improving the mental wellness of otherwise healthy people.

Positive psychology is increasingly prominent in mental health.A holistic model of mental health generally includes concepts based upon anthropological, educational, psychological, religious and sociological perspectives, as well as theoretical perspectives from personality, social, clinical, health and developmental psychology.An example of a wellness model includes one developed by Myers, Sweeny and Witmer. It includes five life tasks — essence or spirituality, work and leisure, friendship, love and self-direction—and twelve sub tasks—sense of worth, sense of control, realistic beliefs, emotional awareness and coping, problem solving and creativity, sense of humor, nutrition, exercise, self care, stress management, gender identity, and cultural identity—are identified as characteristics of healthy functioning and a major component of wellness. The components provide a means of responding to the circumstances of life in a manner that promotes healthy functioning.