Wellness Dimensions/Mental Illness and Physical Health, Essay Example

Social Wellness refers to the ability to socialize, communicate with and relate to other people, as well as connecting to society as a whole. Social wellness is what builds and strengthens our relationships with family, friends and coworkers in a positive manner (“The Eight Dimensions”). Social wellness is important to me in the study of mental health because it focuses on healthy and positive  relationships in order to help a person through stressful situations. Mental illness is almost impossible to confront without the help of loved ones. Fostering social wellness not only helps to confront the illness and seek treatment, but it also helps relieve the stress that often adds to mental illness and physical health. By developing the sense of belonging in a community, individuals are building a much-needed support system (“The Eight Dimensions”).

Social determinants and health equity greatly effect efforts to engage people living with mental illness and substance abuse because they create societal barriers for those people who need the most help. This means that mental illness is not only shaped by social determinants and health equity, but also continues to contribute to the inability to seek treatment and medical attention. These social determinants include economic and social disadvantages that come from environmental influences and often show signs in early childhood and adolescence (Allen and Marmot 8). In these unequal environments, the poor and disadvantaged often suffer and show signs of mental illness at a much higher rate than those in more economically advances environments (Allen and Marmot 8). Health equity concerns are at the highest concerns for those suffering from mental health illnesses and physical health disadvantages.

Works Cited

Allen, Jessica, and Michael Marmot. Social Determinants of Mental Health. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2014. Print.

“The Eight Dimensions of Wellness.” Valina.lim. 2 July 2015. Web. 12 Sept. 2015. <http://www.samhsa.gov/wellness-initiative/eight-dimensions-wellness>.