Information for young people on understanding mental health, and mental health problems.
Mental health is about how we think, feel and act. Just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.
Our mental health is on a spectrum, and can range from good to poor.
Good mental health can help you to think positively, feel confident and act calmly.
If you have poor mental health, you might find that the way you're thinking, feeling or acting becomes difficult to cope with. You might not enjoy things you used to like doing. You might feel sad or angry for a longer time than usual. Or you might feel like you can’t control how you feel or behave.
This page has information on:
"Mental health is on a spectrum – we can be ill and struggling and well and functioning. It constantly changes which can be exhausting, but it’s also a reminder that things will change for the better again."
Looking after your mental health can help you to feel good. It can also help stop some mental health problems from developing, control the effects they have, and stop them from getting worse.
Here's some ways you can look after your mental health:
A mental health problem is when the way you're thinking, feeling or acting becomes difficult for you to cope with.
We can all feel sad, worried, angry or fed up at times – like nerves before an exam or feeling down when a friend moves away. But if these feelings last a long time, like if you always feel low or can’t sleep, it might be a sign that you need more help. For example, if the way you feel:
Mental health problems are very common. They are not a sign of weakness and can happen to anyone. People can experience mental health problems differently, too.
There are many different types of mental health problems and they all have their own names, like depression and schizophrenia.
There are also experiences that can be a part of a mental health problem or happen on their own, like anger or delusions.
To find out more, see our page on types of mental health problems.
"Struggling with your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of."
There are lots of things that might cause mental health problems. Sometimes it might be a few different things that have built up, like:
It may be something not on this list, or you might not know what the cause is.
In some cultures, mental health is closely associated with religious or spiritual life. In others, it isn’t considered separate from physical health at all. This may give people different understandings of mental health problems and their causes.
Some research suggests that some mental health problems might run in families. But we don’t know for sure.
It may be because of our genes, our ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that we may learn from our parents, or the environment we grow up in.
There are also many people with a mental health problem who don’t have family with the same condition.
There are lots of different types of treatment and support for mental health problems, like:
Talking therapies – where you talk through your thoughts, feelings and experiences with a trained professional. For example, counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Medication – prescribed by your doctor to help manage your feelings. Visit YoungMinds’ information on medication to find out more.
Creative therapies – this can be using arts (music, drawing, painting, dancing, drama) or playing games to express your thoughts and feelings. You do this with a trained therapist in a safe environment. It can also mean doing creative activities to improve your wellbeing and confidence.
Peer support – local or online groups that meet to discuss their experiences around mental health and wellbeing. It can be very helpful as some problems are better understood with other people.
You may need to try a few different things until you find what works for you.
"My GP helped me understand what an anxiety disorder is... They eventually referred me to a therapist where I began to understand my own personal experience of mental health in more depth."
You can access treatment and support for your mental health in lots of different places, like:
or somewhere else in the community.
You can find out more on our finding support page.
Most mental health problems have no link to dangerous or violent behaviour. This idea is often supported by the negative and unrealistic way that people with mental health problems are shown on TV, in films and by the media.
But, things are changing for the better. You can help challenge misconceptions about mental health problems by sharing reliable information. You can also get involved in campaigns, such as those ran by YoungMinds.
It’s true that mental health problems can affect parts of your life.
But, you can manage your symptoms by trying to spot what makes your mental health worse, like stress or not enough sleep, and taking steps to change these things.
You can also do things you know make your mental health better or more stable. For example, meeting up with a friend or playing sport.
By taking steps to look after yourself, you can still lead a happy and fulfilled life.
"Although I sometimes feel upset that my life has been impacted by living with a mental health problem, it has made me who I am."
It's possible to get better from a mental health problem, and lots of people do.
Your symptoms might return from time to time, but when you’ve found the right combination of self-care, treatment and support that works for you, it’s likely you’ll be able to manage them better.
It’s important to remember that getting better is a journey. It will also mean different things to different people.
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This is a type of talking therapy with a trained therapist. It can help you look at your thinking patterns and behaviour, to help you find new ways of coping.
CBT may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call.
This is a type of talking therapy with a trained counsellor. Counselling can help you:
It may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryThis information was published in June 2020. We will revise it in 2023.
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