Mental health is the embodiment of social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Mental health provides individuals with the vitality necessary for healthy active living, to achieve goals and to interact with one another in ways that are respectful and just. Opportunities exist to identify and invest in ways of promoting mental health and well-being and in preventing problems before they occur.
Mental health promotion is a positive, effective approach involving any practice or policy that enhances capacity for good mental health for the whole population through action at the individual, community and societal levels. It relies on collaboration of all sectors of society to strengthen emotional resilience and coping skills, and create supportive environments that reduce barriers to achieving and maintaining mental health. The key benefits of mental health promotion include:
- Improvements in physical health
- Greater productivity at work, school and home
- Improved relationships in families and lower rates of substance abuse and other social factors such as reduced crime and violence (Vic Health 2005)
Mental health shares the same determinants with health in general such as having economic and physical security and access to social support networks. Therefore, other priority areas contained in the Provincial Wellness Plan will overlap and help promote mental health, be it a focus on healthy child and youth development or supporting healthy environments. Also, other provincial strategies such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Violence Prevention Initiative all work towards creating conditions that promote mental health and well being of Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans.