What is mental health promotion?
Mental health promotion is an established field with a history of more than a century, concerned with preserving mental and psychological wellbeing. It gained particular momentum in the United States after the Second World War. At the time the original text was written, its place in public awareness in Hungary was described as relatively recent.
To clarify its place and foundations within the psychological sciences, we refer to Dr Béla Buda:
“Mental health promotion is not merely the prevention of mental illnesses and behavioural disorders. It also involves the positive protection of psychological wellbeing: all those processes and activities that strengthen and develop human personality and community relationships.”
— Dr Béla Buda (translated from Hungarian). Developing a psychologically healthy personality is significant not only individually, but also from social-psychological and sociological perspectives.
It is therefore not surprising that mental health promotion developed dynamically, bringing together the psychological dimensions of the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.
Its objectives include conscious personal development, the prevention of psychological disorders and support for rehabilitation.
What is mental health?
Today there is considerable attention to physically conscious lifestyles. Yet symptoms and difficulties that manifest in the body can also carry meaningful signals. A person who appears physically healthy but is struggling emotionally may find little comfort in outward appearance or physical strength. Equally, we often meet people living with physical illness or disability who face their difficulties with resilience and a healthy outlook.
Mental health therefore relates to the balanced functioning of mental processes, supporting productive activity, satisfaction in social relationships, effective adaptation to change and coping with difficulties. (Source: Ágota Kondor)
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