Mental health affects how we think, feel & behave. It affects how we feel about ourselves and other people and it affects our day-to-day lives.

When you have good mental health you are able to cope with the ups and downs of life. You will enjoy spending time with friends and have hobbies and interests you like. We sometimes call good mental health mental well-being.

A mental health problem also affects how you think, feel and behave. You might find that the things you used to enjoy doing aren’t fun anymore. It can affect your mood, your sleep, how you get along with other people and generally make it more difficult to get on with life.  In a similar way when you have a physical health problem e.g. flu you might feel weak, not well enough to go out and play. Both physical health problems and mental health problems may be minor or more serious. They may last for a short time or carry on for a long time.

People with mental health problems can recover and live normal lives if they get the right support or treatment.