Mental health contributes to a person’s complete health Nemuel S. Fajutagana, M.D., chairperson of Medical Action Group (MAG) puts it in simple terms: “You are not entirely healthy if all you do to stay fit is go to the gym. Neither are you completely healthy if your focus is just to eat vegetables. It is imperative that you also take care of your mental and social well-being, as well.” This is not just Fajutagana’s opinion. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the essential role of mental health. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” says the preamble of the Constitution of WHO. For a person to be considered completely healthy, they should not just be physically well. Their mental health needs to be in tiptop shape, too. Mental health is a basic human right What is Mental Health? Decades ago, when Filipinos talked about people whom they believed had mental health issues, they spoke in hushed tones. Those with mental illnesses were secrets to be discussed behind cupped hands. This behavior was not meant to be mean, generally. People did it because they didn’t completely understand mental illness, and consequently, mental health. It is time to set the record straight. From early childhood to late adulthood, having good mental health is essential. It’s just like being physically fit, except sometimes, mental health manifests in less obvious ways. Says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.” In other words, mental health means a person’s capacity and ability to sustain healthy mental activities. These include having fulfilling relationships, successfully handling stress, and being resilient amid change. If a person has poor mental health, it will lead to clouded judgment. And, consequently, a more stressful life. 7 “The relationship between mental health and human rights is an integral and interdependent one,” according to the American Psychological Association. Human rights violations—torture and other war crimes, for example—impair mental health. Similarly, some mental health practices and programs, such as discrimination and forceful treatment, go against human rights. In fact, there have been studies done on the effectiveness of a human rights-based approach to tackle mental health. This approach, according to a paper published on PubMed Central in 2020, is grounded on morals, not economics or commercial science. Mental health is a global concern In 2015, the United Nations (UN) included mental health as one of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Member nations of the UN are expected to meet these goals—which were put together as a “blueprint for peace and prosperity”—by 2030. The third SDG—good health and well-being—aims, by 2030, to “reduce by onethird premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.” 8