The Mental Health Continuum
Mental health is a spectrum of wellbeing, and can range from low mental health to high mental health.
When you hear or see the words “mental health”, what comes to mind? For some you might think of mental health conditions such as depression, or anxiety and for others you might think of meditation or therapy which are considered elements of mental health treatment.
Many associate the term mental health with mental health conditions such as depression, but mental health is so much more than mental illness or disorders. Mental health can be better understood as a continuum or spectrum of wellbeing that ranges from low mental health to high mental health. Your own personal mental wellbeing can fall anywhere on this spectrum and can change over time in responses to different stresses and experiences.
Mental wellbeing encompasses our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing and is affected by both internal and external factors in our lives.
For ease of understanding you can often find images like the one below that break down the mental health continuum in a way that is easy to understand and can help you identify where you might sit.
On the far-right side of the mental health continuum, there is ‘excelling’ and ‘thriving’ often known as flourishing. This is considered optimal functioning, where you feel good, function well, relate well with others, and approach your day-to-day life with purpose, curiosity, and optimism. Most people sit at the positive end of the mental health continuum, most of the time.
In the middle of the spectrum is ‘surviving’, which may look like you are experiencing more mild symptoms of worry, nervousness, and irritability which may have a mild impact on your work, relationships, and sleep.
On the left side of the spectrum, you will find ‘struggling’ and ‘in crisis’, if you identify with the symptoms in each of these categories you will likely find that your mental wellbeing is impacting your life significantly and it is important to get help.
Depending on where we are on the continuum, different support or actions are needed. It is helpful to understand the signs and symptoms of struggle on the mental health continuum to be equipped to recognise if you or someone you know are exhibiting these signs and would benefit from help.
If you do not currently have a mental health contact or do not know where to go to get help, you can contact EAP Assist as a Springmount Services employee and have access to up to three hours of telephone counselling. You can contact EAP Assist on 0407 086 000 or you can go to the EAP Assist website eapassist.com.au/booking-form/ to request an appointment. You can also take a look through the resources we have highlighted in the Mental Wellbeing hub.
*If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
