Sally Campbell: Mental health vs mental illness

Why understanding the difference is important

clock • 5 min read

With mental ill health a major cause of workplace absence, Healix's nurse consultant outlines how employers can incorporate mental health into their wellbeing plans

Mental health and mental illness are the same thing aren't they? If you are like me you probably never gave it a lot of thought. But there is an important difference and not understanding this leads us to overlook the importance of good mental health and the impact of poor mental health on our lives and work. Because we see mental illness and health as the same thing, too often we accept the situation or think that things will get better by themselves instead of taking steps to get mentally healthier. Mental health and mental illness are not interchangeable terms. Everyone has mental ...

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