Mental health: New Study Finds Simply Believing You Dan do Something to Improve it is Linked With Higher Wellbeing

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The article by The Conversation explains a study were 3,015 Danish adults filled out a survey that asked the following questions: “whether they believe they can do something to keep mentally healthy, whether they had done something in the past two weeks to support their mental health, and also whether they were currently struggling with a mental health problem.” (www.theconversation.com) The individuals who participated in the survey were then assessed using the “Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale” (www.theconversation.com). The results showed that those who did something to improve their mental health or simply believed that they had the power to improve their mental health had the hight levels of mental wellbeing. The article mentions that this phenomenon could be due to the “psychological concept known as the “wellbeing locus of control” (www.theconversation.com), which states that wellbeing is depended on the belief that one has the power and control to improve the situation they are in. The article mentions how tools such as the mental health “ABC” can improve mental health levels for many people. 

As someone who has struggled with mental health, I believe that the information provided in this article is very valuable. When struggling with mental health, people often feel trapped and hopeless, but by giving people the tools to improve their happiness and mental state, they can feel hopeful. The “ABC '' stands for Act, Belong and Commit; by being active, engaging with people, and committing to goals and activities, people can work towards improving their mental health and building a better life for themselves. Although believing that one can make an effort to improve their mental health might not always be enough, I think that it is a beneficial practice that can help decrease the de-escalation of people’s mental health levels in the long run. 

Sources: 

Mental health: new study finds simply believing you can do something to improve it is linked with higher wellbeing

By: Ziggi Ivan Santini, Charlotte Meilstrup, Line Nielsen, Rob Donovan, Vibeke Jenny Koushede

May 11, 2022 7.22am

https://theconversation.com/mental-health-new-study-finds-simply-believing-you-can-do-something-to-improve-it-is-linked-with-higher-wellbeing-179499