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Mental Health Essay

Introduction

Mental health, often overshadowed by its physical counterpart, is an intricate and essential aspect of human existence. It envelops our emotions, psychological state, and social well-being, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. With the complexities of modern life—constant connectivity, societal pressures, personal expectations, and the frenzied pace of technological advancements—mental well-being has become increasingly paramount. Historically, conversations around this topic have been hushed, shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. However, as the curtains of misconception slowly lift, we find ourselves in an era where discussions about mental health are not only welcomed but are also seen as vital. Recognizing and addressing the nuances of our mental state is not merely about managing disorders; it's about understanding the essence of who we are, how we process the world around us, and how we navigate the myriad challenges thrown our way. This essay aims to delve deep into the realm of mental health, shedding light on its importance, the potential consequences of neglect, and the spectrum of mental disorders that many face in silence.

Importance of Mental Health

Mental health plays a pivotal role in determining how individuals think, feel, and act. It influences our decision-making processes, stress management techniques, interpersonal relationships, and even our physical health. A well-tuned mental state boosts productivity, creativity, and the intrinsic sense of self-worth, laying the groundwork for a fulfilling life.

Negative Impact of Mental Health

Neglecting mental health, on the other hand, can lead to severe consequences. Reduced productivity, strained relationships, substance abuse, physical health issues like heart diseases, and even reduced life expectancy are just some of the repercussions of poor mental health. It not only affects the individual in question but also has a ripple effect on their community, workplace, and family.

Mental Disorders: Types and Prevalence

Mental disorders are varied and can range from anxiety and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia.

• Depression: Characterized by persistent sadness, lack of interest in activities, and fatigue.
• Anxiety Disorders: Encompass conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and specific phobias.
• Schizophrenia: A complex disorder affecting a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

The prevalence of these disorders has been on the rise, underscoring the need for comprehensive mental health initiatives and awareness campaigns.

Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

Mental health is not merely the absence of disorders but encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Recognizing the signs of deteriorating mental health, like prolonged sadness, extreme mood fluctuations, or social withdrawal, is crucial. Understanding stems from awareness and education. Societal stigmas surrounding mental health have often deterred individuals from seeking help. Breaking these barriers, fostering open conversations, and ensuring access to mental health care are imperative steps.

Conclusion: Mental Health

Mental health, undeniably, is as significant as physical health, if not more. In an era where the stressors are myriad, from societal pressures to personal challenges, mental resilience and well-being are essential. Investing time and resources into mental health initiatives, and more importantly, nurturing a society that understands, respects, and prioritizes mental health is the need of the hour.

• World Leaders: Several influential personalities, from celebrities to sports stars, have openly discussed their mental health challenges, shedding light on the universality of these issues and the importance of addressing them.
• Workplaces: Progressive organizations are now incorporating mental health programs, recognizing the tangible benefits of a mentally healthy workforce, from increased productivity to enhanced creativity.
• Educational Institutions: Schools and colleges, witnessing the effects of stress and other mental health issues on students, are increasingly integrating counseling services and mental health education in their curriculum.

In weaving through the intricate tapestry of mental health, it becomes evident that it's an area that requires collective attention, understanding, and action.

  Short Essay about Mental Health

Mental health, an integral facet of human well-being, shapes our emotions, decisions, and daily interactions. Just as one would care for a sprained ankle or a fever, our minds too require attention and nurture. In today's bustling world, mental well-being is often put on the back burner, overshadowed by the immediate demands of life. Yet, its impact is pervasive, influencing our productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Sadly, mental health issues have long been stigmatized, seen as a sign of weakness or dismissed as mere mood swings. However, they are as real and significant as any physical ailment. From anxiety to depression, these disorders have touched countless lives, often in silence due to societal taboos.

But change is on the horizon. As awareness grows, conversations are shifting from hushed whispers to open discussions, fostering understanding and support. Institutions, workplaces, and communities are increasingly acknowledging the importance of mental health, implementing programs, and offering resources.

In conclusion, mental health is not a peripheral concern but a central one, crucial to our holistic well-being. It's high time we prioritize it, eliminating stigma and fostering an environment where everyone feels supported in their mental health journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the primary focus of a mental health essay?

Answer: The primary focus of a mental health essay is to delve into the intricacies of mental well-being, its significance in our daily lives, the various challenges people face, and the broader societal implications. It aims to shed light on both the psychological and emotional aspects of mental health, often emphasizing the importance of understanding, empathy, and proactive care.

• How can writing an essay on mental health help raise awareness about its importance?

Answer: Writing an essay on mental health can effectively articulate the nuances and complexities of the topic, making it more accessible to a wider audience. By presenting facts, personal anecdotes, and research, the essay can demystify misconceptions, highlight the prevalence of mental health issues, and underscore the need for destigmatizing discussions around it. An impactful essay can ignite conversations, inspire action, and contribute to a more informed and empathetic society.

• What are some common topics covered in a mental health essay?

Answer: Common topics in a mental health essay might include the definition and importance of mental health, the connection between mental and physical well-being, various mental disorders and their symptoms, societal stigmas and misconceptions, the impact of modern life on mental health, and the significance of therapy and counseling. It may also delve into personal experiences, case studies, and the broader societal implications of neglecting mental health.

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• Mental Health Essay

Essay on Mental Health

According to WHO, there is no single 'official' definition of mental health. Mental health refers to a person's psychological, emotional, and social well-being; it influences what they feel and how they think, and behave. The state of cognitive and behavioural well-being is referred to as mental health. The term 'mental health' is also used to refer to the absence of mental disease. 

Mental health means keeping our minds healthy. Mankind generally is more focused on keeping their physical body healthy. People tend to ignore the state of their minds. Human superiority over other animals lies in his superior mind. Man has been able to control life due to his highly developed brain. So, it becomes very important for a man to keep both his body and mind fit and healthy. Both physical and mental health are equally important for better performance and results.

Importance of Mental Health 

An emotionally fit and stable person always feels vibrant and truly alive and can easily manage emotionally difficult situations. To be emotionally strong, one has to be physically fit too. Although mental health is a personal issue, what affects one person may or may not affect another; yet, several key elements lead to mental health issues.

Many emotional factors have a significant effect on our fitness level like depression, aggression, negative thinking, frustration, and fear, etc. A physically fit person is always in a good mood and can easily cope up with situations of distress and depression resulting in regular training contributing to a good physical fitness standard. 

Mental fitness implies a state of psychological well-being. It denotes having a positive sense of how we feel, think, and act, which improves one’s ability to enjoy life. It contributes to one’s inner ability to be self-determined. It is a proactive, positive term and forsakes negative thoughts that may come to mind. The term mental fitness is increasingly being used by psychologists, mental health practitioners, schools, organisations, and the general population to denote logical thinking, clear comprehension, and reasoning ability.

 Negative Impact of Mental Health

The way we physically fall sick, we can also fall sick mentally. Mental illness is the instability of one’s health, which includes changes in emotion, thinking, and behaviour. Mental illness can be caused due to stress or reaction to a certain incident. It could also arise due to genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, child abuse or trauma, social disadvantage, poor physical health condition, etc. Mental illness is curable. One can seek help from the experts in this particular area or can overcome this illness by positive thinking and changing their lifestyle.

Regular fitness exercises like morning walks, yoga, and meditation have proved to be great medicine for curing mental health. Besides this, it is imperative to have a good diet and enough sleep. A person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night on average. When someone is tired yet still can't sleep, it's a symptom that their mental health is unstable. Overworking oneself can sometimes result in not just physical tiredness but also significant mental exhaustion. As a result, people get insomnia (the inability to fall asleep). Anxiety is another indicator. 

There are many symptoms of mental health issues that differ from person to person and among the different kinds of issues as well. For instance, panic attacks and racing thoughts are common side effects. As a result of this mental strain, a person may experience chest aches and breathing difficulties. Another sign of poor mental health is a lack of focus. It occurs when you have too much going on in your life at once, and you begin to make thoughtless mistakes, resulting in a loss of capacity to focus effectively. Another element is being on edge all of the time.

It's noticeable when you're quickly irritated by minor events or statements, become offended, and argue with your family, friends, or co-workers. It occurs as a result of a build-up of internal irritation. A sense of alienation from your loved ones might have a negative influence on your mental health. It makes you feel lonely and might even put you in a state of despair. You can prevent mental illness by taking care of yourself like calming your mind by listening to soft music, being more social, setting realistic goals for yourself, and taking care of your body. 

Surround yourself with individuals who understand your circumstances and respect you as the unique individual that you are. This practice will assist you in dealing with the sickness successfully.  Improve your mental health knowledge to receive the help you need to deal with the problem. To gain emotional support, connect with other people, family, and friends.  Always remember to be grateful in life.  Pursue a hobby or any other creative activity that you enjoy.

What does Experts say

Many health experts have stated that mental, social, and emotional health is an important part of overall fitness. Physical fitness is a combination of physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Emotional fitness has been recognized as the state in which the mind is capable of staying away from negative thoughts and can focus on creative and constructive tasks. 

He should not overreact to situations. He should not get upset or disturbed by setbacks, which are parts of life. Those who do so are not emotionally fit though they may be physically strong and healthy. There are no gyms to set this right but yoga, meditation, and reading books, which tell us how to be emotionally strong, help to acquire emotional fitness. 

Stress and depression can lead to a variety of serious health problems, including suicide in extreme situations. Being mentally healthy extends your life by allowing you to experience more joy and happiness. Mental health also improves our ability to think clearly and boosts our self-esteem. We may also connect spiritually with ourselves and serve as role models for others. We'd also be able to serve people without being a mental drain on them. 

Mental sickness is becoming a growing issue in the 21st century. Not everyone receives the help that they need. Even though mental illness is common these days and can affect anyone, there is still a stigma attached to it. People are still reluctant to accept the illness of mind because of this stigma. They feel shame to acknowledge it and seek help from the doctors. It's important to remember that "mental health" and "mental sickness" are not interchangeable.

Mental health and mental illness are inextricably linked. Individuals with good mental health can develop mental illness, while those with no mental disease can have poor mental health. Mental illness does not imply that someone is insane, and it is not anything to be embarrassed by. Our society's perception of mental disease or disorder must shift. Mental health cannot be separated from physical health. They both are equally important for a person. 

Our society needs to change its perception of mental illness or disorder. People have to remove the stigma attached to this illness and educate themselves about it. Only about 20% of adolescents and children with diagnosable mental health issues receive the therapy they need. 

According to research conducted on adults, mental illness affects 19% of the adult population. Nearly one in every five children and adolescents on the globe has a mental illness. Depression, which affects 246 million people worldwide, is one of the leading causes of disability. If  mental illness is not treated at the correct time then the consequences can be grave.

One of the essential roles of school and education is to protect boys’ and girls' mental health as teenagers are at a high risk of mental health issues. It can also impair the proper growth and development of various emotional and social skills in teenagers. Many factors can cause such problems in children. Feelings of inferiority and insecurity are the two key factors that have the greatest impact. As a result, they lose their independence and confidence, which can be avoided by encouraging the children to believe in themselves at all times. 

To make people more aware of mental health, 10th October is observed as World Mental Health. The object of this day is to spread awareness about mental health issues around the world and make all efforts in the support of mental health.

The mind is one of the most powerful organs in the body, regulating the functioning of all other organs. When our minds are unstable, they affect the whole functioning of our bodies. Being both physically and emotionally fit is the key to success in all aspects of life. People should be aware of the consequences of mental illness and must give utmost importance to keeping the mind healthy like the way the physical body is kept healthy. Mental and physical health cannot be separated from each other. And only when both are balanced can we call a person perfectly healthy and well. So, it is crucial for everyone to work towards achieving a balance between mental and physical wellbeing and get the necessary help when either of them falters.

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

• Categories: Mental Health Social Isolation Stress Management

About this sample

Words: 1622 |

Updated: 4 November, 2023

Words: 1622 | Pages: 4 | 9 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, mental health awareness, video version, emotional well-being, psychological well‐being, social well-being.

• Health Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aginglifecarejournal.org/health-effects-of-social-isolation-and-loneliness/.
• Top of Form Mental Health Myths and Facts https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts
• Mental Health Care Services by Family Physicians Position Paper. American Academy of Family Physicians Web site. http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/m/mentalhealthcareservices.htm. Accessed February 11, 2013. [Google Scholar]
• Newman, T. (2017, August 24). Mental health: Definition , common disorders, and early signs. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543.php.
• Bottom of Form Rodriguez, B. D., Hurley, K., Upham, B., Kilroy, D. S., Dark, N., & Abreu, E (n.d.).Happiness and Emotional Well-Being. Retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/understanding/index.aspx.
• World Health Organization. The Global Burden of Disease, 2004 Update. Part 4, Burden of Disease, DALYs. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GBD_report_2004update_full.pdf . Accessed January 10, 2013. [Google Scholar]

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Traditional Academic Essays In Three Parts

Part i: the introduction.

An introduction is usually the first paragraph of your academic essay. If you’re writing a long essay, you might need 2 or 3 paragraphs to introduce your topic to your reader. A good introduction does 2 things:

• Gets the reader’s attention. You can get a reader’s attention by telling a story, providing a statistic, pointing out something strange or interesting, providing and discussing an interesting quote, etc. Be interesting and find some original angle via which to engage others in your topic.
• Provides a specific and debatable thesis statement. The thesis statement is usually just one sentence long, but it might be longer—even a whole paragraph—if the essay you’re writing is long. A good thesis statement makes a debatable point, meaning a point someone might disagree with and argue against. It also serves as a roadmap for what you argue in your paper.

Part II: The Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs help you prove your thesis and move you along a compelling trajectory from your introduction to your conclusion. If your thesis is a simple one, you might not need a lot of body paragraphs to prove it. If it’s more complicated, you’ll need more body paragraphs. An easy way to remember the parts of a body paragraph is to think of them as the MEAT of your essay:

Main Idea. The part of a topic sentence that states the main idea of the body paragraph. All of the sentences in the paragraph connect to it. Keep in mind that main ideas are…

• like labels. They appear in the first sentence of the paragraph and tell your reader what’s inside the paragraph.
• arguable. They’re not statements of fact; they’re debatable points that you prove with evidence.
• focused. Make a specific point in each paragraph and then prove that point.

Evidence. The parts of a paragraph that prove the main idea. You might include different types of evidence in different sentences. Keep in mind that different disciplines have different ideas about what counts as evidence and they adhere to different citation styles. Examples of evidence include…

• quotations and/or paraphrases from sources.
• facts , e.g. statistics or findings from studies you’ve conducted.
• narratives and/or descriptions , e.g. of your own experiences.

Analysis. The parts of a paragraph that explain the evidence. Make sure you tie the evidence you provide back to the paragraph’s main idea. In other words, discuss the evidence.

Transition. The part of a paragraph that helps you move fluidly from the last paragraph. Transitions appear in topic sentences along with main ideas, and they look both backward and forward in order to help you connect your ideas for your reader. Don’t end paragraphs with transitions; start with them.

Keep in mind that MEAT does not occur in that order. The “ T ransition” and the “ M ain Idea” often combine to form the first sentence—the topic sentence—and then paragraphs contain multiple sentences of evidence and analysis. For example, a paragraph might look like this: TM. E. E. A. E. E. A. A.

Part III: The Conclusion

A conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay, or, if you’re writing a really long essay, you might need 2 or 3 paragraphs to conclude. A conclusion typically does one of two things—or, of course, it can do both:

• Summarizes the argument. Some instructors expect you not to say anything new in your conclusion. They just want you to restate your main points. Especially if you’ve made a long and complicated argument, it’s useful to restate your main points for your reader by the time you’ve gotten to your conclusion. If you opt to do so, keep in mind that you should use different language than you used in your introduction and your body paragraphs. The introduction and conclusion shouldn’t be the same.
• For example, your argument might be significant to studies of a certain time period .
• Alternately, it might be significant to a certain geographical region .
• Alternately still, it might influence how your readers think about the future . You might even opt to speculate about the future and/or call your readers to action in your conclusion.

Handout by Dr. Liliana Naydan. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Mental Health Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on mental health.

Every year world mental health day is observed on October 10. It was started as an annual activity by the world federation for mental health by deputy secretary-general of UNO at that time. Mental health resources differ significantly from one country to another. While the developed countries in the western world provide mental health programs for all age groups. Also, there are third world countries they struggle to find the basic needs of the families. Thus, it becomes prudent that we are asked to focus on mental health importance for one day. The mental health essay is an insight into the importance of mental health in everyone’s life. 

Mental Health

In the formidable years, this had no specific theme planned. The main aim was to promote and advocate the public on important issues. Also, in the first three years, one of the central activities done to help the day become special was the 2-hour telecast by the US information agency satellite system. 

Mental health is not just a concept that refers to an individual’s psychological and emotional well being. Rather it’s a state of psychological and emotional well being where an individual is able to use their cognitive and emotional capabilities, meet the ordinary demand and functions in the society. According to WHO, there is no single ‘official’ definition of mental health.

Thus, there are many factors like cultural differences, competing professional theories, and subjective assessments that affect how mental health is defined. Also, there are many experts that agree that mental illness and mental health are not antonyms. So, in other words, when the recognized mental disorder is absent, it is not necessarily a sign of mental health. 

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

One way to think about mental health is to look at how effectively and successfully does a person acts. So, there are factors such as feeling competent, capable, able to handle the normal stress levels, maintaining satisfying relationships and also leading an independent life. Also, this includes recovering from difficult situations and being able to bounce back.  

Important Benefits of Good Mental Health

Mental health is related to the personality as a whole of that person. Thus, the most important function of school and education is to safeguard the mental health of boys and girls. Physical fitness is not the only measure of good health alone. Rather it’s just a means of promoting mental as well as moral health of the child. The two main factors that affect the most are feeling of inferiority and insecurity. Thus, it affects the child the most. So, they lose self-initiative and confidence. This should be avoided and children should be constantly encouraged to believe in themselves.

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Expository Essay

Expository Essay About Mental Health

Learn to Write Expository Essay About Mental Health - Examples & Tips

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Do you need to write an expository essay about mental health but don't know how to begin?

Essays about mental health are common for students of psychology, sociology, and health care. However, other students also get to write such essays to raise awareness about this important issue.

Writing about mental health can help raise awareness and educate others about the importance of mental health. It can also provide a platform for you to express your thoughts, feelings, and experiences on the subject.

In this blog post, we will discuss what is an expository essay, provide examples, and outline the steps for writing one.   So read on to learn more about how to write an expository essay on mental health.

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• 1. What is an Expository Essay About Mental Health?
• 2. Essay About Mental Health Examples
• 3. Expository Essay Topics About Mental Illness
• 4. How To Write an Essay About Mental Health
• 5. Tips for Writing a Mental Health Essay

What is an Expository Essay About Mental Health?

An expository essay is a type of academic writing that provides an explanation, description, or argument about a certain topic. It seeks to explain and clarify the subject matter for the readers.

The goal of this type of essay is not to share your opinion or persuade the readers, but rather to inform them.

An expository essay on mental health aims to discuss and inform about different aspects of mental health.

The term mental health can refer to various aspects, such as mental health issues, psychological resilience, emotional health, etc. So, the scope of an expository essay on mental health is quite broad depending on your topic.

Here is a video that explains what mental health means in simple words:

Essay About Mental Health Examples

If you are wondering what a good essay about mental health issues looks like, here are a few example essays to help you get started:

Expository Essay About Social Media And Mental Health

Expository Essay Example About Depression

Expository Essay About Mental Health Awareness

Importance of Mental Health Essay Example

Expository Essay About Mental Health Of Students

Need more expository writing samples? Check out our expository essay examples blog!

Expository Essay Topics About Mental Illness

Here is a list of topics about mental health to help you start.

• How does mental health affect physical health in children and adolescents?
• The role of stigma in mental health problems.
• What are the basic principles of positive psychology?
• How are physical & emotional health related?
• How can mindfulness improve mental health condition?
• What is the importance of world mental health day?
• Technology's impact on modern mental health issues.
• Understanding trauma-informed care and its importance.
• The role of the media in creating stereotypes about mental health issues.
• How do different cultures view mental health disorders?
• Common misconceptions about mental health in the United States.

You can choose one of these topics, to begin with. Moreover, these topics will help you brainstorm your own topic as well.

You can check out our expository essay topics blog for a list of creative topic ideas.

How To Write an Essay About Mental Health

Now that you know what an expository essay on mental health is and have some topics to choose from, it’s time to start writing.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Choose Your Topic:

Brainstorm some ideas related to mental health. Try to pick a topic that interests you so that researching and writing about it will be easier for you. 

Choosing a topic that is narrow enough to be covered within the word limit is also important. Moreover, make sure that the topic is not too complex for you to explain.

2. Conduct Research:

Once you have chosen your topic, it’s time to conduct extensive research.

A good expository essay should include facts, evidence, and other supporting information from reliable sources like journals, books, and articles. Make sure that you cite your sources properly.

3. Outline the Essay:

An outline will help you organize your ideas and create a clear structure for your essay. It is also an important step to ensure that all the necessary information is included in the essay.

In an expository essay outline , you should include the main points you want to discuss. Additionally, it should include the supporting evidence and arguments you gathered during the research.

4. Write the Introduction:

The introduction is the first part of your essay. It should include a hook to grab the reader’s attention and introduce the topic. Additionally, you should provide a brief overview of what will be discussed in the essay.

Finally, you should end your  mental illness essay introduction with a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of your essay.

5. Write the Body Paragraphs:

The body paragraphs are where you explain and expand on your main points. Each paragraph should include evidence to support your claims and a brief explanation of how the evidence is related to the topic.

Remember that each body paragraph should focus on one main point and be organized in a logical manner.

6. Write the Conclusion:

The conclusion is where you restate the thesis statement and summarize the main points of the essay. Additionally, you should provide a brief explanation of how these points support your thesis statement.

Finally, end your conclusion with a call to action or an insightful thought that encourages readers to learn more about mental health.

7. Edit and Proofread:

Once you are done writing the essay, it’s important to go through each sentence and look for mistakes. 

Make sure that all grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors are corrected. Additionally, make sure that the essay is well-structured and flows logically from one point to another.

Editing and proofreading can help you improve the quality of your work and ensure that all necessary information is included.

Following these steps will help you write a clear and well-researched expository essay on mental health.

Tips for Writing a Mental Health Essay

Writing about mental health requires more than a basic understanding of the subject. It is a sensitive and emerging topic, and new research is being produced every day. So, you need to be careful while proceeding with your essay.

Here are a few tips that can help you write a worthwhile essay on mental health:

• Get Involved

Mental health essays often benefit greatly when written with personal insight or experience.

If you have any personal life experiences related to mental health, incorporate them into your essay to add more depth. Make your essay relatable to people’s daily life. 

• Focus on Solutions 

When discussing a sensitive topic like mental health it’s important to focus on the solutions.

Consider suggesting ways people can manage their own mental wellness or outlining how families can support each other during difficult times.

• Be Empathetic

While writing your essay try to put yourself in the reader’s shoes so that you present the information in a kind and sympathetic manner. 

For many people, mental problems are a part of life. So avoid any language that could potentially be offensive or insensitive towards those who struggle with mental illness.

If you or someone you know is going through a rough time, feeling depressed, or thinking about self-harm, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit its website here. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

Wrapping it up,

Mental health is a complex and important issue, and writing an essay on it requires proper research, understanding, empathy, and focus. By following these steps and tips, you can write an effective essay on mental health that will be well-received by your readers.

Do you want a professional to write it for you instead? Don't worry, we've got your back.

MyPerfectWords.com provides pro essay writing service and can help you write the perfect mental health essay. Our team of expository essay writers has in-depth knowledge of the subject.

Our expository essay writing service will provide you with a well-written, high-quality essay that is sure to get you top grades.

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How to Write a Mental Health in College Students Essay

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Writing is a skill that takes time to build. Essays force you to practice research, critical thinking and communication skills – college is the perfect time for you to practice these. However, there’s only so much you can learn about writing through preparation. If you’ve been assigned an essay on mental health, you may not be sure where to begin. You might also wonder if you should choose mental health as a topic for a college paper. Here’s how to write a “mental health in college students” essay. 

• What Not to Do

If you’re trying to choose a topic for a college application essay, mental health is usually not the way to go. Your personal statement should show colleges why you’re the best candidate to attend their school. Because many students write about mental health , your essay may get lost in the crowd. In addition, your mental health journey is only a part of who you are. 

It can be difficult for many students to write about personal mental struggles without seeming overdramatic. Unless mental health struggles have shaped your whole life, it’s best to discuss other topics. If you mention mental health, stay brief and matter-of-fact. Don’t let it become the whole point of your essay. 

• Review the Instructions

If you’re writing this essay for a college course, start by looking over the assignment instructions. Don’t just listen to what your teacher says – look up the assignment on the syllabus to see if you can find a rubric or other relevant information. 

Highlight the important points to make sure you know what matters to your professor. The instructions are parameters you can operate in to create an essay you enjoy. Make sure you check word count, essay structure and review corrections on past essays. If you’re confused about something, don’t hesitate to ask your professor for clarification. 

• Do the Research 

Regardless of what class you’re writing for, this is the kind of topic that requires hard numbers. You don’t want to make general claims about rates of student anxiety or mental illness – to be credible, you need specifics. Be careful with your wording to avoid all-or-nothing statements. Everyone experiences mental health differently. 

Your professor may or may not allow you to pick the specific mental health topic you write about. However, you can ensure that your paper is well-researched and organized clearly. Before you start writing, create at least a basic outline showing the flow of ideas. This will make the writing phase much faster because you’ll always know what to say next. 

• Write It Out 

Writer’s block often stems from perfectionism. This paper won’t be perfect the first time, so don’t worry about writing it perfectly! Start with an interesting line that gets your reader’s attention and make sure you have a clear thesis statement. Taken by itself, this sentence should describe the contents of your entire paper. 

Build your paragraphs to the right word length by using specific examples. You should start each paragraph with a topic sentence that takes your reader one step in your paper’s argument. Then, describe a specific example that further explains this idea. You can find specific examples in your research or simply explain more about what you mean. 

• Edit Your Work

Editing is an important final step before you turn an essay in. It gives you an opportunity to look at your writing as a whole and ensure everything makes sense. If possible, you should set your first draft aside for a while before you reread it. This will help you see your work with fresh eyes so you can edit it. 

Editing involves strengthening your paper’s organization, rewriting specific sentences and checking for errors. You should make major edits first and then do a final read-through to catch punctuation and spelling mistakes. It can be helpful to read your paper out loud or have a friend look it over as well. 

One Key Takeaway for Writing a Mental Health in College Students Essay

Many students struggle with mental health while in school. Whatever topic you choose and however you organize your essay, make sure to write it with a sensitive tone. This topic is nuanced and shouldn’t be treated as a black-and-white issue. Write from an informed and compassionate point of view and offer your readers hope. 

Use this guide to write an essay on mental health in college students that astounds and delights your professor. Putting in the work will build research and communication skills you’ll use for years – whether you’re a psychology major, a premed student or studying the arts at school. 

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Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Students are often asked to write an essay on Mental Health And Well Being in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Understanding mental health.

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act. Like physical health, it’s important for our overall well-being. Good mental health helps us handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Signs of Strong Mental Health

When our mental health is good, we enjoy life, laugh, and have a positive attitude. We can also deal with hard times and bounce back. It’s like having a strong muscle that helps us lift life’s weights.

Keeping Our Mind Healthy

To keep our minds fit, we need to do certain things. Talking about feelings, staying active, eating healthy food, and getting enough sleep are like vitamins for our mental health.

Getting Help

Sometimes, our mental health might suffer. It’s okay to ask for help if we feel too sad, worried, or angry. Talking to family, friends, or a counselor can make a big difference.

Just like taking care of our body, we must take care of our mind. It’s a key part of being happy and doing well in life. Remember, it’s okay to reach out and talk about our feelings.

250 Words Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Mental health is all about how we think, feel, and behave. Just like we take care of our bodies by eating right and exercising, we need to take care of our minds too. Good mental health helps us enjoy life, bounce back from problems, and get along with others.

Signs of Strong Mental Well Being

When our mental health is good, we feel happy, relaxed, and ready to tackle challenges. We sleep well, enjoy spending time with friends and family, and feel positive about ourselves. It’s normal to feel sad or worried sometimes, but these feelings don’t last long.

When Mental Health Suffers

Sometimes, our mental health might not be so good. We might feel down, anxious, or have trouble with our thoughts. It can be hard to do everyday things like going to school or hanging out with friends. If these feelings stick around, it’s important to talk to someone, like a parent or a teacher.

Talking is a powerful way to improve mental health. Sharing our worries with someone we trust can make us feel better. Sometimes, we might need help from a doctor or a counselor. They can teach us ways to handle tough emotions and look after our mental well being.

Keeping Our Minds Healthy

Just like eating fruits and veggies for our body, there are things we can do for our mind. Exercising, getting enough sleep, and doing things we enjoy can keep our mental health in good shape. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, and taking care of our mental health is important for everyone.

500 Words Essay on Mental Health And Well Being

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act. Just like we take care of our bodies by eating right and exercising, we need to take care of our minds too. Good mental health means we can handle our emotions, deal with problems, and enjoy life. It’s not just about not being sick; it’s about feeling okay on the inside.

Why Mental Health Matters

When our minds are healthy, we can make friends, learn new things, and feel confident. If we don’t take care of our mental health, we might feel sad, worried, or angry a lot. It’s like when you have a cold, and you can’t do all the fun things you like. When our minds are not feeling well, it can be hard to do our best at school or have fun with our friends.

Ways to Keep Our Minds Healthy

There are simple things we can do to keep our minds happy. Talking to people we trust about our feelings is a good start. It’s okay to say if something is bothering us. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and playing or exercising are also important. When we move around and have fun, our minds feel better too.

Dealing with Tough Times

Sometimes, bad things happen, like failing a test or fighting with a friend. It’s normal to feel upset, but we shouldn’t let these feelings take over. We can take deep breaths, count to ten, or talk to someone to feel better. If we still feel down or if the problem is too big, asking for help from a grown-up, like a parent or teacher, is a smart idea.

Getting Help When Needed

If we have a toothache, we go to the dentist, right? It’s the same with our minds. If we feel really sad, scared, or worried all the time, we might need to see a doctor for our minds, called a psychologist or psychiatrist. They can listen and help us feel better. There’s no shame in getting help—just like there’s no shame in getting a bandage when we fall and scrape our knee.

Supporting Others

We can also help our friends with their mental health. If we see a friend who seems sad or upset, we can ask them if they’re okay and listen to them. Being kind and understanding can make a big difference to someone who is having a hard time.

Mental health is a big part of our well-being. By taking care of our minds, talking about our feelings, and getting help when we need it, we can all feel better and live happier lives. Remember, it’s as important to keep our minds healthy as it is to keep our bodies healthy. Let’s promise to take care of both!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Mental Health And Vulnerability
• Essay on Fruits And Vegetables
• Essay on Mental Health Advocacy

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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The Importance of Mental Health

Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Akeem Marsh, MD, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who has dedicated his career to working with medically underserved communities.

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Risk Factors for Poor Mental Health

Signs of mental health problems, benefits of good mental health, how to maintain mental health and well-being.

Your mental health is an important part of your well-being. This aspect of your welfare determines how you’re able to operate psychologically, emotionally, and socially among others.

Considering how much of a role your mental health plays in each aspect of your life, it's important to guard and improve psychological wellness using appropriate measures.

Because different circumstances can affect your mental health, we’ll be highlighting risk factors and signs that may indicate mental distress. But most importantly, we’ll dive into all of the benefits of having your mental health in its best shape.

Mental health is described as a state of well-being where a person is able to cope with the normal stresses of life. This state permits productive work output and allows for meaningful contributions to society.

However, different circumstances exist that may affect the ability to handle life’s curveballs. These factors may also disrupt daily activities, and the capacity to manage these changes. 

The following factors, listed below, may affect mental well-being and could increase the risk of developing psychological disorders .

Childhood Abuse

When a child is subjected to physical assault, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or neglect while growing up, it can lead to severe mental and emotional distress.

Abuse increases the risk of developing mental disorders like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or personality disorders.

Children who have been abused may eventually deal with alcohol and substance use issues. But beyond mental health challenges, child abuse may also lead to medical complications such as diabetes, stroke, and other forms of heart disease.

The Environment

A strong contributor to mental well-being is the state of a person’s usual environment . Adverse environmental circumstances can cause negative effects on psychological wellness.

For instance, weather conditions may influence an increase in suicide cases. Likewise, experiencing natural disasters firsthand can increase the chances of developing PTSD. In certain cases, air pollution may produce negative effects on depression symptoms.  

In contrast, living in a positive social environment can provide protection against mental challenges.

Your biological makeup could determine the state of your well-being. A number of mental health disorders have been found to run in families and may be passed down to members.

These include conditions such as autism , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , bipolar disorder , depression , and schizophrenia .

Your lifestyle can also impact your mental health. Smoking, a poor diet , alcohol consumption , substance use , and risky sexual behavior may cause psychological harm. These behaviors have been linked to depression.

When mental health is compromised, it isn’t always apparent to the individual or those around them. However, there are certain warning signs to look out for, that may signify negative changes for the well-being. These include:

• A switch in eating habits, whether over or undereating
• A noticeable reduction in energy levels
• Being more reclusive and shying away from others
• Feeling persistent despair
• Indulging in alcohol, tobacco, or other substances more than usual
• Experiencing unexplained confusion, anger, guilt, or worry
• Severe mood swings
• Picking fights with family and friends
• Hearing voices with no identifiable source
• Thinking of self-harm or causing harm to others
• Being unable to perform daily tasks with ease

Whether young or old, the importance of mental health for total well-being cannot be overstated. When psychological wellness is affected, it can cause negative behaviors that may not only affect personal health but can also compromise relationships with others. 

Below are some of the benefits of good mental health.

A Stronger Ability to Cope With Life’s Stressors

When mental and emotional states are at peak levels, the challenges of life can be easier to overcome.

Where alcohol/drugs, isolation, tantrums, or fighting may have been adopted to manage relationship disputes, financial woes, work challenges, and other life issues—a stable mental state can encourage healthier coping mechanisms.

A Positive Self-Image

Mental health greatly correlates with personal feelings about oneself. Overall mental wellness plays a part in your self-esteem . Confidence can often be a good indicator of a healthy mental state.

A person whose mental health is flourishing is more likely to focus on the good in themselves. They will hone in on these qualities, and will generally have ambitions that strive for a healthy, happy life.

Healthier Relationships

If your mental health is in good standing, you might be more capable of providing your friends and family with quality time , affection , and support. When you're not in emotional distress, it can be easier to show up and support the people you care about.

Better Productivity

Dealing with depression or other mental health disorders can impact your productivity levels. If you feel mentally strong , it's more likely that you will be able to work more efficiently and provide higher quality work.

Higher Quality of Life

When mental well-being thrives, your quality of life may improve. This can give room for greater participation in community building. For example, you may begin volunteering in soup kitchens, at food drives, shelters, etc.

You might also pick up new hobbies , and make new acquaintances , and travel to new cities.

Because mental health is so important to general wellness, it’s important that you take care of your mental health.

To keep mental health in shape, a few introductions to and changes to lifestyle practices may be required. These include:

• Taking up regular exercise
• Prioritizing rest and sleep on a daily basis
• Trying meditation
• Learning coping skills for life challenges
• Keeping in touch with loved ones
• Maintaining a positive outlook on life

Another proven way to improve and maintain mental well-being is through the guidance of a professional. Talk therapy can teach you healthier ways to interact with others and coping mechanisms to try during difficult times.

Therapy can also help you address some of your own negative behaviors and provide you with the tools to make some changes in your own life.

A Word From Verywell

Your mental health state can have a profound impact on all areas of your life. If you're finding it difficult to address mental health concerns on your own, don't hesitate to seek help from a licensed therapist .

World Health Organization. Mental Health: Strengthening our Response .

Lippard ETC, Nemeroff CB. The Devastating Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Increased Disease Vulnerability and Poor Treatment Response in Mood Disorders . Am J Psychiatry . 2020;177(1):20-36. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010020

 Helbich M. Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(10):2207. Published 2018 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph15102207

Helbich M. Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(10):2207. Published 2018 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph15102207

National Institutes of Health. Common Genetic Factors Found in 5 Mental Disorders .

Zaman R, Hankir A, Jemni M. Lifestyle Factors and Mental Health . Psychiatr Danub . 2019;31(Suppl 3):217-220.

Medline Plus. What Is mental health? .

National Alliance on Mental Health. Why Self-Esteem Is Important for Mental Health .

By Elizabeth Plumptre Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Home Essay Examples Health Mental Health

Introduction To Mental Health

• Category Health
• Subcategory Mental Health

In this essay, I will be describing how I have been developing my understanding of Mental Health Nursing over the course of the module Introduction to Mental Health, by discussing the different topics I have been researching and learning throughout this module to achieve my level of understanding. The key points I will be discussing are, the history of mental health, the definition of mental health and illness, the roles and responsibilities of the Mental Health Nurse, the quality skills of the Mental Health Nurse, different models of mental health and illness, recovery, and the stepped care model.

I am developing an understanding of Mental Health Nursing within this module by learning what mental health and mental illness are defined as, the history of mental health , the diverse range of roles and responsibilities of the Mental Health Nurse and the qualities required to fulfil these roles effectively, the process of recovery that considers the variety of models of mental health and illness that are used to achieve individual recovery, and the stepped care delivery model.

Our writers can write you a new plagiarism-free essay on any topic

The history of mental health began with the term keeper and attendants of the insane whose role it was to control and maintain the order of the inmates within the institutions that had been built to house them, to then the term nurse slowly being introduced. Asylums were then slowly becoming phased out largely due to overcrowding, with some of the patients being incarcerated due to lack of wealth or social status. Mental health then progressed to defining mental health as an actual illness, they then slowly started closing the institutes. As the institutes began to close, patients were then discharged back into the community, and home-based support was more widely introduced. (Nolan, 1993)

Mental illness is defined as a range of mental health conditions that may affect someone’s thoughts, emotions, moods and ability to relate to others and function daily. People with the same diagnosis will each have different experiences of the condition. (Bolton, 2008)

With consideration to the fact each individual may have a different experience of their condition, the recovery process for each person will vary, therefore the roles and responsibilities of the Mental Health Nurse will vary within the recovery process, as each individual has a different perception of what recovery may mean for them. The roles may be that of a carer, educator, custodian, therapist, advocate, role model, inspirer of hope, milieu manager, leader, researcher, assessor, advocate, supporter, listener, risk-taker or care coordinator. (Egan, 2010)

In order to fulfil these roles effectively, the Mental Health Nurse must have the professional quality skills to be able to assist within the recovery by having good listening skills, good communication, be professional, be understanding, show kindness, empathy, adaptability, sincerity, calmness, and the ability to think critically and creatively, good skills and knowledge, humour, to be a rational thinker, problem solver and many more. (Clifton et al., 2017)

The notion of recovery from mental health problems considers a variety of different models of mental health and illness, while some of these models don’t speak of recovery, they help us to better understand mental distress to aid in individual recovery.

The Humanistic model, that is also known as person-centred care, is where the practitioner works with the client to determine a better understanding of the issue, to help support the individual in finding what they believe the problem and solution maybe, rather than make assumptions of the individual. The person-centred approach is underpinned by the core values of empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence (Clifton et al., 2017)

The Biopsychosocial model investigates the biological, cognitive, psychological and social factors that may have an impact on an individual’s wellbeing, such as physical health, metabolic disorders and emotions, coping skills and social skills, peer groups, interpersonal relationships, trauma, grief and perceptions. These factors highlight the effects all these interactions may have on an individual’s health and wellbeing, rather than assume only one factor may be the cause. (Clifton et al., 2017)

The Stress Diathesis model outlines that stress levels, and each individual’s level of ability to cope with stress, may contribute or cause mental illness, which explains why some people may be exposed to the same level of stress but react differently to those stressors, and it is the Mental Health Nurses responsibility to try and help them find better ways to manage and cope with these stresses to aid in the recovery process. (Zubin and Spring, 1977)

The main principles within the recovery process are hope, and the ability to learn to understand their condition to be able to take back control of their lives, whether that be building resilience or social inclusion such as finding local support groups to be able to flourish rather than merely survive. (Repper and Perkins, 2003)

In order to structure and deliver these models and principles within mental health, we use the stepped care model, this is a model of service delivery, this is a system of delivering the care to the patient using the least resources but with the maximum effect and reach to patients, with the main principles of delivering the best care with minimum impact on the individual, and detecting the need for more or less intensive treatment, allowing them to step up, step down or step out of treatment if an alternative treatment may be more beneficial for them, step up could be a referral from a primary care team to the secondary care team, with each successive step up process being a more intensive treatment, step down such as from speciality care team to a secondary care team or to step off to self-care, telephone appointments or social inclusion interventions. (Firth, Barkham and Kellett, 2015)

In conclusion, mental health has advanced significantly over the history of nursing to achieve a diverse range of professional support, particularly advances towards support within the community, and that mental illness is defined as a range of mental health conditions. That everyone’s experience of mental health conditions will differ, even with the same diagnosis. To be able to support and treat those mental health conditions, the Mental Health Nurse has a variety of roles and responsibilities to fulfil and have the right professional qualities to achieve support and recovery. Recovery is individual, each person has a different perception of what recovery means for them and the way to achieve this. Mental Health Nurses must apply a variety of models to mental health conditions and illnesses, that looks at a person centred approach, the biology of the individual and the stress vulnerability of the individual, to discover the impact that these may have on their wellbeing, to support them towards their recovery process, and be able to take back control of their lives. A service delivery model, the stepped care model, is used to direct an individual to the right level of care within healthcare, where they can step up, step down or step out of the intensity of the care, with minimal impact on their lives.

I will take this learning forward in my nursing practice by maintaining a person-centred approach, and by applying the models of mental health and illness to everyone I am supporting to be able to achieve the best outcomes of recovery, and by remembering that each person has a different perception of what term recovery may mean for them.

• Bolton, D. (2008). What is Mental Disorder: An Essay in Philosophy, Science and Values. United States: Oxford Press, p.Chapter 1.
• Clifton, A., Hemingway, S., Felton, A. and Stacey, G. (2017). Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, p.Chapter 1.
• Clifton, A., Hemingway, S., Felton, A. and Stacey, G. (2017). Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, p.Chapter 3.
• Egan, G. (2010). The Skilled Helper. 9th ed. Linda Schreiber: Cengage, p.chapter 1.
• Firth, N., Barkham, M. and Kellett, S. (2015). The clinical effectiveness of stepped care sysyems. Journal of Affective Disorders, [online] (170), pp.119-130. Available at: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jad
• Medlineplus.gov. (2019). Mental Disorders: MedlinePlus. [online] Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/mentaldisorders.html
• Nolan, P. (1993). A History of Mental Health Nursing. London: Stanley Thomas, pp.chapter 1, 1.2.
• Repper, J. and Perkins, R. (2003). Social inclusion and recovery. Edinburgh: Baillière Tindall, pp.1-63.
• Zubin, J. and Spring, B. (1977). Vulnerability- A new view of schizophrenia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 86(2), pp.103-126.
• Linzi Morgan 1904643

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Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory [Internet]. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2021.

Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory [Internet].

As we learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, and start recovering and rebuilding, we have an opportunity to offer a more comprehensive, more fulfilling, and more inclusive vision of what constitutes public health. And for a generation of children facing unprecedented pressures and stresses, day in and day out, change can’t come soon enough.

It won’t come overnight. Many of the recommendations offered in this Advisory require structural buy-in and change.

But everyone has a role to play in combating this mental health pandemic. Without individual engagement, no amount of energy or resources can overcome the biggest barrier to mental health care: the stigma associated with seeking help. For too long, mental and emotional health has been considered, at best, the absence of disease, and at worst, a shame to be hidden and ignored.

If we each start reorienting our priorities to create accessible space in our homes, schools, workplaces, and communities for seeking and giving assistance, we can all start building a culture that normalizes and promotes mental health care.

This is the moment to demand change—with our voices and with our actions.

Only when we do will we be able to protect, strengthen, and support the health and safety of all children, adolescents, and young adults—and ensure everyone has a platform to thrive.

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In Search of Structure: The Intro, Body, and Conclusion

Critically thinking about what goes where in writing and how..

Posted July 5, 2019

In my last post here on Thoughts on Thinking , I discussed 7 Tips for Integrating Critical Thinking into your Writing and one of those tips was to develop an organized structure. In writing, not a single word should be written before you have an organized structure for the piece outlined (e.g. through argument mapping ). Organization is an important disposition towards critical thinking and being inclined this way will allow you to adapt and cope with the potential ‘surprises’ that may be encountered during the writing process. Introduction, Body and Conclusion – the old stalwarts of any well organized manuscript, are obvious fixtures; but, what goes into the Introduction, the Body and Conclusion?

Introduction

I once received a piece of writing advice: “If you don’t start with a quote, start with something quotable.” It wound up being one of the best and, at the same time, worst pieces of advice I’d ever received about writing. It’s a bad piece of advice because: As I’ve seen, people who do start with a quote have a tendency to quote Gandhi, Mandela or someone famous – which is nice, I guess, but is utterly useless given that (1) a vast majority of these people didn't conduct research in the field pertinent to the topic of the writing; and (2) if you’re writing a piece wherein a word count is applied, quotes are generally a waste of valuable words. Long story short, don’t use a quote.

But, what makes this a good piece of advice is that, given the caveat of not using a quote, extra impetus is added to providing an opening line that is, in itself, quotable. The opening line needs to grab the attention of the reader and tell them something important about what you’re going to discuss.

The introduction should contain a central claim (i.e. what the full piece is going to argue). You need to state why it’s important and present at least 3 to 5 core reasons for why you want the reader to believe you. In an essay, one paragraph is all that is necessary. In a thesis, you might devote an entire chapter to the Introduction.

In the Body, the 3 to 5 core reasons presented in the introduction get fleshed out in detail with information from credible sources. Each reason is important and deserves its own paragraph. A good rule of thumb is that each paragraph should contain no less than three sentences (e.g. based on the principles of syllogistic reasoning). Present at least 3 to 5 more credible reasons to support each of your 3 to 5 core reasons. If and ONLY if related, these 3 to 5 reasons should follow one another in the same paragraph in an effort to support one of your core reasons. If they are not directly related, then they should be placed in separate paragraphs.

Then ask yourself, Are there reasons why I shouldn’t believe this? This will help you to both avoid confirmation bias and develop and consider objections to your central claim, core reasons, and reasons to support your core reasons. If there are objections, then present them where relevant (i.e. next to the idea you’re refuting) and not in a new section (as this will interrupt the flow of your logic and writing). Try to refute objections as well. It is important to note that providing objections to reasons and other objections shows that you have considered both (or multiple) sides of the argument – another great opportunity to show off the fact that you did your research and critically evaluated existing research in the area!

Notably, the support and refutation of claims is a good means of Playing Devil's Advocate , which is one of my most common tips for critical thinking . Simply, consider the alternatives. If you don't, someone else will – and you don't want that person to be your reader. You don't want your reader to doubt you. I often exemplify this point to my students by discussing 8 Mile, wherein at the end of the film, Eminem takes part in a rap battle. Instead of the orthodox method of insulting one's opponent through rhymes, Eminem decides instead to insult himself for the duration of his turn. When his opponent takes the mic, he is left speechless, as Eminem has pretty much already said everything his opponent was going to say. That is, Eminem's opponent has no comeback. That's what critically thought-out writing should be like. You should cover all sides of the argument, so that your reader has nothing (or very little) with which to come back.

I often hear from students that the Conclusion, or Discussion, is the most difficult section of any piece to write. “I just don’t know what to say” and “It just comes across so redundant” are common complaints. That’s because people often make the mistake of presenting an extended summary as their conclusion, rather than a Conclusion or Discussion , proper. That’s not to say that a summary shouldn’t be presented; but, the summary shouldn’t be the only thing presented!

First, reiterate the central claim and explain why you believe your central claim with a little more specificity than in the introduction, but less detailed than in the body. Second, reiterate aims of the paper and any results or findings. That should be the summary finished.

Next, address the implications of your research findings (i.e. what they mean in a broader sense, in the real world). Note, however, this should be done cautiously. Your reading and/or research is not going to be the pinnacle of knowledge in this area. You will not have proven anything. Your research and/or what you have read will have flaws. Treat it as such – cautiously. Again, remember Eminem in 8 Mile . Thus, the third section in the Conclusion/Discussion should address possible limitations to the research and, in light of both possible implications and limitations, what future research should investigate. Finally, addressing the importance of such research might provide a strong conclusion, depending on the context.

Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, Ireland.

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Brain, Decision-Making, and Mental Health 2050

• First Online: 02 January 2023

Cite this chapter

• Nima Rezaei 3 , 4 , 5 ,
• Amene Saghazadeh 3 , 4 ,
• Ali Ercan Altınöz 6 , 7 ,
• Amer M. Burhan 8 , 9 , 10 ,
• Ana Ferreira 11 ,
• Anastasia K. Belolutskaya 12 , 13 ,
• Andrea Lavazza 14 , 15 , 16 ,
• Bernard Cadet 17 , 18 , 19 ,
• Billy A. Danday 20 , 21 ,
• Blanca Puig 22 ,
• Christoph Meinel 23 ,
• Daniela Dumitru 24 , 25 , 26 ,
• Denisa Caculidis-Tudor 27 ,
• Fernando Urcola-Pardo 28 ,
• Gabriela-Paula Florea 29 , 26 ,
• Ghsoon Reda 30 ,
• Hideki Tsumura 31 , 32 ,
• Ioana R. Podina 33 , 34 ,
• James Patience 35 ,
• Jana S. Rošker 36 , 37 ,
• Jeffrey Scheuer 38 ,
• Joana Reis 39 , 40 ,
• Joanna Salapska-Gelleri 41 , 42 ,
• Jozef Bavolar 43 ,
• Juan Carlos Olabe 44 ,
• Julia von Thienen 23 , 45 ,
• Ka Sing Paris Lai 46 ,
• Kelly Schuller 41 , 42 ,
• Margherita Benzi 47 ,
• Maria Evagorou 48 ,
• Marián Ambrozy 49 ,
• Martin Bourgeois 41 , 42 ,
• Miguel Ángel Olabe 50 ,
• Minsoo Kang 51 ,
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• Myungjin Jung 54 , 51 ,
• Oren Kolodny 55 ,
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• Paul D. Loprinzi 54 ,
• Rita Payan-Carreira 62 , 40 ,
• Rui Sampaio da Silva 63 , 64 ,
• Sedat Batmaz 65 , 66 ,
• Şefika Dilek Güven 67 ,
• Sérgio Roclaw Basbaum 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ,
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• Wayne H. Slater 74 , 75 ,
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The authors of Barin, Decision -Making, and Mental Health were asked how they would see the future of their field 30 years later. This chapter presents the authors’ views on this subject in 2050.

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The puzzle of Brain, Decision-making, and Mental Health–Word cloud

The brain is a great integrator of information, so most parts of this organ have an input into every decision we make. It is also extremely adaptable and, like all good computers , is adept at moving information around from one area to another, depending on circumstances. Harry Barry

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Rezaei, N. et al. (2023). Brain, Decision-Making, and Mental Health 2050. In: Rezaei, N. (eds) Brain, Decision Making and Mental Health. Integrated Science, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15959-6_32

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Existential Well-being, Mental Health, and COVID-19: Reconsidering the Impact of Lockdown Stressors in Moscow.

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• Klimochkina AY 1
• Nekhorosheva EV 2
• Kasatkina DA 2

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Psychology in Russia : State of the art , 15 Jun 2022 , 15(2): 14-31 https://doi.org/10.11621/pir.2022.0202   PMID: 36699708  PMCID: PMC9833610

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Existential Well-being, Mental Health, and COVID-19: Reconsidering the Impact of Lockdown Stressors in Moscow

Anastasia y. klimochkina.

a HSE University, Moscow, Russia

Elena V. Nekhorosheva

b Moscow City University, Moscow, Russia

Daria A. Kasatkina

Initial psychological papers on COVID-19, mental health and wellbeing mostly focus on the aftermath lockdown-related stress and stress related to the disease itself. Still, we presume that personal well-being can be resistant to stressors depending on the way the person is settled in their life.

We seek to reconsider the contribution of lockdown-related stressors to existential well-being, to assess existential well-being during the outbreak and to compare the contribution of living conditions and COVID-19-related factors on well-being.

An online survey was conducted during the peak of the outbreak in Moscow (April-May 2020) (N=880). The data was obtained using the “Test of Existential Motivations” questionnaire and a series of questions addressing (1) living conditions — mental and physical health, employment, and social distancing; (2) COVID-19-related stressors — non-chronic illness, financial losses, and unavailability of goods or services; (3) sociodemographic indicators — age, gender, and income. Data analysis included hierarchical multiple regression, one-sample t-test, and analysis of variance.

Surprisingly, the existential well-being of Moscow citizens during the research period was moderate. Each of the three groups of factors predicted a similar proportion of the variance of well-being (3-3,9%). The strongest predictors of well-being were long-term mental health status and financial stability. The effect of COVID-19-related stressors was most pronounced when they co-occur.

The negative association between lockdown-related stressors and poor well-being is not universal. It is necessary to study the effect of COVID-19-related stressors in combination with individual living conditions and region-specific factors and to focus on the prevention of the occurrence of stressors.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic generated social and psychological changes globally. Mental health specialists have been registering various behavioral and psychological challenges, such as hoarding behavior, emotional eating, dependencies, anxiety, and depression ( Banerjee, 2020 ; Barcın-Güzeldere, 2022 ; Rajkumar, 2020 ; Talevi et al., 2020 ; Zandifar & Badrfam, 2020 ). The negative impact of the pandemic on mental health was observed during various “waves” of the pandemic and was considered more harmful than other stressful events ( Olff et al., 2021 ). Some researchers noticed a delayed or cumulative effect of the pandemic on people’s well-being (Zacher and Rudolph, 2020).

Many scientists have stated that the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown, and situational factors such as harsh security measures, self-isolation, fear of being infected, a lack of relevant information, loneliness, boredom, and financial troubles, negatively affected people’s mental health ( Capuzzi et al., 2020 ; Newby et al., 2020 ; Rajkumar, 2020 ; Satici et al., 2020 ; Tian et al., 2020 ; Yıldırım et al., 2020 ). Though many scholars observed similar mental health issues across different countries, the effects of lockdown on well-being differed. Ausín et al. (2021), comparing Spanish and Russian general populations, stated that loneliness and alienation, as a tendency to gain social support from family only, were more pronounced among the Russian population.

Some researchers have highlighted that a person’s lifestyle and level of life satisfaction before the onset of COVID-19 could predict how they would feel during the pandemic ( Hoffman, 2020 ; Trzebiński et al., 2020 ; Yang, 2020 ). Sutin et al. (2020) noted that people remain resilient in the face of catastrophic events despite the stress they cause, at least in the short term.

We aim to reconsider the contribution of lockdown-related stressors to the level of existential well-being. Our goal was to compare the contributions of long-term and short-term (lockdown-related) factors affecting self-reported existential well-being, and to assess the level of Muscovites’ well-being during the most stressful period of the pandemic. We hypothesized that, despite initial studies of the psychological effects of the pandemic, long-term factors were more significant for existential wellbeing than short-term stressors and that the well-being of the participants would not be poor.

COVID-19 in Russia: Background

COVID-19 began to spread in Russia at the end of January 2020 (Mankoff, 2020). Lockdown restrictions varied from region to region and according to morbidity levels. In Moscow, which has a registered population of around 12.5 million, a high-alert regime was imposed on March 5 th , while the morbidity was still low (Moscow Government, 2020a). Moscow residents were obliged to inform the authorities of their condition and self-isolate for 14 days after returning from abroad. The authorities canceled all public events with over 5,000 participants. By March 12 th , there were 25 new cases in Moscow and the Moscow Region, compared with 45,000 cases with 4,917 deaths worldwide.

A strict lockdown was introduced in Moscow on April 15 th ( Moscow Government, 2020b ). Following this, residents were required to stay at home or use a digital pass for any travel. A shortage problem and a temporary price increase occurred for certain goods, including medicines, medical masks, and antiseptics. Temporary hospitals were opened. Students began to study online.

Morbidity reached its height by May 7 th , with 6,703 new cases and 39 deaths in Moscow and 842 new cases and 15 deaths in the Moscow Region. Moscow authorities introduced one-time payments to support families with children, pensioners, and the unemployed and provided a COVID-19 hotline on the Moscow Mayor’s official webpage. Most employees started to work remotely ( Nekhorosheva et al., 2020 ), and business tax holidays were introduced.

By June 9 th , the morbidity level in Moscow decreased to 1,500 new cases and 12 deaths, compared with 7.3 million global cases, with a daily increase of 124,700 cases and 32,474 deaths. Moscow authorities gradually put an end to lockdown restrictions and canceled digital passes, many small businesses and services reopened.

Understanding Mental Health and Well-being: An Existential Approach

Well-being is a core concept in mental health science. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2001, 2018), mental health is both absence of mental disorders and a state of emotional, mental, and behavioral well-being that allows for adaptation to everyday life. Mental health implies the ability to deal with the stressors of daily life, fulfill one’s potential, and work fruitfully (WHO, 2013). The pandemic has drastically altered several societal fundamentals, such as security of life, reliability of public institutions, and freedom of movement and communication. We take an existential approach to assessing these fundamental changes. Existential models allow us to consider the psychological characteristics of a person’s quality of life by assessing their interaction with external life circumstances ( Längle, 1993 ; Längle & Klaassen, 2019 ).

Anxiety about one’s mortality (death anxiety) is a fundamental concept in existential psychology ( Frankl, 1992 ; Yalom, 1980 , 2008), which is thrust to the forefront of our minds due to awareness of the threat posed by the virus. For example, Tomaszek and Muchacka-Cymerman (2020) studied the mediating effect of existential anxiety and life satisfaction on the relationship between PTSD symptoms and post-traumatic growth during the pandemic. Existential psychology understands wellbeing as fulfillment, perceiving life as good, having inner consent to life’s conditions and limitations, and choosing an authentic way of life ( Längle, 2003 ). An existentially prosperous person can cope with everyday tasks, build warm relations with themselves and others, have healthy emotions, be authentic and productive, and make meaningful contributions to the future ( Längle, 2011 , 2014).

Theoretical Model: Three Groups of Factors Impacting Existential Well-being During COVID-19

Applying an existential approach, we identified three groups of factors that could predict the psychological fallout of lockdown.

The first group includes the sociodemographic features that influence social status and living conditions — age, gender, monthly household income. According to researchers, females, children, adolescents, and the elderly are prone to anxious or depressive reactions during the pandemic ( Brooks et al., 2020 ; Fernández-Castillo et al., 2021 ; Inchausti et al., 2020 ; Rajkumar, 2020 ; Yenan Wang et al., 2020 ). Women who have experienced traumatic events are more likely to develop anxiety symptoms ( Cai et al., 2021 ; Remes et al., 2016 ). Women and the elderly were more open to help-seeking behavior ( MacKenzie et al., 2008 ; Mojtabai et al., 2002 ). Researchers stress the differences in “socially acceptable methods of coping with stress and care-seeking rates for mental disorders between men and women” ( Cabrera-Mendoza et al., 2020 , p. 68). People with lower incomes could suffer from fear and stigmatization ( Tian et al., 2020 ). All this justifies the inclusion of this group of factors into the model as control variables.

The second group refers to ongoing living conditions and individual way of life. It includes (1) mental health status (diagnosed psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety), (2) physical health status (chronic physical conditions such as hypertension, lung disease, and heart disease), (3) working status (employment of any type, or non-working status including being a housewife, student, or pensioner), and (4) self-isolation or social distancing (the degree of changes in personal daily life and behavior caused by the lockdown restrictions).

Tian et al. (2020) demonstrated that employment, financial problems, lower levels of education, and migrant status had affected the mental health of Chinese citizens, while mental health literacy among Chinese college students was associated with lower stress and anxiety levels ( Hu et al., 2021 ). The impact of poor health conditions, specifically diagnosed mental disorders, has been noted in COVID-19 studies in different countries ( Newby et al., 2020 ). The relevance of self-isolation behavior has also been widely discussed (Rubin & Wessely, 2020; Taylor, 2019 ). For example, Talevi et al. (2020) found that increased length and severity of quarantine was associated with increased anxiety, depression, coping strategies, and stigmatization.

Situational stressors constitute the third group of factors in our model. A psychological stressor is a “life situation that creates an unusual or intense level of stress that may contribute to the development or aggravation of mental disorders, illness, or maladaptive behavior” ( VandenBos, 2015 , p. 1204). We study the following situational COVID-19-related stressors: health, financial complications, and lockdown.

The first stressor is becoming infected with COVID-19 or having a family member infected. Fear of death, loss of loved ones, damage to health, and lack of information (the so-called “headline stress disorders’’) can provoke a stress reaction. People diagnosed with COVID-19 experienced different mental outcomes depending on the severity of the disease and quarantine conditions — from anxiety, shame, and stigmatization ( Tian et al., 2020 ), to post-traumatic stress symptoms ( Bo et al., 2020 ). People who did not suffer COVID-19 experienced the emergence of defensive mechanisms, panic, and various anxiety-related reactions due to abundant or controversial reports about regarding virus and the epidemiological situation ( Cuiyan Wang et al., 2020 ; Dong & Zheng, 2020 ; Zandifar & Badrfam, 2020 ).

The second stressor is the economic crisis which creates financial losses, unemployment, and unpredictability. This stressor leads to social fears, xenophobia, detachment, anxiety, and depressive disorders ( Banerjee, 2020 ; Talevi et al., 2020 ).

The third stressor is the lockdown itself, manifested in restrictions, loss of freedom, social distancing, lack of social contacts, routine changes, and inaccessibility of some basic supplies. It triggers various feelings (anger, irritation, confusion, anxiety, loneliness), post-traumatic stress symptoms, and other severe psychological and behavioral deviations, such as suicidality, dependencies, and somatization ( Banerjee, 2020 ; Bo et al., 2020 ; Brooks et al., 2020 ; Inchausti et al., 2020 ; Roy et al., 2020 ; Talevi et al., 2020 ; Yenan Wang et al., 2020 ).

This study aims to assess the existential well-being of Muscovites during the lockdown period and compare the contribution of the participants’ living conditions and COVID-19-related factors on well-being. We hypothesized that factors relating to long-term and ongoing life events would have a more significant impact on existential well-being than short-term stressors and that the participants’ well-being would not be poor.

In order to test this hypothesis, we compared the unique contributions of two groups of factors (ongoing living conditions and situational COVID-19-related stressors) towards levels of existential well-being, while controlling sociodemographic variables. The factors were structured so as to compare the relevance of long-term dispositions and short-term stressors in the same areas of life: (1) health, (2) work, and (3) state of social distancing during the pandemic. Each factor is treated as an independent variable, while the dependent variable is existential fulfillment as a measure of well-being ( Shumskiy et al., 2017 ; Shumskiy & Klimochkina, 2018 ).

We used a cross-sectional research design. The quantitative data was collected using verbal questionnaires based on self-reports. The survey was conducted online due to lockdown restrictions.

Participants

The raw sample consisted of 1839 unique answers, before the following exclusion criteria were applied:

Agreement for the processing of personal data.

No missing data (all fields were filled).

Using the answer “prefer not to say” in the question about monthly family income.

The final sample consisted of 880 participants (9.2% male, 90.8% female; M age = 39.55 years, SD = 10.33, range = 17–75 years) (see Table 1 ).

Sample characteristics (N=880)

The average monthly family income (50 000–100 000 RUB 1 ) was reported by 47.5% of respondents, 29.5% reported a subsistence level of income for a two-person family living in Moscow (< 50 000 RUB), 23% had a high level of income (> 100 000 RUB). The respondents exhibited good health: only 4% had been diagnosed with neuropsychological conditions (depression, anxiety, or other) at the time of the survey; 33% had chronic physical conditions (heart disease, lung disease, or other). Concerning working status, most were employed (70%), while 30% were non-working, including housewives, students, pensioners, and persons with disabilities. As for self-isolation status, 68% maintained a reasonable degree of self-isolation, 8% supported all restrictive prescriptions, and 24% reported they had not changed their routine during the pandemic. Respondents faced the following COVID-19-related stressors: 3% fell ill themselves (any infection) or had a family member fal ill; 30% faced a decrease in earnings or job loss; 41% faced the unavailability of goods, medicines, or services during the lockdown.

The study was approved by the Psychological and Pedagogical Research Ethics Committee (PPREC) of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology of Education (Moscow City University) on 01/04/2020. The online questionnaire was made on the Survey-Monkey platform. The participants were provided with the web-link sent through urban parental and professional communities (such as academic, pedagogical, medical, and law enforcement communities) using social networks and messengers. Participation in this study was voluntary and anonymous. Participants were also asked to provide electronic consent for the processing of personal data.

The target sample was used, in accordance with the target audience — Muscovites (“living in Moscow”). According to the Federal State Statistics Service, 12.6 million people were living in Moscow by 2020. With the sample reliability of 99%, our sample size ( N= 880) was sufficient. Also, it was important to represent people of different gender, age, occupation, and social status, as well as to comprehensively cover the working part of the city’s population, since changes in the working status and income were expected to be one of the consequences of the pandemic.

The survey was conducted from April 19 th to May 18 th , during the time when citizens were obliged to use digital passes, avoid public places (including schools and kindergartens), wear medical masks, and maintain self-isolation. Most of the data was collected during the first COVID-19 wave in Moscow (from April 27 th to May 3 rd ), when restrictions were tightest.

Statistical analysis

We used R-studio and SPSS software to perform the statistical analysis:

One-sample t-test to examine the difference between the sample mean and the standard TEM values for the Russian population.

Hierarchical multiple regression to explore the relationship between existential well-being as a dependent variable and the three groups of independent variables: (1) sociodemographic indicators (as controlled variables), (2) ongoing life conditions, and (3) COVID-19-related stressors. Variables were included in each of the groups of factors in accordance with the theoretical model. This analysis allowed us to measure the contribution of COVID-19-related stressors against the long-term living conditions of the respondents. Thus, we could test the claim of whether COVID-19-related stressors had a universally harmful effect, and identify the stressors to which respondents were most sensitive.

ANOVA was used to further refine the relationship between categorical variables (and their interactions) and existential well-being.

Questionnaires

Existential well-being was measured using the Test of Existential Motivations questionnaire (TEM) ( Shumskiy et al., 2017 ) based on Längle’s theory of four fundamental existential motivations ( Längle, 2016 ). The questionnaire consisted of 36 items (24 were reverse-scored and 12 straight), 4 subscales (with 9 items in each scale), and one summarizing indicator. Each item was assessed using a Likert scale over a range of 1 to 4, where 1 = “ strongly disagree ”, 2 = “ disagree ”, 3 = “ agree ”, and 4 = “ strongly agree ”. Each subscale represented the prerequisites for existential fulfillment — fundamental motivations (FM): 1 FM referred to fundamental trust; 2 FM referred to the fundamental value of life; 3 FM referred to the authenticity and fundamental self-value, and 4 FM referred to the meaning of life. Due to the need for further confirmation of the factor structure of the questionnaire subscales, this study used only an aggregated indicator of existential well-being.

Other variables were evaluated by direct questions:

Sociodemographic characteristics were assessed using questions on matters of gender, age, and family monthly income. The option “prefer not to say” was available for the question regarding income.

Ongoing life conditions were measured using questions concerning:

Mental health status: “Do you have any clinically diagnosed mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorder, or other clinically diagnosed mental disorder?” (1 = yes , 0 = no ).

Physical health status: “Do you have any clinically diagnosed chronic physical disorders, such as hypertonic disease, diabetes, heart diseases, lung disease (including asthma, COPD, etc.), oncological diseases, disability, or mobility limitation, or other clinically diagnosed chronic diseases or vulnerable states?” (1 = yes , 0 = no ).

Working status: “Are you currently employed?” (1 = yes , 0 = no ).

Social distancing status: “How would you describe your current routine during lockdown?” Respondents were asked to choose from three options: (1) “I am on strict self-isolation or quarantine, I don’t leave home and follow all the authorities’ guidance”; (2) “I can leave home if necessary, following authorities’ guidance on self-isolation and social distancing”; (3) “I am moving freely around the city, and nothing has changed in my daily routine”.

Situational COVID-19-related stressors were measured with the question: “For the last seven days, have you experienced any of the following?”: (1) “I or my family members have become ill (any illness) and/or had to see a doctor” (1 = yes , 0 = no ); (2) “financial loss, a reduction in earnings or job loss” (1 = yes , 0 = no ); (3) “the unavailability of goods, medicines or services” (1 = yes , 0 = no ).

We used a one-sample t-test to examine the difference between the sample mean and the value established by the norms of the TEM test for the total Russian population, including Moscow (see Table 2 ).

Summary of One Sample T-Test for the Level of Existential Well-being (fulfillment)

Note. *** p < 0.00

The mean in the Moscow sample during the lockdown period turned out to be significantly higher than TEM norms. Although the difference was significant, its effect size was relatively small (Cohen’s d = 0.249).

We used hierarchical multiple regression to explore the relationship between existential well-being as a dependent variable and the three groups of independent variables (see Table 3 ).

Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis Estimating the Level of Existential Well-being (N = 880)

Note. a 0 = male, 1 = female. b 0 = subsistence level, 1 = middle level, 2 = high level. c 0 = no diagnosed conditions, 1 = have diagnosed conditions. d 0 = non-working, 1 = working/employed. e 0 = no self-isolation/distancing, 1 = strict self-isolation, 2 = reasonable distancing. f 0 = no stressful situations 1 = faced illness. g 0 = no stressful situations 1 = faced financial loss or job loss. h 0 = no stressful situations 1 = faced unavailability of goods or services. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001

Categorical variables with multiple categories were transformed into dummy variables. Three models were created with factors added sequentially to each model, while controlling the previous ones. The fourth model was the most complete due to the inclusion of the interaction of the variables; it was created to achieve maximum model fit.

The coefficients of determination show that all three groups of factors predict a similar proportion of the variance in the measured well-being (ΔR-squared model 1 = .039, ΔR-squared model 2 = .035, ΔR-squared model 3 = .033). However, the most complete model explains 11.4% of the variance in existential well-being. Adjusted coefficients of determination make it possible to compare models, since they consider the number of explanatory variables and the number of observations. We see that the fourth model, which considers the interaction of stressors, is the most accurate of the four presented models (Adjusted R-squared = .101).

The models allow us to estimate the significance of each factor. In the first group of factors, age and household monthly income were statistically significant. In the second group, working status was significantly positively related to well-being, while health conditions were negatively related. The negative effects of mental diseases were greater than those of physical diseases. Social distancing caused by the lockdown was not significant as a separate variable nor in its interaction with others. Problems caused by a job loss or a reduction in earnings and lockdown-related stressors were statistically significant.

Standardized regression coefficients allow us to compare the strength of the effect of each independent variable to the dependent variable. Based on the most complete model, the negative factors had the greatest effect: mental health status ( β = –.16), financial stressors ( β = –.15), and interaction of health stressors and lockdown stressors ( β = –.14).

The interaction of variables was discovered by a combination of two stressors. The unavailability of goods or services moderated the connection between illness in the family and existential well-being. Increasing the moderator increased the effect of the predictor: having an ill family member did not produce a significant effect if the respondent could receive all the necessary assistance and medicines; but when these two stressors co-occurred, a significant decrease in well-being level was revealed.

ANOVA was used to determine whether the explanatory variables and their interactions were related to the dependent variable. The relevance of income appeared to be most prominent when comparing the difference between respondents who had a high household income and those whose income was close to the subsistence level ( F = 11.186, p Tukey = < .001, Cohen’s d = 0.449). Respondents with higher income levels report a higher level of well-being, even during the pandemic. Upon comparison of groups by physical health status, no significant differences in well-being were observed ( F = 0.354, p = .552, Cohen’s d = 0.043), while mental health had a greater effect ( F = 28.465, p = < .001, Cohen’s d = 0.976). Working status was also a significant factor ( F = 13.226, p = < .001, Cohen’s d = 0.267). The analysis of variance showed that being employed was associated with existential well-being, regardless of the respondent’s social status and income. Respondents who faced financial difficulties during the final week of lockdown more clearly demonstrated lower well-being ( F = 24.183, p = < .001, Cohen’s d = –0.365).

Assessing the existential well-being

The average of the Muscovites’ well-being during the lockdown was higher than the average TEM test scores as calculated for the general Russian population during an ordinary period. We assume either that initially high existential well-being in Moscow decreased during the pandemic but remained higher than in the whole of Russia, or that the existential well-being had not decreased at all. It is possible that the wellbeing of citizens has not declined due to changes brought about by the pandemic. Several other studies conducted in Russia at the beginning of the pandemic give further grounds for such an assumption.

Rasskazova et al. (2020) compared the well-being level between a group of 409 healthy adults in the period from April 17 th to April 26 th 2020, and three samples of 98, 66, and 293 people who completed the same tests (Satisfaction with Life Scale and Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences) in 2017 and 2019. Their results showed no differences between groups in the level of life satisfaction, although the intensity of positive emotions decreased. Some studies in other countries show similar data. The longitudinal study by Fernández-Abascal and Martín-Díaz (2021) comparing the level of well-being of Spanish adults throughout different weeks (a typical week, the week before the lockdown, and a week during the lockdown). They reviewed no progressive decrease of psychological well-being in either gender group over time. At the same time, the authors note that positive affects progressively decrease, while negative affects remain stable without increasing over time.

However, the results of global studies on well-being at the start of the pandemic remain conflicting. For example, Zhang et al. (2020) collected data on the well-being of 2231 adults living in 454 counties across 48 states in the US where the severity of the pandemic varied. The research was based on an analysis of Twitter profiles and tweets posted between April 1 st and April 24 th . They found that pandemic severity gave rise to negative affects in adults (such as feeling scared, hostile, and nervous) rather than positive affects (such as excitement and enthusiasm), and the relationship between pandemic severity and the negative affects was moderated by personality and family connectedness. An Australian study by van Agteren et al. (2020) , comparing the level of well-being (Satisfaction with Life Scale and MHC-SF), stress, and anxiety during the lockdown period, between March-April 2020, with the same indicators used from February 2019 to February 2020, showed that well-being and resilience were significantly lower during the period of the pandemic. In a study of Italian population stress and well-being during the pandemic, Rania & Coppola (2021) observed a decrease in well-being and mental health, regardless of gender differences and of whether or not participants had had direct contact with the virus.

We can see that the research results are not consistent due to the complexity of the phenomenon of well-being, a variety of measuring instruments, and the differences in lockdown conditions in different countries (and even within regions of one country). Thus, the conclusions about the greater or lesser significance of lockdown stressors cannot be universal.

If the level of well-being of Moscow citizens did not decrease, what could have determined its sustainability at the beginning of the pandemic? Under the existential approach, the absence of a decline may indicate the resistance of this form of well-being to situational changes. According to Längle (1993) , existential fulfillment is the result of living with “inner consent”. During the measurement period, many residents had hope that the pandemic would recede in the summer and the stressors could seem like a challenge requiring a personal response. Lockdown created a new personal experience in many ways. Many residents began to pay more attention to their interests and communication with loved ones. These factors could support the inner consent and may have contributed to sustainability of existential well-being.

This result may also have occurred due to sample specifics. Moscow is a prosperous and wealthy city with an advanced social support system that had introduced additional support measures during the pandemic. It is possible that the citizen’s wellbeing in Moscow was higher before the pandemic and decreased under its influence but remained higher than in Russia as a whole. Clarification of this result provides an opportunity for future research.

Also, Pervichko et al. (2020) indicate that many Russians perceived COVID-19 as a “disease of the elite” at the beginning of pandemic. They believed that those affected were people who have opportunity to travel abroad (the entry route of the virus to Russia) and spend more time in informal communication, not limited by social distancing. The authors report that 38% of participants think the danger of COVID-19 is exaggerated.

Finally, the participants of the online studies can be assigned specific characteristics: they are socially active, well adapted to the online space and stay more connected to others. These factors are common for all online research ( Payne & Barnfather, 2011 ), but during self-isolation, the opportunity to communicate online could significantly support the well-being of participants. However, clarifying the actual impact of these limitations requires testing additional hypotheses in future research.

The effects of COVID-19-related stressors

We aimed to assess the impact of specific pandemic-related difficulties on Moscow citizens’ existential well-being. Ongoing living conditions and COVID-19-related stressors did not affect well-being as we expected. All groups of factors showed approximately equal statistical significance but had relatively weak explanatory power regarding existential well-being. Thus, both COVID-19-related stressors and ongoing living conditions predict well-being to a certain extent, but other factors were not measured in this study. This result emphasizes the importance of not neglecting both factors for predicting well-being: understanding the way a person is settled in life at a basic level is just as important as information about the difficulties that a person faced during the specific crisis.

Among the variables included in the group of long-term ongoing factors, the most significant was mental health. This result shows the crucial importance of taking a person’s mental state into account in well-being research. This finding is consistent with other studies, revealing that participants with self-reported mental health diagnoses had significantly higher distress, health anxiety, and fears of COVID-19 than those without a mental health diagnosis ( Newby et al., 2020 ). However, given the small number (N = 31) of respondents diagnosed with mental conditions in our sample, this contrast should be treated with caution.

The most significant of the studied stressors were financial losses (a reduction in earnings or job loss) in the final week of lockdown and the co- occurrence of two stressors — illness and the unavailability of necessary services and medicines.

The importance of stable employment in times of change is shown. Similar results are discussed by Blustein and Guarino (2020) : job loss provokes existential anxiety that has psychological consequences. Prime et al. (2020) emphasize that financial stability is one of the conditions for maintaining a safe living environment and therefore crucial for subjective well-being. From an existential-psychological perspective, support, a protected private space, reliability, and confidence in the future are prerequisites for well-being.

The discovered interaction of two stressors is interesting for the field of social welfare planning. Any physical illness that the respondent or someone in their family suffered from during the pandemic caused a decrease in well-being when social insecurity co-occurred with the instance of poor health. In such circumstances, growing stress can occur due to the unavailability of social services or the lack of access to necessary goods. Namely, Muscovites experienced temporal unavailability of free medical care for non-COVID-19 patients due to extreme congestion in hospitals. This combination of stressors is negatively related to existential well-being. This result can be used by social services to provide citizens with the necessary support.

The study allows us to reconsider the impact of COVID-19-related stressors. In the context of the pandemic in Moscow during the first wave, we see a moderately high level of existential well-being and a moderate connection between existential well-being and COVID-related stressors when other factors are controlled. We may conclude that the impact of lockdown stressors is not universal. It varies according to region, living conditions, the severity of the lockdown, the dynamics of the pandemic, and cultural specifics.

The results may also vary depending on the measurement specifics of well-being. We assume that existential well-being can be resilient to rapid social changes, as it is more determined by internal factors like the ability to find meaning.

The existential well-being of the Moscow citizens during the first wave of the pandemic was affected by both the ongoing living conditions and COVID-19-related stressors (while sociodemographic variables were controlled). Thus, it is fruitful to use a comprehensive approach to measure the COVID-19-related stressors’ effect on well-being and is insufficient to consider only the frequency of exposure to stressful situations.

We discovered that a combination of COVID-19-related stressors (facing unavailability of goods, medicine, or services while falling ill or having a sick family member) was associated with poor well-being, while facing these situations separately did not produce a significant decline in well-being.

These results can find practical application in planning programs to support socially unprotected categories of citizens and in the work of social welfare services.

Limitations

This research has been restricted by the unbalanced sample due to the research procedure (voluntary online survey), where female participants of the active middle age with access to the internet prevailed. It should also be noted that the research was carried out among Moscow citizens, thus the conclusions about the greater or lesser significance of lockdown stressors cannot be universal.

1 100 000 RUB ≈ 1300 USD (for 2020–2021)

Ethics Statement

All subjects gave informed consent for the sharing of their data before taking part in the study. This research obtained ethical approval by Dr. Alexey M. Dvoinin, Chair of the Psychological and Pedagogical Research Ethics Committee (PPREC) of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology of Education (Moscow City University) 01/04/2020.

Author Contributions

Elena Nekhorosheva conceived the idea, developed the design and questionnaire, selected the research methods, and provided data collection. Anastasia Klimochkina contributed to the theoretical review, development of the theoretical model, performed data analysis and description of results. Daria Kasatkina contributed to the questionnaire development, theoretical review, and editorial work. All authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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