By Thekla Vassiliou
- Psychologist (MSc) – Systemic Psychotherapist
- President of the Pan-Cyprian Association of Psychotherapists (PSYTH)
Mental health isn’t just about those who are dealing with a mental illness. It concerns all of us. It’s about how we relate to one another, how we work, how we raise our children, and how we cope with change, loss, and the demands of daily life. It concerns how we take care of ourselves, but also how we stand by the people around us.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
World Mental Health Day, on October 10, is an annual opportunity to turn our attention to an aspect of health that we often take for granted until it is put to the test. It is also an opportunity to reexamine how we, as a society, perceive mental health, prevention, and seeking help.
We don’t always have to be fine
Mental health doesn’t mean always being fine. It doesn’t mean the absence of anxiety, fear, sadness, or uncertainty. It means, among other things, being able to recognize and understand what we’re experiencing, to cope with difficulties, to maintain meaningful relationships, and, when our own strength isn’t enough, to be able to ask for help without guilt, shame, or fear.
For many years, the conversation around mental health was marked by silence and stigma. Even today, people may hesitate to talk about what they’re going through because they fear they’ll be labeled “weak,” that they won’t be understood, or that their struggles will be dismissed.
Seeking support, however, is not a failure. On the contrary, it can be an important step toward self-care and self-protection.
Recognizing the importance of self-care, however, does not mean that mental health is exclusively a personal matter. The way we feel and function is also deeply influenced by the environment in which we live.
A Challenging Environment
Mental health is shaped by the circumstances of our daily lives: in our families, at school, in the workplace, in our relationships, and in our communities. It is influenced by our sense of safety and acceptance, our economic and social reality, and by what is happening around us.
At a time when war, displacement, humanitarian crises, and uncertainty are a daily reality for millions of people, the discussion about mental health cannot be limited solely to individual resilience.
It is not enough to ask people to become increasingly resilient in the face of the pressures they face. We must also examine the environment in which they are expected to cope: the factors that burden, isolate, or traumatize them, as well as those that can offer them safety, connection, stability, and support.
That is why protecting mental health is a collective responsibility. It involves individuals and families, as well as schools, workplaces, communities, mental health professionals, organizations, and the government.
And precisely because mental health is influenced by so many different factors, caring for it cannot begin only when a problem has already turned into a crisis. It needs to start much earlier.
The Importance of Prevention
Prevention is a cornerstone of mental health care. It begins with education, the early recognition of difficulties, and the creation of environments where people feel safe to express what they are experiencing and seek support.
It means being able to recognize early on when something is troubling us, before the pressure intensifies or significantly affects our daily lives. It also means fostering a different culture around mental health: a culture in which we don’t have to reach our breaking point to ask for help, and in which taking care of our mental health is treated with the same seriousness as our physical health.
Access to services should not be a privilege
And when we recognize that we need help, we should be able to receive it. Financial status, place of residence, social standing, or any other factor should not be a barrier to accessing appropriate support.
Access to quality mental health services is an integral part of a society that cares for its people. It requires adequate services, trained professionals, clear quality standards, and a framework that ensures that anyone seeking help can receive it safely, respect, and dignity.
Care is also a way of life
In the discussion about mental health, we must not forget our own role toward the people around us. The way we listen, respond, and stand by someone who may be going through a difficult time.
We can be a little more attentive to things that might not be obvious. We shouldn’t underestimate a challenge just because it isn’t visible. Let’s listen without rushing to offer answers or advice, and create space for what’s hard to put into words.
It’s just as important to allow ourselves, when needed, to acknowledge that we’re struggling and to ask for support.
World Mental Health Day reminds us of something essential: mental health is not a luxury. It is an integral part of our overall health, well-being, and quality of life.
It’s not just about “other people.” It concerns us all.
