Mental Health Without Well-being

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Philosophy of Medicine

Background:

• The concept of mental health is central to public health initiatives aiming to reduce stigma and achieve parity with physical health.
• Current definitions of mental health are often unclear, ranging from the mere absence of mental illness to encompassing overall well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate existing definitions of mental health.
• To propose a refined conceptualization of mental health that avoids the limitations of current approaches.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of the concept of mental health.
• Critique of definitions based on absence of illness and on well-being.
• Development of an alternative conceptual framework.

Main Results:

• Defining mental health solely as the absence of mental illness is insufficient and overly reliant on psychiatric judgments.
• Defining mental health as encompassing overall well-being is overly demanding and potentially oppressive.
• A proposed middle position defines mental health as a primary good.

Conclusions:

• Mental health is best understood as the fundamental psychological capacity required to pursue any conception of a good life.
• This 'primary good' definition offers a more balanced and less oppressive framework than existing models.
• This reconceptualization supports efforts to promote mental health without imposing a singular vision of well-being.