Factors that affect mental health

At the Mental Health Foundation, we know that mental health is complex and our wellbeing is determined by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors:

Biological factors

Alcohol and mental health

How alcohol affects your brain, your body and your mental health, and how to get help if you're worried about your drinking.

Autism and mental health

What is autism, autism and mental health, ways you can look after yourself and support that is available.

Diet and mental health

Exploring the link between diet and mental health, and tips around eating well.

Drugs and mental health

Why people take drugs, how recreational drugs can affect your mental health, and getting support.

Menopause

Symptoms of the menopause, how the menopause can affect your emotional and mental health, and getting help with menopausal symptoms.

Physical activity and mental health

How active you should be, and things to consider before getting started.

Physical health and mental health

How your mental health affects your physical health, and what you can do to help yourself.

Sleep and mental health

What can cause sleep problems and how to improve your sleep.

Smoking and mental health

Why smoking is so addictive, and ways to help you quit.

Psychological factors

Body image

What body image means, how it affects your mental health and what causes body image concerns.

Gambling and mental health

The causes of problem gambling, how it can affect your mental health, and getting help.

Hearing voices

What it's like to hear voices, why people hear voices and getting support.

Stigma and discrimination

How stigma and discrimination affect people with mental health problems, why people with mental health problems are discriminated against, and what you can do about stigma and discrimination.

Stress

The causes of stress, the signs of stress, the affects of stress, and help that is available.

Trauma

What trauma means, how trauma might affect you, the long-term effects of trauma and getting support.

Social factors

Debt and mental health

How debt can affect your mental health, how mental health problems can affect your finances, and getting support.

Friendship and mental health

Talking to friends about your mental health, and supporting a friend who has a mental health problem.

Housing and mental health

How housing problems can affect your mental health, what you can do about housing problems, and finding suitable housing if you have a mental health problem.

Human rights and mental health

The Human Rights Act, how the Human Rights Act protects people with mental health problems, and knowing your rights.

Loneliness

What is loneliness, how to cope with loneliness and how to support someone else who is feeling lonely.

Nature and mental health

The positive impact of nature on your mental health, and how you can develop your connection with nature.

Pets and mental health

How a pet can help your mental health, deciding if having a pet is right for you, and options if you can’t have a pet.

Work-life balance

What a good work-life balance means, how you can help yourself and how your workplace can help.