Mental health is used to describe a level of emotional well-being or absence of a mental disorder. Mental health includes an individual's ability to enjoy life and maintain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community".

Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood through adulthood. Everyone feels worried, anxious, sad or stressed sometimes. Mental illnesses are very common.

Mental disorders are associated with the abnormal functioning of human brain. Mental disorders are of different types.

• Mental disorder due to anxiety or fear of something (phobia, anxiety disorder)
• Mental disorder due to mood i.e. prolonged sadness (depression)
• Mental disorder due to wrong perception of things all around (schizophrenia)
• Mental disorder due to abnormal behavior and thoughts (maladaptive disorder)
• Insomnia, Anorexia, Gender dysphoria and paraphilia

A common belief is that the mental disorder arises due to the vulnerabilities in genes during the development of brain and the behavior subjected to a child during his developmental years. Mental disorder can be avoided by being supportive.

Treatment for mental disorders is provided in mental hospitals, recovery and counseling centers and psychiatric clinics. These institutions help in curing the problem over a period of time by helping the individual find a meaning to life and to help them regain their self confidence and dignity.

Several medications are also provided. Antidepressants are given for depression cases and Anxiolytics are recommended for persons having anxiety related disorders. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is provided to patients having acute depression.