Introduction to the Mental Health Continuum

Suffolk Mind's introduction to the Mental Health Continuum.

All of us have mental health, just as we have physical health. We are all on the mental health continuum – and we move up and down it depending on how we cope with the challenges of life and the stresses that it creates.

While we might sometimes think about mental health in terms of conditions like depression, anxiety and more serious conditions, most professionals agree that our mental health is on a continuum, or a spectrum. Most of us will spend the greater part of our lives at the wellbeing end of that spectrum, while a few will experience serious mental ill health at the other end.

Wherever we are on the mental health continuum, it’s important to understand that stress is the crossover point. If we don’t address stress, it can give rise to low mood or trigger more serious conditions.

Suffolk Mind works across the continuum, from wellbeing to ‘severe and enduring’ mental ill-health, providing support and information for everyone.