Why Do People Say “ Mental Health”When They Mean “ Mental Health Problems”?

[RabbitsRock]

It’s annoying! Everyone has mental health! Anyone else find it annoying?

It makes me so annoyed, particularly when professionals use it. TBH it just makes people sound a bit thick!

It’s a very popular thing to have.
😉😁😁.

Does it matter? People can talk about mental health in general

I always think people should say they have mental illhealth

Yes it does matter. It's not making clear if it's good or bad mental health. Nobody's saying people can't talk about mental health in general. The op means people use the term mental health when they mean mental illhealth.

I thought I was the only one. The other day I was watching something where two "experts" were talking about a suspect "having symptoms of mental health". HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?! It's like saying "having symptoms of health".

They meant "poor mental health". What they actually said pretty much meant the opposite. I don't understand how people have confused the two.

Rant over.

Completely agree. Makes you sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about and therefore exaggerating/not genuine. ‘He’s got mental health’…… what do you mean? Be specific or you may as well not mention it. We all have mental health just like we have physical health.

In fact you don’t even need to be specific. Just add the word ‘issues’ or ‘problems’ or ‘poor’ or ‘condition’.

Because they don't think about or understand the words they use. 🤦‍♀️

Oh gosh me too, last night on a crime orogramme, he was suffering from mental health. Taken Logically that would mean hes great!

Yes, using the right words and phrases in the right contexts does matter. There's no point in the existence of language otherwise.

I might be different then because I'd say when I feel ok and when I'm not. So I tend to think of mental health in a general sense.

Because they don't realise what they're saying and think it sounds knowledgeable.
Also people love dropping random medical terms into conversations. I've seen yet another mention of "projectile" vomiting here today - it's just vomiting. All vomiting is, by its nature, somewhat projectile but "projectile vomiting" is an important symptom.
And the number of people capable of diagnosing various personality disorders on the strength of a couple of incidents is remarkable.

Because they're thick

It frustrates me too, but I put it down to lack of education.

I have significant mental health issues and suffered a mental health crisis 9 months ago. I wish there was more education on this topic

It matters when someone says they or another person "has mental health" as it doesnt make sense unless qualified by good/bad/illness or whatever.

Of course you can talk about it in general, that's not the point

But they never do ......it's always about poor mental health.

Is problems the right world?

YABU. The answer message on my local GP surgery’s phone says “if you are suffering from mental health contact x” and it’s read out by one of the doctors!!!

I find this really annoying as well, but I think it's worked its way into acceptable use of language. I do agree that anyone using the term has no knowledge of it.

Completely agree… you can’t suffer from ‘mental health’ the same as your can’t suffer from ‘physical health’. Neither of these are conditions.
poor physical/mental health -yes
physical or mental ill health-yes

Yes it drives me mad.

There was an 'expert' on bbc r4 yesterday using the term mental health to mean mental health problems/ ill mental health.

It's akin to saying I've got heart health instead of heart disease or heart problems surely ?

Unfortunately I agree with a PP, it immediately makes me think when it's someone talking about themselves, that they aren't being genuine. And I know that's not really fair.
I will also have to hold my hands up to the fact that my opinion is clouded by the fact that the person i know who does this the most is someone who acts like a shitbag, then gets into trouble for being a shitbag, then they say they suffer with their mental health. I don't think they are suffering with their mental health, I think they are experiencing guilt, embarrassment, annoyance, anger and sadness because they know someone's cross with them because they have behaved like a shitbag.

Yes. I find it very annoying. I get very frustrated by incorrect use of language around any topic because it makes it difficult to have a sensible conversation.

Yanbu. It does my head in. I don't trust anyone who uses it in a professional sense.

Mental health WHAT?! Ffs.

When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a long long time ago, bipolar disorder was a mental illness.

Most people who have a real mental illness (by which I mean: lifelong medication, probably a hospital admission at some point, very obvious to those around them) are happy to call it just that.

My view is that if you don't have a mental illness you have good or reasonably good mental health. Just as we say that someone who doesn't have respiratory ill health has good or reasonably good respiratory health.