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What is mental health, and what are mental health problems?

In this step, lead educator Dr Asim Yusuf explains what we mean by mental health, and what it means to have a mental health problem on this course.

In this video, Dr Yusuf explains what is meant by mental health and mental health problems on this course.

Mental health includes a subjective sense of wellbeing, an absence of distress, and an absence of dysfunction: mental health problems occur when one, some, or all, of these things are absent. He tells us that “there is nothing more complex than the mind” – which makes identifying the causes of mental health problems challenging. Dr Yusuf then lists some common groups of mental health problems.

Over to you

What does Dr Yusuf’s explanation of mental health problems add to your existing understanding? What, if anything, would you add to this explanation?

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Understanding Mental Health in Muslim Communities

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