Analysis of Factors Influencing Mental Health from the Perspective of Men's Health Care

Factors Affecting Mental Health

Factors leading to pathological psychology are multifaceted. These include family, work, environment, changes in personnel, and interpersonal relationships. Broadly speaking, they mainly fall into three categories:

1: Illness Factors

As the saying goes, everyone gets sick sometimes. It's difficult to avoid illness in one's lifetime, but different people react psychologically to illness. Some are filled with anxiety, even suspecting a serious illness or incurable disease when they have a cold. This suspicion can eventually develop into neurosis. Others, on the contrary, are indifferent to illness, neglecting early diagnosis and treatment, thus missing the opportunity for timely intervention. However, many more people, because of their mental health, have a correct understanding of illness, and adopt an attitude of "accepting what comes," taking illness seriously without being overwhelmed by it, and fighting it with perseverance, thus contributing to their recovery.

This shows that illness is one of the factors affecting mental health, but it is not an absolute factor. With proper self-cultivation and clear understanding, it is possible to transform a pathological mindset and promote recovery.

2. Environmental Factors

Another factor affecting mental health is the social environment. Historically, people's psychological changes have not only been influenced by the environment, but in less developed ancient times, this could sometimes even be life-threatening. Today, social productivity has greatly developed, but many environmental factors affecting mental health still exist, and unlike in ancient times, the environment is much more complex.

Whether in capitalist or socialist countries, different forms of environmental factors exist. After the liberation of China, the people were freed from heavy oppression and were more cheerful than in the old society. However, in different historical periods, such as the "Cultural Revolution," many people were also traumatized. It can be seen that people's psychological activities are often influenced and affected by the external environment, which is also very meaningful in mental health care. As mentioned above in the "Indicators of Mental Health," mentally healthy individuals should be able to adapt to circumstances, be good at changing their environment, and be strong in adversity. Only in this way can one maintain psychological balance and health.

3. Psychological Trauma

Trauma is not a minor, ordinary stimulus. As the saying goes, "eight or nine out of ten things in life are unpleasant," and it's common to experience unpleasant events. Generally speaking, these events don't harm one's health. Sometimes the stimulus is felt initially, but because the intensity is not high, emotions subside and the corresponding physical and mental changes can recover afterward. Trauma refers to a strong or prolonged stimulus that exceeds a person's tolerance limit. Chronic stimuli that cannot be resolved over a long period can also harm mental health, leading to illness or providing internal conditions for its onset.

However, trauma does not necessarily lead to illness. This depends on one's mental health. If one can achieve what was mentioned earlier—"an outgoing personality and stable emotions," "good at self-regulation and transforming unhealthy psychology"—using appropriate methods to transfer and adjust emotions, and controlling emotional fluctuations with rational power, the harm of psychological trauma to the body and mind can be avoided or mitigated.

The Key to Self-Psychotherapy

In the past, psychotherapy was only applied to mental illnesses, becoming a specialized technique believed to require special training and only psychiatrists or clinical psychologists could perform it. This is an incomplete understanding and a misunderstanding. Psychotherapy is diverse. To date, what exactly is psychotherapy? While there is no universally accepted definition, one thing is certain: the patient's active role is crucial. In general prevention, everyone is their own doctor; without reaching the level of mental illness, self-treatment is entirely possible. Learning some knowledge of mental health science, exercising one's own initiative, improving one's mental state, turning adversity into advantage, and achieving bodily balance are the keys to self-psychotherapy.

1. Cultivating Character is Better Than Maintaining Health

The significance of mental well-being and emotional ease for longevity has been praised since ancient times. The proverb "A smile makes you three years younger; an anger ends in heartbreak" conveys this meaning.

The principles of health preservation are embedded in daily life; clothing, food, housing, and transportation all have their own "way." Among these, the key lies in cultivating one's character. The ancients highly valued cultivating one's character. Today, this concept has also attracted attention. Physiologists, pathologists, and clinicians all acknowledge the dominant and controlling role of the cerebral cortex in bodily functions. To protect health and prolong life, attention must be paid to cultivating character, sentiment, and morality.

2. The Power of Emotions Should Not Be Underestimated

If a person can maintain emotional stability, they can avoid or reduce illness, and even if they do become ill, they can recover more quickly. Conversely, emotional depression, restlessness, unrealistic desires, and unwarranted hatred will inevitably affect appetite and sleep, leading to illness and the onset of pre-existing conditions, ultimately "accelerating life and causing death."

Emotions can be broadly categorized into two types: positive, such as hope, happiness, courage, and harmony; and negative, such as dissatisfaction, anger, frustration, and fear. Positive emotions can "live" a person; negative emotions can "dead." This is not an exaggeration; such examples are commonplace in life.

Modern medicine has also proven that the occurrence, development, and worsening of dozens of diseases are related to emotions and psychological states. When people experience strong stimuli, large fluctuations in emotion can alter physiological balance, and organ activity will change accordingly. For example, being startled can cause sweating, and shame can cause blushing—these are physiological changes brought about by emotional changes. Common psychogenic physiological reactions include: the intestinal system—anorexia, excretion disorders, peptic ulcers, etc.; cardiovascular reactions—hypertension, cardiac neurosis, syncope, etc.; the respiratory system—rhinitis (especially allergic rhinitis), bronchial asthma, etc.; the reproductive and urinary system—psychological distress can cause bowel obstruction, and sexual function is most significantly affected by psychology. And there are other functional reactions in other systems, which will not be listed here.

Soviet physiologist Ivan Pavlov pointed out that "all stubborn and heavy depression and anxiety are enough to open the door to various diseases."

"A British doctor investigated 250 cancer patients and found that 62% of them had experienced severe mental stress before the onset of the disease. An American doctor conducted a comparative study of 204 male students studying at Harvard University in the early 1940s. The results showed that among the 59 who were successful in their careers and had happy marriages, and therefore felt cheerful, only 2 developed chronic diseases in the 25 years from age 21 to 45; while among the 48 who were in adversity and felt great mental stress, 18 developed serious illnesses, and many died around the age of 50." This shows that the power of emotions should not be underestimated.