What is mental health?

Mental health is defined as a person’s state of psychological balance and well-being at a given point in time.¹ It concerns how they feel, think, act, and interact with the surrounding world. Being in good mental health enables us to fulfill our potential, deal with the normal stressors of life, and contribute to our community.² 

The promotion of mental health is intended to improve individual and collective well-being. Its efforts focus on the determinants of mental health and are based on reinforcing the personal and environmental conditions that foster it (protective factors). It targets the general population as well as specific subgroups. Prevention is intended to reduce the incidence of mental health problems by tackling risk factors. It addresses the entire population or specific groups exposed to such factors. For more information on the importance of promotion and prevention for a mentally healthy population, follow this link.

* N.B.: The CMHA – Montreal does not offer therapy, consulting, or psychosocial support services to the public. Please refer to the phone numbers on this help card if needed.