mental health

noun

1

: the condition of being sound mentally and emotionally that is characterized by the absence of mental illness and by adequate adjustment especially as reflected in feeling comfortable about oneself, positive feelings about others, and the ability to meet the demands of daily life

also : the general condition of one's mental and emotional state

2

: health care dealing with the promotion and improvement of mental health and the treatment of mental illness

—often used before another noun

mental health professionals

a mental health clinic

Examples of mental health in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just today, public health information regarding LGBTQIA health, healthcare disparities, children's mental health, and more has been deleted and censored from government websites. —Gabe Whisnant and Andrew Stanton, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025

Denmark joined the Invictus movement in 2014, the inception of the competition, with a focus on healing the mental health of service members, the team's website says. —Janine Henni, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025

Adding self-care practices into your daily routine can obviously work wonders for your mood and mental health. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 31 Jan. 2025

Russell says much of the data about the crisis in youth mental health — alarming increases in rates of adolescents reporting depression or self-harm behaviors like suicidality — come from this survey. —Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

mental health

noun

1

: the condition of being sound mentally and emotionally that is characterized by the absence of mental illness and by adequate adjustment especially as reflected in feeling comfortable about oneself, having positive feelings about others, and being able to meet the demands of daily life

also : the general condition of one's mental and emotional state

Finding the flexibility and balance that is required for good mental health is a challenge we all face.

—Christy Turlington, Psychology Today

2

: health care dealing with the promotion and improvement of mental health and the treatment of mental illness : mental hygiene

—often used before another noun

mental health professionals

a mental health clinic