Family Wellbeing: Creating A Supportive Home Environment For Positive Mental Health

Just as we look after our physical selves, we must also look after our mental wellbeing. Referred to as mental health, this is a broad term that generally describes the thoughts and feelings of an individual and how these impact their mood, behaviour, and other aspects of their lives.

Without attention to mental health, individuals are likely to be far more likely to struggle with their everyday activities and tasks, sometimes allowing their mental health to completely dictate their day and interactions with the world around them.

However, there are many steps that an individual can take to boost their mental health, as well as to support the mental health of those around them.

This article will focus on mental health as part of a family: how they are linked, how individuals can help those around them, and next steps to take for those who may be struggling.

The dangers of poor mental health

Though a highly researched topic, mental health is still a topic that is often grossly misrepresented in health-based studies.

This is because mental health is likely to differ massively from person to person, meaning that every individual will experience mental health struggles differently, and therefore begin to impact other areas of their lives.

For example, having positive mental health is often associated with self-efficacy (1), though this may not be true in every individual case as every person is different.

However, there are some clear dangers to physical health that individuals can experience as a result of poor mental health.

Effects to physical health

Though most research is focussed on the increased participation in physical activities, the same can be said vice versa.

For example, an individual with good mental health (or in the process of working on their mental health) may be more likely to see boosts to their physical health as a result of this.

Some studies suggest that this may be more prevalent in a single gender (i.e., males may benefit more from this), but this is still to be researched further (2).

Addiction is another risk that individuals face when they are struggling with poor mental health. In these instances, individuals may choose to consume large quantities of substances such as alcohol or heroin as a coping mechanism, but these substances come with their own physical dangers – something that all individuals should be aware of.

In these instances, individuals require specialist treatment through services such as rehab and detoxification (an alcohol home detox, for example, in the case of alcoholism – an alcohol use disorder).

For those seeking ways to proactively support their overall physical and cognitive health alongside formal treatment, exploring options like nutritional support or supplements is a common step families take. Individuals can shop from Fenix Health Science to purchase relevant products.

Creating a supportive environment

So how can an individual be supported in their mental health? One of the best ways to do this is to implement mental health-boosting activities to everyday family life.

For example, if an individual lives in a household with their family present, then they have a great environment from which to draw strength, learn from one another, and generally lift one another up.

There are several steps that an individual can take to implement this kind of support in their household, and some of the most highly recommended and effective practises are outlined in the remainder of this article.

1. Openness and honesty

In all cases of poor mental health, struggling with addiction, or any other risk to mental wellbeing, those around the individual should always adopt a non-judgemental approach and listen to what the individual has to say without any preconceptions or discrimination.

This can be achieved through practising techniques such as active listening – an approach in which individuals listen to whoever is speaking to them without interrupting and providing reassurance and repetition to show that they are listening.

By listening to the concerns of friends or family around you, those individuals are far more likely to feel safe and trusting in their environment. Knowing that your family is supporting you 100% and has no stereotypes about mental health struggles is a huge bolster to mental health, confidence, and seeking help in the future.

2. ‘No blame’ culture

For many individuals, the feeling of ‘blame’ or embarrassment over mental health can often cause problems than it is worth.

As there is a lot of stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health, its treatment, and its effects, there are many people who may not feel as though they can speak about their situation, perhaps feeling guilty or ashamed of how they have gotten to where they are in terms of headspace.

Therefore, adopting a ‘no blame’ culture within a household is a great way for individuals to feel less pressure about their situation and what is expected of them, as well as creating a far warmer and more inviting environment overall.

3. Family therapy

As a more practical measure, individuals may choose to attend regular family therapy sessions to overcome any issues that they may have within the household.

This is another great idea as it introduces a third party in the form of a therapist to mediate any issues and act as an unbiased voice of advice for any issues that may be brought up in these sessions.

Some local health services offer family therapy, so check with your local doctors’ office if this is something that you and your family would like to partake in.

4. Group activities

Another way to boost mental health and create a supportive environment is to take part in activities together as part of a group.

This boosts relations between family members, as well as often including an external event in which all individuals within the family can commit to and enjoy.

In some instances, this may be suggested as part of family therapy, but simply partaking in events as a family (organised personally within the family) is also a great way to do this.

These activities can range from physical group activities such as kayaking, teambuilding days, and physical problem-solving activities, but could also include crafts, day trips, and many more ideas.

Getting more information and support for familial mental health

To learn more about mental health, how it can affect individuals, and what facilities and activities are available near you, contact your local health services to find out how to start getting involved as a family.

Working together as a family is not always black and white, so further support on familial relations can also be sought as a part of this.

In all cases of emergency, contact the local emergency services to get official support ASAP.

Sources

[1] Schönfeld, P., Brailovskaia, J., Bieda, A., Zhang, X.C. and Margraf, J., 2016. The effects of daily stress on positive and negative mental health: Mediation through self-efficacy. International journal of clinical and health psychology, 16(1), pp.1-10.

[2] Ohrnberger, J., Fichera, E. and Sutton, M., 2017. The relationship between physical and mental health: A mediation analysis. Social science & medicine, 195, pp.42-49.