Mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health affects how people think, feel, and act.
Good mental health helps people make healthy choices, reach personal goals, develop healthy relationships, and cope with stress. In contrast, poor mental health means people find it difficult to manage how they feel, think, act, or cope with stress.
Poor mental health is not the same as mental illness (also known as a mental disorder). Mental illnesses are diagnosed mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders that can vary in severity and may impact different areas of life, including jobs and relationships.
Mental illnesses include many different conditions, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders (such as depression), eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia.
A person can have poor mental health and not have a diagnosed mental illness. Likewise, a person with a mental illness can still enjoy good mental well-being. While there are some differences between poor mental health and mental illnesses, they will be referred to collectively as mental health conditions throughout this fact sheet.
If you are living with HIV, it is important to take care of both your physical and mental health.