Mental Wellbeing and Mental Ill Health

Figure 1: Babies, children and young people’s mental health: a framework of modifiable factors to guide promotion and prevention (DHSC, 2024). This model depicts the levels of influence variables can have on the mental health of children, with each column further to the right influencing all variables to its left. 

Mental wellbeing and mental illness are different, and both can change over time:

■ Mental wellbeing means feeling good, handling stress, and taking part in life

■ Mental illness is when someone has a diagnosed condition that affects their mental health

■ Poor wellbeing can affect a young person’s future as they grow into adulthood.

Many things can help or harm mental wellbeing. By looking at these factors above, we can better understand how to prevent and treat mental illness.

Not all mental illness can be prevented. Some young people will need extra help to manage their wellbeing. Getting the right treatment is key to helping them grow and thrive. Mental wellbeing is shaped by many things throughout life. The model in Figure 1 shows how personal experiences and community life affect mental health. It also highlights how all organizations in Sefton can play a role in improving wellbeing for young people.