The terms mental health and behavioral health are sometimes used interchangeably. While behavioral health and mental health are closely related, they refer to different aspects of your overall wellness.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services defines behavioral health as the emotions and behaviors that affect well-being. The term is also used to describe the branch of medicine that provides diagnosis and treatment for mental illnesses. Some of the conditions that would be treated by a behavioral health professional include:
Therapy, lifestyle changes, and medications are frequently combined to create a more customized treatment plan for each individual patient.
Just like every person has physical health, every person has mental health. Mental health affects your:
Mental health can be affected by many things, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. However, not all mental health concerns are considered disorders. Mental health fluctuates from year to year and even day to day.
A bad day at work or a stressful day of parenting can make you feel emotionally exhausted. While that exhaustion affects your mental health, the effect is only temporary. When it begins to feel like every day is a “bad day,” reaching out to a behavioral health professional can make a difference.
Having a common cold affects your physical health, but a cold will get better in a few days, and you probably wouldn’t go see a doctor for something so simple. The difference between mental and behavioral health is similar.
Some mental health concerns, like brief periods of high stress, can be improved with the help of a behavioral health professional, even if they do not rise to the level of a mental illness. However, behavioral health professionals often specialize in treating diagnosable conditions like depression and anxiety disorders.
Hospitals and health centers employ a variety of different people who are trained to provide behavioral health services, including:
Any of these professionals may have expertise in different therapeutic modalities, including cognitive-behavioral therapy or motivational interviewing. There are many ways behavioral health professionals help people maintain good mental health.
