Psychische Gesundheit: Definition und Relevanz

Based on the definition of health by the WHO, mental health and mental illness are put into concrete terms by Schulte's (1998) disease model. Furthermore, the article deals with current changes in prevalence of mental disorders and the associated burden of disease which has significant public-health-relevance. The peculiarities of mental disorders are highlighted and the mutual interaction of mental and somatic diseases is addressed. There are good reasons for providing more resources for disturbed mental health on various structural, social and ethical levels.