Title: Behavioral Health Versus Mental Health | Psychology Today
Headings: Behavioral Health Versus Mental Health
Elana Premack Sandler L.C.S.W., M.P.H
Behavioral Health Versus Mental Health
Does what we call it influence how people think about it?

Content: I'd love to hear what you think. Do you find the term behavioral health to fit the work you're doing, either as a provider/practitioner or a patient/consumer/client? Do you think it helps or hurts the field? My friend and colleague suggested we might use a term like "perceptual health," as sometimes errors in the way we perceive a situation (or ourselves) lead to actions that do not help us. What term would you prefer? If you could, what would you rename "mental health?" Copyright 2009 Elana Premack Sandler, All Rights Reserved
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Be havior. Submitted by Marik Bromine on October 28, 2009 - 11:43am
I'm reminded of a time growing up when my mom would tell us to behave and I found myself wondering how I could possibly know when I was "being have." Joking aside, there is something you mentioned that I find might solve your dilema about what to call mental/behavioral health. The fact that external factors sometimes affect this health, or that underlying, changeable or unchangeable factors certainly contribute, but, all things considered, the question essentially has more to do with simply giving people guidance and assistance not with how to be mentally healthy or even with how to behave but with how to be, or simply being.