Thanks for your question, V. Everywhere we turn there seem to be new labels, new diagnoses and new treatments being discussed. For some people this increased awareness has been helpful. it has encouraged people who were suffering in silence to seek help and to talk openly about their struggles, which is undoubtedly a positive step. At the same time however, we may be entering a crucial period in how society understands mental health. We appear to be standing at the crossroads of two very different ways of viewing human distress. One path continues to expand the illness model, where increasing aspects of human behaviour are interpreted primarily as symptoms of a disorder that requires diagnosis and treatment. The other path moves toward a wellness model, where we begin by recognising that each person is simply doing the best they can, with what they know, in the circumstances they find themselves.
The illness model has brought some important benefits. It has helped remove some of the stigma around seeking help and it has encouraged research into conditions that genuinely cause profound suffering, but the risk is that the net keeps widening. When the focus is based upon identifying problems as illness, it becomes very easy to see pathology almost everywhere. Everyday struggles such as stress, grief, frustration, loneliness or uncertainty can quickly become framed as symptoms rather than as normal human experiences that people are trying to navigate. If we are not careful, we may drift toward a future where nearly anyone, at some point in their life, can be described as having a mental illness requiring treatment. That would not only be unsustainable for health systems but would also risk weakening people’s belief in their own ability to cope, adapt and grow.
A wellness model starts from a different assumption about human behaviour. Instead of asking “What is wrong with this person?” it asks, “What is happening in this person’s life that might explain the way they are behaving?” When we take this perspective, behaviour begins to make more sense. People are constantly trying to meet fundamental human needs such as safety, connection, a sense of achievement, freedom and enjoyment. When those needs feel out of balance, people experience distress and they search for ways to restore equilibrium. Sometimes the strategies people use are helpful, sometimes they are less effective and can create further problems. The underlying motivation is almost always the same, people are trying to improve how they feel and how their lives are working.
Once we understand this, the conversation about mental health begins to shift. Instead of simply diagnosing problems and prescribing medications or treatments, we start helping people understand their own choices, their relationships and the environments they are living in. We focus more on strengthening connections, building skills and increasing a person’s sense of agency in their own life.
None of this means dismissing genuine mental illness or ignoring the value of professional support. There may always be people who need specialised care and treatment, but if we rely too much on an illness framework, we risk overlooking the enormous capacity of people to grow when they are supported in understanding themselves and their relationships more clearly. The real challenge for the coming decades is to find a healthier balance. A society that supports people who are struggling, without automatically turning every struggle into a disorder, will ultimately prove to be a far more sustainable and empowering path forward.