What people without mental disorders look like, according to science
These are the characteristics that statistically present people without mental disorders.
Some psychopathologies are very common nowadays, and no one is surprised to hear about anxiety disorders, depression or today, as everyone knows them. According to data from various agencies, anxiety disorders affect many people at least once in their lives, about one in three.
However, some of them are more common than others, and some people are significantly less prone to anxiety disorders than others. some people are significantly less likely to have mental disorders..
Different types of psychological disorders
There are many psychological disorders that can affect people, each of them varying in terms of their severity.Each of them varies in symptoms and severity. There are two manuals that serve as a reference for psychologists. One is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM, currently in its fifth edition, and the ICD-10, which belongs to the World Health Organization.
According to these, there are different types of mental disorders. They are the following:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders.Neurodevelopmental disorders: they manifest themselves during a person's maturational development.
- Psychotic disorders: include those pathologies that present delusions or hallucinations.
- Mood disordersDepression is included in this group,
- Anxiety disorders: among the most frequent. They include, among others, panic attacks, phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Eating disordersWe can highlight anorexia and bulimia.
If you want to know more types of anxiety disorders and go deeper into them you can read this article: "The 18 types of mental illnesses".
What people who do not suffer from mental disorders are like.
But despite the fact that mental disorders are frequent nowadays, a recent research, carried out by the University of Otago, in New Zealand, wanted to find out what are the characteristics of individuals who do not suffer from any mental disorder, in terms of statistical trends.in terms of statistical trends. To obtain the results, they analyzed, by means of psychological tests, the life of some subjects, from childhood to old age. Here are the reasons why people do not suffer from mental disorders, according to the researchers.
1. No family history of mental disorders
Some mental disorders may have a genetic origin.This variable could be important in the development of some psychological problems. Although the environment in which a person lives can also affect mental health, in some cases, the genetic origin is a reality.
2. Fewer negative emotions in childhood
Childhood has a great influence on who we will be as adults, and researchers found that people who do not suffer from mental disorders showed fewer negative emotions at the age of five..
While positive attitude can influence mental health, it appears that experiencing fewer negative emotions in childhood is a reliable predictor of the presence of mental disorders later in life.
3. They are resilient
Being resilient is a great virtue and helps us to enjoy good mental health, since resilient people cope more adaptively and are better able to overcome traumatic experiences. and are better able to overcome traumatic experiences. According to this study, these people are less likely to develop psychological disorders.
Resilient people take steps to improve their self-esteem, immerse themselves in creative endeavors, live in the present but fight for their goals, and use humor to empower themselvesamong other characteristics.
4. Good interpersonal relationships
There are many studies that indicate that friendship is an important factor for our happiness and, in fact, can even reduce some negative phenomena such as work stress. And the fact is that personal relationships, when toxic, can cause serious mental health problems. and great suffering, so that healthy relationships seem to indicate that we enjoy good emotional well-being.
5. Self-control and management of emotions
We have already talked in many of our articles about how emotional intelligence affects our mental health. The fact is that knowing our own emotions and being aware of those of others helps to regulate our behavior and improve our well-being. Researchers found that the level of self-control of emotions and, therefore, of our behavior, could be key to preventing mental disorders.
Benefits of emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence has proven to be key to our well-being. This is what several studies have found: upon reaching adulthood, those individuals who have managed to be successful in their lives are more likely to be emotionally intelligent, those individuals who have managed to be successful in the professional field do not necessarily enjoy good mental health..
Our way of facing complex situations and the way we manage our emotions is a determining factor in how we feel emotionally and prevents the development of different psychological pathologies.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)