What Is the Difference Between Mental and Behavioral Health?

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When it comes to mental health care and therapy, some terms are used interchangeably. Behavioral health and mental health are two terms that are used interchangeably but have separate definitions and purposes.

What is behavioral health?

What is mental health?

What are examples of each?

What is a behavioral health doctor?

Read on to learn more about the differences between mental and behavioral health.

Behavioral Health vs. Mental Health

The biggest differentiation between the two terms is that behavioral health is a blanket term that encompasses mental health.

Defining Behavioral Health

Behavioral health relates to the connection between your behavior and the health of your mind, body, and spirit. It is the way your habits affect your mental and physical health and wellness.

What Are Examples of Behavioral Health?

Behavioral health disorders include substance abuse, eating disorders, gambling addiction, and sex addiction. Each of these conditions stems from destructive behaviors. In children, behavioral health disorders may include ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, and autism.

Behavioral health disorders involve a pattern of disruptive or destructive behavior that lasts several months or more. It isn’t a spur-of-the-moment action, but rather a pattern that has built up over time.

Professional behavioral health services may be needed to help the patient overcome these disorders and behaviors.

Defining Mental Health

Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, social, and psychological wellness. It affects how we think and feel, how we act, how we relate to others or handle stress. Mental health is important from childhood through adulthood.

What Are Examples of Mental Health?

Mental illness or mental health conditions refer to disorders of an individual’s mood, behavior, or thinking. Mental health disorders include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors.

Is a Behavioral Disorder a Mental Illness?

While mental disorders are behavioral disorders, not all behavioral issues are mental illnesses.

Behavioral health is the blanket term that includes mental health. For mental disorders or illnesses, internal psychological or physiological factors dominate. In behavioral conditions, external or sociological factors play a role.

What Is a Behavioral Health Doctor?

A behavioral health doctor looks at and addresses the “behaviors” that caused a specific disorder or condition.

There are a number of therapists and doctors who provide mental and behavioral health treatment. You need to find the one who offers the right type of therapy for you. Psychiatrists, psychologists, holistic doctors, and primary care physicians can offer treatments for mental and behavioral health concerns.

Behavioral and Mental Health Care

At Salveo Integrative Health, we have a team of psychiatrists, therapists, and nurses who specialize in behavioral and mental health services. We provide care in a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere so that families and individuals can find tranquility while focusing on their needs.

In addition to psychiatry and counseling services, we provide treatment anxiety; depression; substance abuse; behavioral health issues; LGBTQ concerns; grief; and more.