Mental health - how do you become mentally ill and what can you do about it

Mental illness is a major burden not only on individuals but also on society. Once they have occurred, the duration of the illness is unfortunately often long and the resulting impairments have a lasting, usually negative impact on the lives of those affected. But why do we become mentally ill in the first place and what can we do about it? This lecture aims to provide answers to these questions and food for thought. Models and selected findings on the development of mental illness will be presented and some important concepts for strengthening and maintaining mental health will be addressed.