What Does Wellbeing Mean?

The World Health Organisation defines wellbeing as a state in which an individual can realise their own potential, cope with normal stresses, work productively and contribute to their community.

Couple outside under a sunset

Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Services

QAMH’s members and other non-government organisations that provide community mental health and wellbeing services create intentional opportunities for people to build their capacity and strength and achieve their personal goals.

Community centric wellbeing services ideally offer a direct entry point early in distress and provides programs for people that foster wellbeing. These services are locally responsive to the needs of the community, offering a wellbeing coaching approach that is person-led rather than person centred.

Personal goals and outcomes that people can expect from community mental health and wellbeing services:

Emotional Wellbeing

  • People are satisfied with life overall

  • People are cheerful and interested in life, in good spirits, happy, calm, peaceful, full of life

Psychological Wellbeing

  • Personal autonomy guided by socially accepted norms and values
  • Environmental mastery, – the ability to adapt environments to meet personal needs
  • Seek challenges that lead to personal growth and development
  • Seek and maintain positive relations with others
  • Articulated life purpose, direction and meaning
  • Is self-accepting

Social Wellbeing

  • Social acceptance of others, acknowledging and embracing differences
  • Social actualisation acknowledging that people, groups and communities change and grow positively
  • Socially contributes in ways that are perceived as useful by themselves and others
  • Social coherence interested in society life
  • Socially integrated, feeling a sense of belonging to a community and comfort from a community

A Need for Change

This Wellbeing section examines the urgent and compelling need for change in the mental health system as outlined in QAMH’s Wellbeing First report and showcases organisations and service innovations that support the shift in focus of our sector from managing illness to actively supporting wellbeing.