Mental health is a hot topic in today’s world, but it is often either misunderstood or painfully oversimplified. How many times have you heard mental health being described as mysterious and unpredictable (“we just don’t understand how this happened…”), or how many times have you heard it flippantly blamed on a “chemical imbalance”? While biology definitely plays a role, research demonstrates that mental health concerns rarely have a single cause. Instead, they arise from a fairly predictable combination of four key contributing factors. Understanding and addressing each one gives you a clear roadmap to improved mental wellness. So what are the four key drivers of mental illness? I’m glad you asked! Let’s get into it.
1. Biological or Physiological Factors
The first key driver is biological or physiological factors. Your body and brain set the foundation for mental health. Genetics, neurotransmitter balance, hormones, inflammation, blood sugar control, gut health, your external environment, and even sleep all influence how you think, feel, and cope. It’s incredibly common for biological or physiological factors to contribute to and even directly cause mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and mood swings. In order to address these physiological factors, it’s important for us to look at important biomarkers (through blood work or other laboratory testing) that give us information about our current state of wellbeing and optimize our health in the areas that need improvement. There are also lifestyle-related steps that we can take to give our bodies and minds a fighting chance at enjoying optimal mental wellbeing.
Here are a few practical tips:
- Prioritize getting 7–9 hours of sleep each night.
- Eat a balanced diet low in processed foods and rich in fiber-rich whole foods.
- Move your body daily, even with light walks or stretching.
- Limit exposure to toxins (smoking, alcohol, chemical cleaners).
- Aim to eat your last meal for the evening by 6pm to support optimal blood sugar control. Research demonstrates that later eating time is associated with increased blood sugar, which is known to negatively impact mental health.
- Consider having labs drawn to assess for hormonal dysfunction, inflammatory markers, and nutrient imbalances.
2. Psychological or Emotional Factors
Your upbringing, your habits of thinking, your beliefs, and your coping skills each shape how you respond to stress and life’s challenges.
Because of the increased emphasis on mental health that we’ve seen over the past several years, many more people are connecting the dots between our early childhood experiences and our mental and emotional health in adulthood. The truth is that there are five core needs that every child needs to have met in order to grow into an emotionally healthy adult, and when these needs aren’t met in childhood, it plays a foundational role in shaping our automatic thought patterns; our underlying beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world; our personalities; our adult relationships; and our mental and overall wellbeing. Of course, this is only the case if we don’t address the unmet need(s) in adulthood. These core emotional needs are the needs for safety, autonomy, validation, playfulness, and boundaries.
The human mind was created to be extremely adaptive and resilient, and when our core emotional needs go unmet in childhood, our developing minds adapt by forming protective thought patterns and behaviors that help us survive in the moment. These “adaptations” or “mental flexibilities” may include perfectionism, people-pleasing, withdrawal, distrust, or other predictable and identifiable patterns. These patterns that we resort to are useful and protective in childhood, but most of the time, they are limiting in adulthood. As adults, these patterns can interfere with healthy relationships, our ability to trust others, and even our connection with God, keeping us from fully experiencing intimacy, joy, and spiritual growth. Becoming aware of these unmet needs allows us to identify the ways they’ve shaped our worldview and how they continue to influence our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By intentionally addressing their effects—through reflection, self-compassion, healthy boundaries, and relational or spiritual work—we can begin to reshape our mental and emotional landscape in a way that fosters resilience, deeper relationships, and a sense of wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.
Practical tips:
- Practice journaling to identify recurring, automatic thoughts and emotions.
- Explore therapy, counseling, or self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy-based exercises to identify and reframe unhelpful patterns of thinking.
- Consider joining our small group sessions where you’ll connect with a supportive community and be able to receive the tools you need to regulate your emotions and break free from your old thought patterns.
- Challenge negative thoughts by asking, “Is this really true under every circumstance?” or “What evidence do I have in favor of and against this underlying belief?”
3. Social Factors
Your family, friends, and community (or lack thereof) significantly affect your mental health. This is because, as human beings, we are wired for connection. A sense of belonging—feeling seen, valued, and understood—is one of the most powerful protective factors for mental health. When we experience genuine connection with others, it has a positive effect on our stress response, our emotional stability, and our nervous system in general.
On the other hand, loneliness and disconnection can heighten anxiety, depression, and even physical illness; and isolation, conflict, or lack of support can worsen stress and emotional struggles. The truth is that feeling like you don’t belong anywhere or like no one understands you can take a deep toll on mental health. When we feel alone or unseen, the brain interprets this as a threat, and it activates stress pathways that can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental and physical symptoms. Over time, feeling alone or lonely can erode your self-worth and make it harder for you to regulate emotions or find hope.
We were created for connection. We were created to love and be loved, to give and receive support. Not having these key social factors can drive mental health concerns, but rebuilding safe, meaningful relationships and a nurturing and supportive community is often a key step toward restoring emotional balance and overall well-being. In other words, cultivating healthy relationships and a sense of community isn’t just something that’s “nice to have.” It’s an essential part of healing and thriving physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Practical tips:
- Schedule regular check-ins with supportive friends or family.
- Join community groups, clubs, or classes that interest you.
- Set healthy boundaries with toxic or otherwise negative or unwanted relationships.
- Seek out mentors or support groups for accountability and encouragement.
4. Spiritual Factors
Spiritual distress or lack of alignment with your values is an important key driver to mental health concerns because it can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness. On the flip side, a sense of purpose, meaning, and connection to something greater than yourself is a powerful driver of mental wellness—in most cases. We’ll get to when it isn’t soon, but first, what does the research actually say about faith and spirituality and its effect on mental health?
As previously mentioned, spiritual wholeness and faith can be powerful sources of peace, hope, and emotional healing. When we have a healthy view of God and a personal relationship built on love and trust, it gives life meaning, even during hard times. Faith helps calm the mind, reduces anxiety, and offers hope and strength to cope with life’s challenges. Specifically, the research shows that higher levels of faith and spirituality have been associated with reduced risk and/or improved outcomes in cases of depression, suicidality, substance use, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, religious beliefs that are reality-based and grounded in a healthy understanding of faith have been linked to better mental health and recovery.
On the other hand, not all religious experiences are positive. Research suggests (and you’ve also likely seen this to be true) that if a person’s beliefs become disconnected from reality or if they cause significant fear, confusion, or harmful behavior, they can be associated with more serious symptoms and a more difficult road to mental health recovery. The negative emotions that may accompany negative religious experiences, such as guilt and shame, which activate our stress response, and envy, which is a strong predictor of poor mental health in the future, can further negatively impact mental health.
“Negative religious coping” is when people relate to God or faith through fear, guilt, or shame. For example, feeling like God is punishing you and feeling like you can never be “good enough” are two of many examples of negative religious coping. These types of beliefs can increase stress and depression, and they can even cause trauma and a pulling away from all things “religious.” Some people also carry wounds from spiritual abuse or rigid religious environments, which can make it hard to feel loved or accepted by God. Healing often comes when we learn to let go of fear-based religion and rediscover a faith that is grounded in both truth and love—one that restores peace to the mind and soul.
Overall, feeling connected to something bigger than ourselves can bring a sense of safety and purpose that supports both mental and physical health.
Practical tips:
- Dedicate time for reflection, meditation, or prayer.
- Connect more deeply with your faith by learning and being sure of what you believe for yourself—and not what others tell you that you should believe about God, faith, and spirituality
- Engage in activities that align with your values and give you a sense of purpose.
- Volunteer or serve others to strengthen a sense of connection and contribution.
- Explore spiritual communities that align with your faith.
Bringing It All Together
To summarize, poor (or good) mental health rarely stems from just one factor. Biological, psychological, social, and spiritual drivers often interact, influencing one another in complex ways. The good news? By actively addressing each of these areas, you can develop a more resilient mind and body.
Start small—pick one practical step from each of the four categories this week. Over time, these consistent actions add up, building a strong foundation for lasting mental wellness.