A psychologist and executive coach, Matthew Snapp maintains a private clinical practice in Austin, Texas, and is Chairman of the Board of Austin-Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC). In the latter capacity, he helped author the presentation “New Directions in Health Promotion and Wellness for Behavioral Healthcare Organizations.”

1. The Mentally Healthy
Community
BY MATTHEW SNAPP

2. The Mentally Healthy Community
A psychologist and executive coach, Matthew Snapp
maintains a private clinical practice in
Austin, Texas, and is Chairman of the Board of
Austin-Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC). In the
latter capacity, he helped author the presentation
“New Directions in Health Promotion and Wellness
for Behavioral Healthcare Organizations.”

3. The Mentally Healthy Community
Mr. Snapp defines what a “mentally healthy
community” is by distinguishing between mental
illness and mental health. The latter encompasses a
continuum of psychological, social, and emotional
well-being, including quality of life, while the former
involves issues such as panic disorders, generalized
anxiety disorders, and alcohol dependence. Research
indicates that the absence of mental illness does not
imply the presence of mental health, and vice versa.

4. The Mentally Healthy Community
Significant links do appear to exist between physical
and mental health, with fully mentally healthy
individuals having the lowest overall incidence of
chronic physical issues across age groups.
Interestingly, younger adults who are mentally
“languishing” have, on average, a similar number of
chronic physical conditions as older adults who are
“flourishing.”