Quiz: So you want to understand your mental health?

You know the story already: healthy body, healthy mind etc. Psychological wellbeing buys you years. Conversely, mental ill health can cost you.

Dr Norman Swan is one of our most trusted doctors and a much-respected broadcaster and author. His new book So You Want to Live Younger, Longer? explains our mental health is not an unalterable destiny so therefore it’s changeable.

Take our quiz and find out more about how to manage your mental health and live a long, happy life (scroll down for answers).

1.    A Danish study of more than 7 million people found that the effect of depression and anxiety was a loss of how many years (on average)?
A)    1-2
B)    3-4
C)    5-6
D)    6-8

2.    Mental health is not just about thinking positively. Which of the following can be a factor in the psychological wellbeing of a person? 
A)    Unemployment and/or homelessness 
B)    Poor nutrition
C)    Lack of physical activity 
D)    All of the above

3.    In some people, psychological distress, depression and anxiety show up more as persistent physical symptoms. Which of the following is NOT a common physical sign of psychological distress? 
A)    Headaches and tummy symptoms 
B)    Having trouble falling or staying asleep or sleeping too much
C)    Decreased fertility 
D)    Poor appetite or overeating

4.    True or false: Smokers are far more likely to have depression or a major mental illness. 
A)    True
B)    False

5.    Long-term, large studies have found that the more optimistic you are, the longer you live. Comparing the most optimistic people to the least, what was the increase in lifespan? 
A)    5%
B)    15% 
C)    25%
D)    50%

6.    There are plenty of good reasons to be physically active. How does regular exercise effect the brain? 
A)    Lifts your mood 
B)    Improves focus and memory 
C)    Reduces stress and anxiety
D)    All of the above 

7.    True or false: People generally become happier at older ages.
A)    True
B)    False

Answers
1. D | 2. D | 3. C | 4. A | 5. B | 6. D | 7. A