AQA · GCSE · Biology
Course version: 8461 · Version from Sept 2018
Health issues: Health is the state of physical and mental well-being.
Health is a complete state of physical and mental well-being, not simply the absence of disease or infirmity.
Checked against the AQA 8461 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 10
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Health is a complete state of physical and mental well-being, not simply the absence of disease or infirmity. Physical well-being includes having a healthy body that functions properly, free from illness and injury. Mental well-being includes feeling positive about oneself, being able to cope with normal stresses, and having good emotional and social functioning. For example, a person with a broken leg has physical ill health, while someone experiencing depression has mental ill health. Both aspects are equally important and can influence each other. A person may have no diagnosed disease but still feel unwell mentally, or may have a physical condition but maintain good mental well-being. This holistic definition is used by the World Health Organization and is central to understanding health issues.
What earns the marks
- Health is defined as a state of physical and mental well-being.
- Physical well-being relates to the body's functioning and absence of disease or injury.
- Mental well-being relates to emotional and psychological state, including ability to cope with stress.
- Health is not just the absence of disease; a person can have a disease but still have good mental well-being, or vice versa.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Defining health as only physical fitness.
Put it right: Health includes mental well-being as well.
Thinking that if you are not ill, you are healthy.
Put it right: Health also requires mental well-being, so you could be physically well but mentally unwell.
Confusing mental well-being with mental illness.
Put it right: Mental well-being is a positive state, while mental illness is a diagnosed condition.
Exam tips
- Learn the exact definition: 'Health is the state of physical and mental well-being.'.
- Give examples to show you understand both physical and mental aspects.
- Avoid saying health is just about being free from disease; always mention mental well-being.
Try the lesson
The start of the Health issues: Health is the state of physical and mental well-being. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which statement is the correct biological definition of health?
Listen
Health is a complete state of physical and mental well-being, not simply the absence of disease or infirmity. Physical well-being includes having a healthy body that functions properly, free from illness and injury. Mental well-being includes feeling positive about oneself, being able to cope with normal stresses, and having good emotional and social functioning. For example, a person with a broken leg has physical ill health, while someone experiencing depression has mental ill health. Both aspects are equally important and can influence each other. A person may have no diagnosed disease but still feel unwell mentally, or may have a physical condition but maintain good mental well-being. This holistic definition is used by the World Health Organization and is central to understanding health issues. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Health is defined as a state of physical and mental well-being. Physical well-being relates to the body's functioning and absence of disease or injury. Mental well-being relates to emotional and psychological state, including ability to cope with stress. Health is not just the absence of disease; a person can have a disease but still have good mental well-being, or vice versa. A common slip: Defining health as only physical fitness. Instead, health includes mental well-being as well. Exam tip: Learn the exact definition: 'Health is the state of physical and mental well-being.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Health
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Physical well-being
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Mental well-being
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Health
- The state of physical and mental well-being, not simply the absence of disease or infirmity.
- Physical well-being
- Having a healthy body that functions properly, free from illness and injury.
- Mental well-being
- Feeling positive about oneself, being able to cope with normal stresses, and having good emotional and social functioning.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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