Mental Health Check: How to Spot Risk Factors and Warning Signs

Some information compiled by Elaine Krussow, MSW.

iPad with text "Mental Health Matters" displayed.

As winter months dissipate and summer sneaks up on us, it’s always good to do a mental health check in on yourself and your loved ones. Changing seasons often mean changing moods- kids graduate high school, college students scramble for internships, adults make summer vacation plans and manage summer camp schedules- this season can bring a lot. Amidst the rush, it’s worth taking time to evaluate your emotional wellbeing.

In doing a short self-assessment for emotional health (whether your own, or someone else’s) it’s important to note the difference between risk factors and warning signs. Risk factors tell us there is a higher likelihood that something may occur; for instance, if your parents have high blood pressure, you have a higher chance of being diagnosed with high blood pressure. However, just because your parents have it does not mean that you do – hence a risk factor. Warning signs, however, alert us to reality that something might be wrong. For high blood pressure, some warning signs might include headaches, blurred vision, or chest pain. This would indicate that you are checking some boxes for high blood pressure, and treatment or further assessment is needed.

Mental health works similarly. Risk factors, like major life changes, make us aware that lower moods can happen more easily. Warning signs, like repeated negative thoughts and emotions, tell us we may need to make a change. So, how do we spot these? Here are three simple parts to a mental health checkup that are quick, healthy, and effective. The following may be done with a loved one or on your own.

Pause

Give yourself some space from anything that’s going on. Create some distance from distractions. If you are checking in with a friend, take them out for coffee or on a walk. Anywhere that you know you (or you and a friend) can be fully present.

Assess

Pictures with emotions on each image. Shown are sad, lonely, manic, seasonal affected disorder.

Ask yourself “how am I doing, really?” If the answer is “great!” you can move on then. If not, you can explore further. Good following questions include “am I feeling anxious?” “Where is the biggest point of stress in my life?” “Have I been feeling low energy, unmotivated, or uninterested in activities?” Responses to these can be great indicators of mental health. Other tools can also be helpful, the National Alliance on Mental Health provides a list of warning signs and symptoms as well as screening and resources for mental health (NAMI, 2024). If you are having a conversation with a friend to check in, listen non-judgmentally and be willing to provide support.

Talk

If you have any concerns about your own or a loved one’s mental health, please connect with a mental health resource. Again, the NAMI website provides access to crisis lines and help lines, information, and guidance. If an honest self-assessment reveals a number of warning signs or risk factors, reaching out to a professional is a great next step. In a crisis, you can contact the 988 number for support. Regardless of how you reach out, it is important to do so.

Many people check in on their friends’ mental health and their own during winter months, which is important, but think about it less in the spring and summer. Unfortunately, this mindset is unhelpful. Trends from the CDC data show that suicide rates are higher in the spring and summer months than those in winter months (CDC, 2023). Often, reaching out to check in on a loved one and asking honest, sincere questions can go a long way toward their mental health. And, if you take time to do a personal mental health assessment, you might find ways you can better take care of your own well-being.

References and Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). CDC Injury Data Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wisqars.cdc.gov/fatal-injury-trends/

Warning signs and symptoms. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (2024, November 18). https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/warning-signs-and-symptoms/