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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1470425
This article is part of the Research Topic Insights in: Health Psychology View all 11 articles

Running head: Freedom and Mental Health Freedom and Mental Health: An Overview of the Impact of Fundamental Rights on Psychological Well-Being

Provisionally accepted
Changiz Mohiyeddini Changiz Mohiyeddini *
  • Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Freedom, in its many forms, is a cornerstone of human rights. These include, among others, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of assembly, and freedom from discrimination.However, these freedoms are not only legal or political constructs but are also deeply embedded in the socio-cultural, religious, political, historical, and hence psychological composition of human beings.Rather than examining all of the many manifestations of freedom at once, this paper aims to explore the impact of a few specific freedoms -including freedom of speech, thought, assembly, movement, and protection from arbitrary arrest -on mental health and well-being. The objective of this commentary is to summarize existing evidence on how these freedoms support mental health and to highlight areas where the restriction of freedoms is linked to psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, it also discusses the debilitating effects of self-censorship, discrimination, lack of access to education, and arbitrary detention on mental health.Despite substantial evidence underscoring the importance of freedoms for mental well-being, there remains a pressing need for comprehensive research to understand the complex associations between different aspects of freedom and their individual and collective impact on mental health. The discussion herein aims to provide a foundation for future studies and to inform policy interventions that protect both freedom and psychological well-being.

    Keywords: autonomy, Discrimination, freedom, freedom of speech, Human Rights, Mental Health, Psychological wellness, social support

    Received: 25 Jul 2024; Accepted: 16 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mohiyeddini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Changiz Mohiyeddini, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.