Which of the following best distinguishes mental health from emotional health in the context of developmental psychology?

• A. Mental health refers to cognitive processes such as thinking and reasoning, while emotional health refers to the ability to recognize, express, and manage feelings.
• B. Emotional health focuses on memory and attention, while mental health is about mood regulation.
• C. Mental health is only concerned with physical brain development, whereas emotional health is about social relationships.
• D. Mental health and emotional health are identical concepts and can be used interchangeably.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definitions of mental health and emotional health within developmental psychology. Mental health generally involves cognitive processes such as thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving.
2. Step 2: Recognize that emotional health pertains to the ability to recognize, express, and manage feelings effectively, which is distinct from cognitive functions.
3. Step 3: Compare the options given by identifying which one correctly separates cognitive aspects (mental health) from emotional regulation and expression (emotional health).
4. Step 4: Eliminate options that incorrectly describe mental health as only physical brain development or equate mental and emotional health as identical, since these do not reflect the accepted psychological distinctions.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best distinction is that mental health refers to cognitive processes like thinking and reasoning, while emotional health involves recognizing, expressing, and managing emotions.