Carl Hanson dives into mental health, distinguishing between mental health and mental illness, and discussing what overall wellness means. He also identifies perfectionism as a hindrance to emotional well-being. He acknowledges that we are not meant to be perfect in this life and suggests how we can use hardships as growth opportunities.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Carl Hanson is a professor of public health and former chair of the Department of Public Health at BYU.  Prior to the chair appointment, he served as director of BYU’s master of public health program for six years. Prior to joining the faculty at BYU, he spent 11 years as a professor at Montana State University – Billings. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in health science from BYU.  His doctorate in community health education is from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Hanson has authored and co-authored numerous publications and presentations in the areas of computational health science, mental health, and substance abuse. He is the recipient of the BYU College of Life Sciences Faculty Distinguished Service Award and the Catherine Summerhays Distinguished Service Award. He and his wife Loraine reside in Spanish Fork and have four children and six grandchildren. 

Listen to Hanson's recent speech at BYU titled "Something About Mental Health" for further insights on this topic.

Recorded, Edited & Produced by Christy Gonzalez, Harper Xinyu Zhang, Kailey Hopkins, and Tanya Gale