Mental health, as well as physical health, is extremely important for the quality of life of every person. It includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, and our feelings, actions and attitude towards ourselves and others depend on it. Globally, 970 million people live with some form of mental disorder. In both sexes, anxiety and depressive disorders are the two most common psychological disorders. Depressive disorder, also known as depression, is a common mental disorder characterized by persistent depressed mood or loss of interest and pleasure in activities over a long period of time. Anxiety disorders include disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disorders. This paper presents research on the occurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms and the general population's awareness of mental health. The aim of the research was to find out the prevalence of certain symptoms of depression and anxiety among the general population and the attitudes of the population related to mental health. 670 respondents from the general population took part in the research, of which 542 were female and 128 were male. Each of the respondents answered about the frequency of symptoms and signs of depression and anxiety in themselves, and in the second part of the research awareness and attitudes about mental health were examined. The paper presents results that give us insight into the prevalence of certain symptoms and signs, and we learn interesting facts about the population's awareness of this topic. All the presented results show the importance of monitoring the symptoms and signs of mental disorders and the need for constant education and awareness of the population about the occurrence of mental problems and the importance of accepting mental disorders in the same way as other health problems. Healthcare workers, including nurses, have the greatest importance in the promotion and prevention of mental health. Constant education of the population and screening of at-risk persons lead to better results in the field of mental health.