Mental HealthClay Moore & Ford Bowles

What is Mental Health?

Mental Health is a state of well-being that includes emotional, psychological, and social aspects

Pertains to the expression of feelings, self-esteem, condence, and the environment of our day-to-day lives

Can be positive or negative

Mental Illness

Mental Illness refers to a broad range of disorders that can aect a persons thought process, mood, or behavior

Can be mild or severe, temporary, or chronic and prolonged

The study of mental illness is called Psychopathology

Aects dierent parts of the brain and the nervous system Usually in a social context (how a person interacts with the

public)

Common Misconceptions

Depression is the result of character aw or a weakness in ones personality, and that those aicted can just snap out of it

Schizophrenia means split personality and that there is no way to control it

People with severe mental illnesses are violent, dangerous, and a threat to society

Addiction stems from choice of lifestyle and demonstrates a lack of will power

Most Common Mental Illnesses

1) Anxiety Disorders

2) Eating Disorders

3) Mood Disorders

4) Dementias

5) Schizophrenia/Psychotic Disorders

Prevalence

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Anxiety Disorders

Eating Disorders Mood Disorders Dementias Psychotic Disorders

Population Aected (in millions)

Fig. 1. American population aected by dierent mental disorders. Source: triadmentalheath.org, Top 5 Categories of Mental Health.

Anxiety Disorders

Phobias Irrational fears

Panic Disorder (Panic Attacks) Sudden onset of intense fear or apprehension

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Negative symptoms following a traumatic event

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Impulses to repeat unnecessary actions or behavior

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Chronic worry and anxiousness throughout daily life

Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa Self-starvation

Bulimia Nervosa Excessive eating accompanied by episodes of purging

Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) Excess in consumption of food without purging

Fig. 2. Infographic on Americans with Eating Disorders. Source: National Eating Disorders Association, Going to the Extreme: Eating Disorders.

Mood Disorders

Clinical Depression Also known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD),

severe depression

Dysthymia Less severe, long-term, recurring depression

Bi-polar Disorder Severe mood swings

Suicide 800,000 each year worldwide

Dementias

Alzheimers Disease (AD) Degeneration of cognition and behavioral changes

Huntingtons Disease (HD) Degeneration of muscle function and coordination

Parkinsons Disease Degeneration of central nervous system

Human Immunodeciency Virus (HIV) Degeneration of immune system and onset of AIDS

Schizophrenia/Psychotic Disorders

Characterized by abnormal or odd social behavior and failure to recognize what is real and what is not

Positive Symptoms: Hallucinations Delusions Incoherent Speech

Negative Symptoms: Cant express feelings and emotion No ow of thought No motivation

Mental Illness in youth

Issues pertaining to mental health and illness aect one in ten children

Top three issues facing children and youth 1) Depression 2) Eating Disorders 3) Self-harm

There is a strong correlation between mental health and successful physical growth and development

Change in mental health or the onset of an illness could adversely aect a childs development

Parents can help shield children from potentially negative changes in mental health by: Providing love and aection Maintaining an open relationship Listen to their concerns and take their feelings seriously

Mental Illness in the elderly

At a greater risk for susceptibility to mental disorders and complications

The elderly are more likely to refuse treatment and resist seeking out assistance

It is important to pay close attention to behavioral changes in seniors Certain changes can signal that they may be suering from a

mental illness (ex. Withdrawal from society, sad or depressed mood, confusion and/or disorientation)

Over-diagnosing Mental Illness

Diagnoses of serious psychological and psychiatric disorders have needlessly skyrocketed alongside the DSMs expanding list of what constitutes mental illness

Psychiatry in Western Culture fails in the aspect of trying to throw medicine at the patient rather than deal with underlying problems

DSM 5s problems

How America is Failing at Psychiatry

Psychiatry in America is very dierent from other countries around the world

Quick to medicate patients Not as willing to uncover underlying issues

Other Successful Psychiatric Systems

West Lapland, Finland Open Dialogue

Gothenburg, Sweden Family Care Foundation

Eects of Prisons on Mental Health

From studies done inside prisons, there are key dierences between the state of mental health in county correction and state institution inmates, with county inmates suering worse mental health than state inmates

Reasons include: - Jail inmates face a situation with much more unknowns and

uncertainty

- May still be experiencing the loss of self-esteem and the embarrassment that comes with being incarcerated

- May be more stressed because, due to the short-term orientation of county corrections, the institution may oer fewer ways to de-stress

- Availability of mental health services may also dier between state and county corrections

Stigmas Associated with Mental Illness

Many people with serious mental illness are doubly challenged

As a result of those challenges, they are robbed of the opportunities that dene a quality life, such as: Good jobs Safe housing Satisfactory health care Aliation with a diverse group of people

Public Stigma

Media and public stigmatization are nearly identical, shown by two independent factor analyses of the survey responses of more than 2000 English and American citizens stating three major misconceptions:

Fear and Exclusion

Authoritarianism

Benevolence

Changing Public Stigma

Possible routes for change in the strategies used to combat public stigma have been grouped into three approaches:

1) Protest

2) Education

3) Contact

Self-Stigma

Believing you are weak or damaged due to a mental illness

Can be harmful because it may hinder the individual from seeking or receiving treatment

Negative reaction to self-stigma is not the only way individuals react necessarily

May also react in righteous anger or be indierent

Fig. 3. OCD & Anxiety Disorders. Source: youtube.com, Crash Course Psychology. 2014.

Conclusion

In closing, it is crucial that we, as a society, come to recognize both the reality and the importance of securing strong mental health Nationwide and globally

Several mental illnesses require our immediate attention and demand research so that we may be able to prevent further instances from occurring

Those aicted with mental health issues deserve proper care and equal treatment just as any other disease or disorder might

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Hoggett, John. Mainstream Psychiatry Is Failing-but There is Another Way. The Guardian. 25 July. 2011. Web.

14 April. 2015.

Mental Health in Seniors. American Psychiatric Association, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

Hatcher, Joe W. and Shauna Pichette. Mental Health Issues in County Corrections vs. State Prisons. Mental Health Issues in County Corrections vs. State Prisons. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

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21 Apr. 2015.

"OCD & Anxiety Disorders: Crash Course Psychology #29." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.

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