Mental Health Aid & Epilepsy

Prevalence of Mental Illness in Australia

• One in five Australian adults experiences some form of mental illness in any one year
• One in four Australians aged 18-24 will experience some form of mental illness in any one year
• Mental illness is slightly more prevalent in females compared to males
• Anxiety or depressive disorders are more likely to occur in females
• Substance use disorder is less likely to occur in females

Prevalence of Mental Illness in Adults

• Any Anxiety Disorder: 10.8% of males, 17.9% of females, 14.4% of adults
• Any Depressive Disorder: 5.3% of males, 7.1% of females, 6.2% of adults
• Any Substance Abuse Disorder: 7.0% of males, 3.3% of females, 5.1% of adults
• Total mental illness: 17.6% of males, 22.3% of females, 20.0% of adults

Mental Health Disorder Definitions

• Mood disorders are conditions affecting emotional state, depression or bipolar disorder
• Anxiety disorders are excessive fear, worry, or nervousness
  • Includes general anxiety, phobias, and panic disorders
• Psychotic disorders cause disruptions in thought and perception, like schizophrenia
• Eating disorders are unhealthy eating behaviours and body image concerns
  • anorexia or bulimia
• Personality disorders are enduring patterns of behaviour deviating from social expectations
  • Borderline personality disorder is an example
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
  • Recurrent intrusive thoughts/obsessions
  • Repetitive behaviors/compulsions
• Trauma related disorders follow an emotional and psychological distress after a traumatic event
  • PTSD

Recognising Basic Symptoms of Anxiety and Offering Advice

• Anxiety involves persistent anxious feelings without cause
  • Reassure and provide a calm environment
• Panic Attacks shows intense physical anxiety
  • Racing heart and difficulty breathing may feel like a heart attack or dying
  • Encourage professional help if symptoms persist
  • Stay with the person, moving others away
  • Encourage slow, rhythmic breathing
  • Reassure that symptoms will pass
  • Call an ambulance if unsure or symptoms persist
• Traumatic Events are triggered by exposure to harm or danger causing distress and fear
  • Provide factual information if appropriate
  • Allow the person to talk in their own time
  • Discourage alcohol or drug use
  • Recommend professional help if distress lasts over a month
• Psychoses disrupts thinking and perception include hallucinations and delusions
  • Approach with calmness and empathy
  • Encourage professional assessment
  • Ensure safety and monitor changes in behaviour
• Depression involves persistent sadness, loss of interest, low energy, and disrupted sleep
  • Recognize behavioral changes like social withdrawal and poor focus
  • Observe for physical signs like fatigue and appetite change
  • Encourage ongoing support and professional care
• Suicide Risk shows signs like sudden mood improvement, expressing hopelessness, giving away possessions and is High-risk during transition home after an attempt
  • Be calm and direct, asking "Are you thinking about killing yourself?"
  • If "YES," seek urgent help immediately
  • Stay with the person and ensure ongoing support
  • Involve others if one cannot follow through alone
• Eating Disorder shows preoccupation with weight, food, and body image
  • Behaviors include excessive dieting, bingeing, purging, food rituals social withdrawal
  • Use "I" statements and avoid focusing on food
  • Encourage seeking professional help and create a supportive, non-judgemental environment
• Manipulative Disorders (NSSI - Non-Suicidal Self Injury): physical characteristics may include rapid weight changes, fatigue, sensitivity to cold or menstrual irregularities. Psychological traits include extreme body dissatisfaction, anxiety, low self-esteem.
  • Recognize that NSSI is a coping mechanism, not always a suicide attempt, where there are possible motives: including relief from tension, expressing distress, inducing guilt, seeking help, with multiple methods: cutting, burning, head-banging, overdosing or reckless behaviour
  • Be patient with denial or anger, may reflect shame or anxiety
  • Recognise that NSSI is habit-forming and self-reinforcing and encourage long-term professional support while avoiding judgement
  • Focus on understanding their emotions rather than the behaviour itself

Roles of Pharmacists in Mental Health Care

• Pharmacists’ medication counseling improves adherence to antidepressant medications
• Medication reviews help identify and resolve psychotropic medication-related problems.
• Medicines are not always the primary treatment for mental illnesses
• Focus on improving the quality use of medicines within their expertise

Service Provided

• Provide direct services for E.g: medication adherence support, crisis intervention medication review
• Aims in mental health care service delivery
• Health promotion: conducting depression awareness campaigns
  • Like R U OK? Day or mental health days/weeks
  • Deliver presentations to schools, community groups, carers, consumers, and parents on mental health topics
    • Like medicines for depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders, smoking cessation or illicit drug use
  • Advocating and promote wellness approach to care

Service for Early Detection and Intervention

• Identify early signs of mental illness to encourage individuals to seek assessment from a GP or mental health services from a friendly non-confrontational environment
• Facilitate and encourage people to seek help about their mental health symptoms
• Support carers by connecting them with local peer support programs, carer respite services, and other organizations
• Offer medication adherence support, support consumers in using psychotropic medications safely and effectively
• Pharmacists recognize and address consumers' and carers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward medicine use
• Advocate for consumers to ensure their preferences are considered in treatment decisions
• DAA - Dose Administration Aids assists with medication management to reduce medication errors and prevent hospital admissions Ongoing Staged Supply Services assist with medication adherence, with work in partnership

Pharmacist Medication Management

• Ensure the safe and appropriate use of medicines through specialized medication management services
• Hospital clinical pharmacy services involve conducting medication reconciliation, clinical reviews and monitoring clinical parameters
• Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) and Residential Medication Management Reviews (RMMRs) reduce psychotropic medicine use and improve medication safety for aged care residents and provide access for medicines and diabetes management
• Assists consumers and prescribers by monitoring side effects, drug interactions, and contraindications.
• Evidence supports community pharmacy team medication to prevent adverse drug events

Enhance Medication Safety

• Ensure safe medication management across different health care settings especially during transitions
• Community pharmacists should share consumer medication histories with hospital clinicians. Future advancements involve electronic health records Provide clear tailored verbal information about medicines to improve understanding and adherence support informed decision making Be patients

Support During Transition

• Hospital and Community Pharmacists educate individuals on appropriate medicine in their care

Management of Physical Comorbidities

• Pharmacists facilitate interactions that help people manage ongoing physical health support like monitoring blood glucose and help people in need to maintain healthy substance use and weight

Aims of Indirect Service

• Education, Academic detailing and Policy development about the use of medicines for various demographic patients’ specific needs and special or cognitive impairments in relation