Foundations in Mental Health PDF

Mental Health It refers to the emotional, psychological and social well-being of an individual. It affects how we think, feel or act, and it influences how we cope with stress and make choices. Mental Health vs. Mental Illness Mental Health: about our overall well-being. (E.g., enjoying activiti...

Mental Health It refers to the emotional, psychological and social well-being of an individual. It affects how we think, feel or act, and it influences how we cope with stress and make choices. Mental Health vs. Mental Illness Mental Health: about our overall well-being. (E.g., enjoying activities, feeling positive or happy). Mental Illness: about a specific health condition. (E.g., anxiety, stress or depression). Common Mental Health Disorders 1. Anxiety Disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition where a person feels excessive and uncontrollable worry. Treatment: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - CBT helps identify negative thoughts, challenge unhelpful thoughts, reframing thoughts, & learn relaxation and coping techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness & behavioural activation or gradual exposure to feared situations. Social Anxiety Disorder is a condition where a person experiences intense fear or worry about social situations, often because they’re afraid of being judged, embarrassed or criticized by others. Treatments: CBT, Exposure Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) & Group Therapy. - Exposure therapy helps people gradually face social situations like public speaking or speaking up in groups. For example, they might start by making small talk with a stranger, then move to giving a presentation at work. As the person faces these situations repeatedly, their anxiety decreases over time because they realize the situations aren’t as harmful as they feared. - ACT helps people accept their anxiety as a natural feeling rather than something to be avoided at all costs. ACT teaches mindfulness skills, such as paying attention to the present moment and being aware of feelings with judgement. Instead of avoiding social situations, ACT encourages taking actions that align with personal values. For example, someone who values friendships might be encouraged to attend social events, despite feeling anxious, because it aligns with their long-term goal of forming connections. - Group Therapy provides a supportive environment for individuals to practice their social skills and reduce anxiety. Social skills training may be provided to learn how to approach and navigate conversations, make eye contact and use body language effectively. Roleplaying exercises can also help practice interactions in a safe space before facing them in real life. Group therapy allows individuals to receive feedback and support from others, which can help boost self-esteem.  Panic Disorder is a condition where a person has repeated and unexpected panic attacks—sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort. These attacks can happen without warning and often cause physical symptoms like racing heart, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and nausea. After having an attack, people may fear having another one, leading them to avoid places or situations where they felt anxious. Treatments: CBT, Exposure Therapy, & Relaxation Techniques. - CBT helps identify and change fearful thoughts that trigger panic attacks and teaches how to manage physical symptoms during an attack and reduce future attacks through relaxation techniques. - Exposure Therapy gradually exposes people to situations that trigger panic attacks in a safe, controlled way, helping them face their fears and reduce anxiety. - Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness help reduce the physical symptoms of panic and prevent attacks. Phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation or activity. Common examples of phobias are arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights) & claustrophobia (fear of tight spaces). Treatments: CBT, Exposure Therapy & Relaxation Techniques