Mental Health PDF

Mental Health By Dr.Elaf Yousif Beram M.B.CH.B, F.I.M.S/ FM Learning Objectives: 1. To know the definition of health and mental health disorder. 2. To know the characteristics of a mentally healthy person and types of mental illness. 3. To know the mental health services. M...

Mental Health By Dr.Elaf Yousif Beram M.B.CH.B, F.I.M.S/ FM Learning Objectives: 1. To know the definition of health and mental health disorder. 2. To know the characteristics of a mentally healthy person and types of mental illness. 3. To know the mental health services. Mental health: Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Mental health is thus the balanced development of the individual's personality and emotional attitudes which enable him to live harmoniously with his fellow-men. Mental health is not exclusively a matter of relation between persons; it is also a matter of relation of the individual towards the community he lives in , towards the society of which the community is a part, and towards the social institutions which for a large part guide his life, determine his way of living, working, leisure, and the way he sees happiness, stability and security. By definition, "mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stress of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other. On this basis, the promotion, protection and restoration of mental health can be regarded as a vital concern of individuals, communities and societies throughout the world. Characteristics of a mentally healthy person: Mental Health is not mere absence of mental illness. A mentally healthy person has three main characteristics: (1) He feels comfortable about himself, that is, he feels reasonably secure and adequate. He neither underestimates nor overestimates his own ability. He accepts his shortcomings. He has self-respect. (2) The mentally healthy person feels right towards others. This means that he is able to be interested in others and to love them. He has friendships that are satisfying and lasting. He is able to feel a part of a group without being submerged by it. He is able to like and trust others. He takes responsibility for his neighbours and his fellow-men. (3) The mentally healthy person is able to meet the demands of life. He does something about the problems as they arise. He is able to think for himself and to take his own decisions. He sets reasonable goals for himself. He shoulders his daily responsibilities. He is not bowled over by his own emotions of fear, anger, love or guilt. Types of mental illness: Mental and behavioural disorders are understood as clinically significant conditions characterized by alteration in thinking, mood (emotions) or behaviour associated with personal distress and/or impaired functioning. Individuals may suffer from one or more disorders during one or more periods of their life. One incidence of abnormal behaviour or a short period of abnormal mood does not of itself, signify the presence of a mental or behavioural disorder. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) classifies the mental and behavioural disorders as: - Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders - e.g., dementia in Alzheimer's disease, delirium. - Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use - e.g. , harmful use of alcohol, opioid dependence syndrome. - Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders - e.g. , paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorders, acute and transient psychotic disorders. - Mood (affective) disorders - e.g. , bipolar affective disorder, depressive episode. - Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders - e.g., generalized anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders. _Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors - e.g., eating disorders, non-organic sleep disorders. - Disorders of adult personality and behaviour - e.g. , paranoid personality disorder, trans- sexualism. - Mental retardation. - Disorders of psychological development - e.g. , specific reading disorders, childhood autism. - Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence - e.g. , hyperkinetic disorders, conduct disorders, tic disorders. - Unspecified mental disorder. There are major and minor illnesses. The major illnesses are called psychoses. Here, the person is "insane" and out of touch with reality. There are three major illnesses: ( 1) SCHIZOPHRENIA (split personality) in which the patient lives in a dream world of his own. (2) MANIC DEPRESSIVE PSYCHOSIS in which the symptoms vary from heights of excitement to depths of depression. (3) PARANOIA which is associated with undue and extreme suspicion and a progressive tendency to regard the whole world in a framework of delusions. The minor illnesses are of two groups: (a) NEUROSIS OR PSYCHONEUROSIS: In this the patient is unable to react normally to life situations. He is not considered "insane" by his associates, but nevertheless exhibits certain peculiar symptoms such as morbid fears, compulsions and obsessions. (b) PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER DISORDERS: This group of disorders are the legacy of unfortunate childhood experiences and perceptions. Causes of mental illhealth: Mental illness like physical illness is due to multiple causes. There are many known factors of agent, host and environment in the natural histories of mental disorders. Among the known factors are the following: (1) ORGANIC CONDITIONS: Mental illnesses may have their origin in organic conditions such as cerebral arteriosclerosis, neoplasms, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, endocrine diseases and chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, epilepsy, etc. (2) HEREDITY: Heredity may be an important factor in some cases. For example, the child of two schizophrenic parents is 40 times more likely to develop schizophrenia than is the child of healthy parents. (3) SOCIAL PATHOLOGICAL CAUSES: To produce any disease, there must be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The social and environmental factors associated with mental illhealth comprise : worries, anxieties, emotional stress, tension, frustration , unhappy marriages, broken homes, poverty, industrialization, urbanization , changing family structure, population mobility, economic insecurity, cruelty, rejection , neglect and the like. The social environment not only determines the individual's attitudes but also provides the "framework" within which mental health is formulated. Environmental factors other than psychosocial ones capable of producing abnormal human behaviour are: (1) Toxic substances - carbon disulfide, mercury, manganese, tin, lead compounds, etc. (2) Psychotropic drugs - barbiturates, alcohol, griseofulvin. (3) Nutritional factors - deficiency of thiamine, pyridoxine. (4) Minerals - deficiency of iodine. (5) Infective agents - infectious disease (e.g., measles, rubella) during the prenatal, perinatal and post-natal periods of life may have adverse effects on the brain's development and the integration of mental functions. (6) Traumatic factors - road and occupational accidents. (7) Radiation - nervous system is most sensitive to radiation during the period of neural development. Crucial points in the lifecycle of human beings: There are certain key points in the development of the human being which are important from the point of view of mental health. These are : (1) Prenatal period: Pregnancy is a stressful period for some women. They need help not only for their physical but also emotional needs. (2) First 5 years of life: The roots of mental health are in early childhood. The infant and young child should experience a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with his mother and father. It is in this relationship where underlies the development of mental health. It follows that broken homes are likely to produce behaviour disorders in children and this has been confirmed by several studies. (3) School child : Everything that happens in the school affects the mental health of the child. The programs and practices of the school may satisfy or frustrate the emotional needs of the child. Children who have emotional problems may need child guidance clinic or psychiatric services. From the standpoint of the child's mental health and his effectiveness in learning, proper teacher- pupil relationship and climate of the class room are very important. (4) Adolescence : The transition from adolescence to manhood is often a stormy one and fraught with dangers to mental health. The basic needs of the adolescents are: (a) the need to be needed by others. (b) the need for increasing independence. (c) the need to achieve adequate adjustment to the opposite sex. (d) the need to rethink the cherished beliefs of one's elders. The failure to recognize and understand these basic needs may prevent sound mental development. (5) Old age : The mental health problems of the aged have received considerable attention in recent times in the developed countries. The causes of mental illness in the aged are organic conditions of the brain, economic insecurity, lack of a home, poor status and insecurity. Thus throughout his life, the needs of man remain the same: (1 ) the need for affection, (2) the need for belonging, (3) the need for independence, (4) the need for achievement, (5) the need for recognition or approval, (6) the need for a sense of personal worth and (7) the need for self-actualization. These needs only differ in degree and qualitative importance at various ages. Mental health services: Mental health services in a community are concerned not only with early diagnosis and treatment, but also with the preservation and promotion of good mental health and prevention of mental illness. The mental health services comprise: (1) Early diagnosis and treatment. (2) Rehabilitation. (3) Group and individual psychotherapy. (4) Mental health education. (5) Use of modern psychoactive drugs. (6) After-care services. SUMMARY: Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Mental and behavioural disorders are understood as clinically significant conditions characterized by alteration in thinking, mood (emotions) or behaviour associated with personal distress and/or impaired functioning.  QUIZ: What are the mental health services ? THANK YOU