Transcript What is Mental Illness?

What is Mental Illness?
A disturbance in thoughts and emotions that decrease
a person's capacity to cope with the challenges of
everyday life.
What is Stigma?
A mark or token of infamy, disgrace, or reproach
How does stigma affect us?
Mood Disorders
Persistent changes in mood caused by
chemical imbalances in the brain.
Mood Disorders
Major depressive disorder
 Depressed mood accompanied by symptoms
such as
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loss of interest or pleasure in life
irritability and sadness
sleep or appetite problems
lack of concentration
sense of worthlessness, guilt
in some cases thoughts of suicide.
Mood Disorders cont’d
Bipolar disorder
 A cycle of depressed mood, “normal” mood
and mania.
 Mania is an elevated mood accompanied by
symptoms like
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inflated self-esteem and confidence
increased energy and sexual drive
poor judgment
increased involvement in pleasurable and
possibly dangerous activities.
Psychosis
Active state of experiencing hallucinations
or delusions and can be organic or druginduced
Psychosis
Schizophrenia
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A disturbance involving
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Delusions (false beliefs or misinterpretations of
situations and experiences)
Hallucinations (can be auditory, visual, olfactory,
gustatory, or tactile)
Disorganized speech and or catatonic behaviour.
Anxiety Disorders
Feelings of anxiousness, combined with
physiological symptoms that interfere with
everyday activities
Anxiety Disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
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marked by repeated obsessions and/or
compulsions that are so severe they interfere with
daily life
Anxiety Disorders cont’d
Post-traumatic stress disorder
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re-experiencing a traumatic event
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E.g battle situation or car crash
accompanied by feelings of extreme anxiety.
Anxiety Disorders cont’d
Phobias
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Significant and persistent fears of objects or
situations
Exposure causes extreme anxiety that inteferes
with daily life
May be specific or social.
Personality Disorders
A pattern of inner experience and behaviour that is
significantly different from the person's culture and
leads to distress or impairment.
Dissociative identity disorder
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Formerly known as “multiple personality disorder”
The presence of 2 or more distinct identities that
alternately control a person's behaviour
Most individuals have a history of childhood
abuse.
Eating Disorders
Involve an obsession with food, weight and
appearance that negatively affects a person's health,
relationships, and daily life.
Anorexia nervosa
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an intense and irrational fear of body fat and
weight gain
the strong determination to become thinner
the refusal to maintain a normal
a distorted body image
Eating Disorders cont’d
Bulimia nervosa
 Self-defeating cycles of binge eating and purging
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
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Feeling that your body is distorted and monstrous
when it is normal
 Can lead to self-injury
Fact or Fiction?
One person in 100 develops schizophrenia.
Fact: 1% of the general population develops
schizophrenia.
Fact or Fiction?
A person who has one or more parent with mental
illness is more likely to develop mental illness.
Fact: Mental illness may be hereditary. If one
parents has schizophrenia, 8% chance. Both parents,
37-46%. Depression, 1/10 chance, but ¼ chance if
parents have experienced depression.
Fact or Fiction?
Mental illness is contagious.
Fiction: It is not contagious. Heredity can play a
factor in the development of mental illness.
Fact or Fiction?
Mental illness tends to begin in adolescence.
Fact: First episode of a mental illness often occurs
between 15 and 30 years. Early intervention is one of
the most important factors for recovery, however,
embarassment, fear and stigma often prevent young
people from seeking help.
Fact or Fiction?
Poor parenting causes schizophrenia.
Fiction: Childhood abuse or neglect does not cause
mental illness. However, stressful or abusive
environments may seriously impair a person's ability
to cope with and later manage the illness.
Fact or Fiction?
Drug use causes mental illness.
Fact and Fiction: Alcohol and other drugs sometimes
play a role in the development of some symptoms
and disorders, but do not usually cause the illness.
However, long-term use can lead to the development
of drug-induced psychosis. Drugs are also often used
to cope, but can serve to make symptoms worse.
Fact or Fiction?
Mental illness can be cured with willpower.
Fiction: Mental illness is associated with chemical
imbalances in the brain and requires a comprehensive
treatment plan.
Fact or Fiction?
People with mental illness never get better.
Fiction: With the right kind of help, many people
with a mental illness do recover and can lead healthy,
productive lives. The illness may not go away, the
symptoms can be controlled.
Fact or Fiction?
People with mental illness tend to be violent.
Fiction: People who experience a mental illness
acutely sometimes behave very differently. While
behaviour may seem bizarre, people with mental
illness are not more violent than the rest of the
population.
Fact or Fiction?
People who are poor are more likely to have a mental
illness than people who are not.
Fiction: Income is not a factor in overall rates of
mental health problems. However, people with lower
incomes experiences slightly higher rates of
depression. People who live with major mental
illnesses often end up in lower social classes because
the illness may interfere with their ability to hold a
job.
Mental Health Trends
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22% of people in Ontario have experienced at least
one mental health problem in their lifetime.
Women are more likely than men to experience a
mental health problem, specifically anxiety or
depression.
Mental Health Trends
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Men are more likely to experience antisocial
personality disorder.
Older people experience depression more often
than younger people.
Mental Health Trends
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31% of 15-24 year olds have experienced a mental
health problem
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27% have anxiety problems
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7.5% have affective problems
Mental Health Trends
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15-24 year olds are more likely to have social
phobias and bipolar disorder.
52% of people in Ontario whose parents have
experienced a mental health problem also
experience a mental disorder.
Contributing factors
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Chemical imbalance in the brain
Substance use – not a causal relationship, but may
be used to treat/relieve symptoms, however, drugs
usually make things worse.
Traumatic life events – may make someone more
vulnerable to developing a mental illness.
Contributing Factors cont’d
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Heredity – many are thought to have a genetic
component, usually triggered by life events
Other Illnesses – Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,
damage from strokes cause memory loss and
confusion. Debilitating illness may also lead to
chronic depression.
Treatment Options
Biological
• Medication
• Electroconvulsive
therapy
Psychosocial
• Psychotherapy
• Self-help groups
• Family support
• Community support
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Source
Talking About Mental Illness: A guide for
developing an awareness program for youth.
Teacher’s Resource
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2001