Mental Health

There is no health without mental health.

Mental health is the positive balance of the social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental aspects of one’s life and is as important as physical health. When people are mentally healthy they are able to live productive daily activities, maintain fulfilling relationships with others, and have the ability to adapt to change and cope with stress.

Alternatively, mental illness is a psychological or behavioural phenomenon that leads to disorder or disability that is not part of normal development. Mental illness can occur when the brain (or part of the brain) is not working well or is working in the wrong way. When the brain is not working properly, one or more of its six functions will be disrupted (thinking or cognition, perception or sensing, emotion or feeling, signaling, physical functions and/or behavior). When these functions significantly disrupt a person’s life, we say that the person has a mental disorder or a mental illness.

The World Health Organization notes that “Mental health is as important as physical health to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries. Yet only a small minority of the 450 million people suffering from a mental or behavioural disorders are receiving treatment” (The World Health Report 2001, Chapter 1). The WHO also indicates that 15 to 20 per cent of young people worldwide suffer from a mental disorder that would benefit from mental-health treatment. Currently, neuropsychiatric disorders contribute to almost one-third of the global burden of disease in this age group.

While effective treatment for mental disorders is available, barriers including lack of health professionals, health care infrastructure, cost, as well as a strong and persistent stigma against people with mental disorders prevents millions of adults and youth from accessing and receiving the help they need to get well and say well.

The more we learn about mental health, the better we understand the impact that mental health problems can have on personal, social, civic and economic development. Addressing mental health problems early in life enhances the opportunity for young people to get well and stay well through adulthood, improving not only the lives of individuals and families, but also enhancing civil society increasing opportunity for socio-economic development and encouraging global acceptance of human and cultural diversity.

Mental health is a right, not a privilege. As global citizens it is important that we work together to provide the best care for people who are mentally ill and to ensure that physical and mental health are at the forefront of the international agenda.

Mental illness

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Mental illness is an illness just like a physical illness.

Disorders

Categories of diagnoses in these schemes may include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, personality disorders, and many other categories. Commonly recognized categories of anxiety disorders include specific phobia, Generalized anxiety disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Psychotic disorders centrally involving this domain include Schizophrenia and Delusional disorder. Definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary, but guideline criterion listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely accepted by mental health professionals. The recognition and understanding of mental disorders has changed over time.Family

Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age-children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly-and they can occur in any family. Relatives can play a key role in the identification and treatment of the teen with a mental illness, with family members themselves often needing help and support.

You can be a better friend by looking for signs and symptoms of mental illnesses and then helping someone you know reach out to some of the following people: family doctor or pediatrician, school counselor or teacher, parent and other family members, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

The next time you and your family member visit your doctor or mental health professional, discuss these behaviors and develop a strategy for coping. Family awareness, early identification and prevention are often the first steps to effective treatments.

Mental Health Symptoms

Today, we classify mental illness based on the symptoms a person experiences and the clinical features of the illness, such as feeling hopeless or having delusions. But as we continue to gain a clearer understanding of how specific genes interact with illnesses or behaviors, we may be able to develop a much more sophisticated classification system that is directly linked to a biological cause of mental illness, rather than just symptoms.

For instance, some disorders have similar symptoms and clinical features but are actually very different in terms of their underlying biology. Thus, symptoms related to behavior or our mental lives clearly reflect variations or abnormalities in brain function.

Persons suffering from any of the severe mental disorders present with a variety of symptoms, may include inappropriate anxiety, disturbances of thought and perception, and cognitive dysfunction. Often it is a good idea to first describe the symptoms and/or problems to your family physician or clergy.