Download mental health

A state of wellbeing in which every individual
realises his or her own potential, can cope with the
normal stresses of life, can work productively and
fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or
his community.
Mental illness is a broad term for a group of conditions.
These conditions can be short or long term, and there is no
way of knowing who will be affected by them. The two most
common types of mental illness are anxiety and mood
disorders (sometimes called affective disorders), particularly
depression.
A significant number of people will
experience mental illness. People believe it
is a weakness being unable to cope and
believe they will get over it. Mental illness
continues to have a stigma attached to it.
In contrast to the overall health gains of world
populations in recent decades, the burden of
mental illness is growing. Mental and
behavioural health disorders are common,
affecting more than 25% of all people at
some time during their lives and are present
at any point in time in about 10% of the
population (WHO, 2001).
 Biological; Body weight- links have been made between mental
illness and obesity. Genetic predisposition- if mental illness has
run in the family, one is more likely to develop mental illness at
some stage in their life. Chemical imbalance- having a deficiency
in some of the chemicals in the brain that assist in controlling
moods, particularly the ‘happy chemical’ serotonin, contributes to
depression.
 Behavioural; Tobacco use, alcohol misuse, substance abuse.. People
that abuse these things are more likely to have a mental illness.
Although no conclusive evidence if one is suffering from a mental
illness, they’re more likely to take up one of these habits. Of
course these things can lead you to mental illness too. And physical
activity- it releases endorphins that relieve stress and assist in
maintaining optimal mental health.
 Physical; Natural disasters- things such as floods, droughts
and bushfires can increase rates of mental health issues in
children and adults. Housing- living in overcrowded housing
conditions can increase the risk of psychological distress.
Access to recreation facilities- Regular physical activity has
been shown to decrease the risk of developing a mental
illness. Noise pollution- People experiencing ongoing
pollution often experience higher rates of mental health.
Transport- Not having access to transport may increase levels
of distress if people cannot stay in contact with the people
they need or are unable to access recreational facilities.
 Social; Socioeconomic status (SES)- people in lower SES groups
have higher rates of mental illness. Social exclusion- There is a
direct relationship between this and mental illness. People who are
socially excluded are more likely to suffer from mental illness and
also be of lower socioeconomic background. Occupation- Work
related stress can add to depressive symptoms. Unemploymentthose who are unemployed may experience prolonged feelings of
stress and anxiety as a result of not being able to provide for
themselves and/or their family. Stress- prolonged stress increases
the risk of depression. Those experiencing severe stress may lack
the coping skills to prevent mental illness. Early life experiencesloss of a parent, divorce or adverse parenting styles (lack of
attention, abuse).. Anything hard or traumatic to happen when
early in life.
 Headspace – A nationwide mental health program for youth.
 KidsMatter; Created by the Australian government and a
range of non-government organisations. KidsMatter aims to
create positive environments to promote mental health in
children in preschool, day care centres and primary schools.
http://www.headspace.org.au/about-headspace/news-videos/videos/tv-advertisements
http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/
Mental health problems are often associated with ongoing
treatment such as medication and counselling
•Inability to work, due to increased anxiety or depression
•Paying for services that they cannot perform in their
state.
•Lost productivity if an individual is unable to work.
•Social security payments.
The impact of mental illness stretches further than economic
costs. The individual suffers from the condition as well as their
family, friends, work colleagues and society in general.
Those suffering from illness may not be able to participate in their
usual activities which can increase sadness and despair.
Family members may have to take time out out from their normal
activities.