MENTAL HEALTH

A PERSON’S WELL-BEING – OLIVIA JAMIESON

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all. – Bill Clinton

Mental Health- Is defined as a level of physiological well-being or an absence of a mental disorder or illness. – Kozier, 2014

MENTAL HEALTH IN CANADA• 1-5 CANADIANS ARE AFFECTED WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS, ONLY 1/3 WILL RECEIVE

ASSISTANCE. (CMHA,2013)

• ACCORDING TO THE CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 20% OF CANADIANS WILL EXPERIENCE SOME SORT OF MENTAL ILLNESS, WHETHER THAT BE: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, BIPOLAR DISORDER AMONG OTHERS.

• MENTAL ILLNESS INDIRECTLY AFFECTS ALL CANADIANS NO MATTER THE AGE, RACE, GENDER, CULTURE, RELIGION, AND INCOME STATUS, AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COLLEAGUES.

• MENTAL ILLNESSES CAN BE CAUSED BY VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS; GENETICS, BIOLOGICAL, PERSONALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL, ALL OF WHICH AFFECT A PERSON ON A DAILY BASIS.

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=54SDDNA9VEK

(CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 2013)

YOUTH

• APPROX. 10-20% OF CANADIAN YOUTH ARE AFFECTED BY A MENTAL ILLNESS OR DISORDER.

• 5% OF MALES AND 12% OF FEMALES AGED 12-19WILL HAVE EXPERIENCED DEPRESSION, HOWEVER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF YOUTH AGED 12-19 THAT ARE AT RISK OF DEVELOPING DEPRESSION IS APPROXIMATELY 3.2 MILLION.

• IN CANADA, HOWEVER; ONLY 1 IN 5 YOUTH RECEIVE THE HELP THAT THEY NEED WHEN DEALING WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS.

(CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 2013)

ADULTS• 36% OF WOMEN WILL EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF MENTAL ILLNESS

• 22% OF MEN WILL EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF MENTAL ILLNESS

• 15% OF OLDER ADULTS (OVER 60) SUFFER FROM A MENTAL ILLNESS (THIS PERCENT IS LIKELY TO INCREASE DUE TO THE AGING POPULATION

(CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 2013)

• BASED ON THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH (MOOD DISORDERS, SOCIETY OF CANADA, 2009)

• 56% OF ADULTS EXPERIENCE THE NEGATIVE MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA FROM FAMILY

• 52% FROM FRIENDS

• 44% FROM THEIR PHYSICIAN

• 32% FROM OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

• 30% WITHIN THE WORKPLACE

MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

• SCHIZOPHRENIA- AFFECTS 1% OF THE CANADIAN POPULATION

• DEPRESSION- AFFECTS 8% OF CANADIANS

• ANXIETY- AFFECTS 12% OF THE CANADIAN POPULATION

• BIPOLAR DISORDER- AFFECTS 1% OF CANADIANS

• EATING DISORDERS- AFFECT 3% OF THE CANADIAN POPULATION

• PERSONALITY DISORDER

• OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)

• MOOD DISORDERS

• ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (ADD)

(MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA, 2013)

DEPRESSION

• SOMEONE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION IS GRAPPLING WITH FEELINGS OF SEVERE DESPAIR OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIFE CAN BE AFFECTED, INCLUDING THEIR EMOTIONS, PHYSICAL HEALTH, RELATIONSHIPS AND WORK.- (CMHA)

• THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF DEPRESSION: BIO CHEMICAL DEPRESSION AND EMOTIONAL DEPRESSION.

• 8% OF ADULTS ARE AFFECTED BY DEPRESSION IN CANADA

• 20% OF YOUTH EXPERIENCE SOME KIND OF DEPRESSION EPISODE

• 15-20% OF WOMEN EXPERIENCE POST PARTUM DEPRESSION

(CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 2013)

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION

• BIO CHEMICAL FACTORS- IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEPRESSION THE NEUROTRANSMITTER FUNCTION IS DISRUPTED OR DEPLETED (CHEMICAL SIGNALS), PARTICULARLY THE CHEMICALS THAT AFFECT AN INDIVIDUALS MOOD SUCH AS SEROTONIN, NORADRENALINE AND DOPAMINE. RESULTING IN THESE CHEMICAL TO FUNCTION ABNORMALLY OR NOT AT ALL.

• GENDER-BOTH MEN AND WOMEN ARE AFFECTED BY DEPRESSION, HOWEVER, MORE WOMEN TEND TO BE AFFECTED THEN MEN DUE TO SOCIAL FACTORS, AND HORMONAL CHANGES THAT OCCUR DURING PUBERTY, A WOMAN’S MENSTRUAL CYCLE, THAT CAN CAUSE ANXIETY AND MOOD CHANGES, WELL AS POSSIBLY POST PARTUM DEPRESSION IN WOMEN AFTER CHILDBIRTH.

• GENETICS- DEPRESSION CAN BE INHERITED, AS SEEN THROUGH STUDIED COMPLETED ON TWINS. 40% OD DEPRESSION IS CONSIDERED GENETIC., HOWEVER IS UNLIKELY TO OCCUR WITHOUT LIFE EVENTS TO STIMULATE IT.

• PERSONALITY- PARTICULAR TYPES OF PERSONALITY STYLED HAVE BEEN LINKED TO DEPRESSION SUCH AS; ANXIOUS WORRYING, IRRITABLE, SELF- CRITICAL, REJECTION SENSITIVE, SELF-FOCUSED, PERFECTIONISTIC, SOCIALLY AVOIDANT, AND PERSONALLY RESERVED.

• STRESS- CAN INCREASE THE CHANGES OF AN INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPING DEPRESSION.

• ILLNESS- CAN LOWER AN INDIVIDUAL’S MOOD, AS PAIN AND DISCOMFORT AFFECT THE INDIVIDUAL RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE DEPRESSION OVER A LONG ILLNESS SUCH AS CANCER. PHYSICAL AFFECTS OF AN ILLNESS CAN ALSO CAUSE DEPRESSION SUCH AS PARALYSIS DUE TO A CAR ACCIDENT.

(BLACK DOG INSTITUTE, 2013)

SUICIDE IN CANADA

• CANADA’S SUICIDE RATE IS THE THIRD HIGHEST IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD, WITH IT BEING THE ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN PEOPLE AGED 15-24.

• APPROXIMATELY 4,000 DEATHS OF YOUTH, EVERY YEAR ARE RELATED TO MENTAL ILLNESS RESULTING IN SUICIDES.

• IN FACT SUICIDE ACCOUNTS FOR 24% OF DEATH’S AGED 15-24 AND 16% AGED 25-44

• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=PTR_XZG3MY0

(CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 2013)

AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES• THERE ARE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ASSIST IN MAKING MENTAL ILLNESS A

GLOBAL CONCERN, IN ORDER TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, A ERASE THE STIGMA BEHIND MENTAL ILLNESS IN ORDER TO COME TOGETHER AND SOLVE MENTAL ILLNESS. SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE:

• BELL LET’S TALK- FEBRUARY 8TH- HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=F4TDW7Y_ZVG

• CANADIAN ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH

• CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION

• BLACK DOG INSTITUTE

• MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA

• ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH IN ORDER TO ASSIST THOSE DEALING WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS AS WELL AS TO HELP FUND THE RESEARCH OF MENTAL ILLNESSES.

SOLUTIONS

• THERE UNFORTUNATELY ARE NO DEFINITE SOLUTIONS TO MENTAL HEALTH, HOWEVER; BEING AWARE OF THESES ISSUES IS THE FIRST SOLUTION. IF PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF MENTAL ILLNESS, THEY CAN HELP ASSIST THOSE IN NEED, AS WELL A ABOLISH THE STIGMA BEHIND MENTAL HEALTH, CAUSING MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTAL ILL TO SEEK ASSISTANCE AND HELP.

• DONATING IN ORDER TO ASSIST WITH THE RESEARCH OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND WHY IT OCCURS, AS WELL AS HOW TO CURE IT.

• MEDICATION

• MORE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO IN A JUST TALK TO SOMEONE WITHOUT BEING JUDGED OR DIAGNOSED (FREE THERAPY). MOST PEOPLE JUST WANT SOMEBODY TO LISTEN.

SOCIAL THEORIES

• THE SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE CAN BE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, IN PARTICULAR THE LABELING THEORY. (MOONEY, P.15, 2013)

• MENTAL HEALTH IS A STIGMA , VIEWED AS UNSTABLE, CRAZY, AND IS NOT DISCUSSED BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA OR LABEL THAT MENTAL HEALTH AND ILLNESS IS GIVEN. NO ONE WANTS TO BE LABELED AS UNSTABLE OR CRAZY SO THEY AVOID GETTING HELP FOR THEIR MENTAL ILLNESS BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL WORRIES THAT EVERYONE WILL THEN JUDGE THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR ILLNESS, DUE TO THE STIGMA SURROUNDING BEING DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS. IT ALSO CAN BE SEEN AS WEAK AND VULNERABLE FOR HAVING A MENTAL ILLNESS. WHICH MOST INDIVIDUALS DO NOT WANT TO BE SEEN OR LABELLED AS.

• WHICH IS WHY THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS MUST BE DEPLETED IN ORDER TO BRING A SOLUTION TO MENTAL ILLNESS AND THEREFORE CURE MENTAL ILLNESSES. UNTIL THE STIGMA IS ERASED MORE AND MORE INDIVIDUALS WILL NOT RECEIVE THE HELP THEY NEED, AND MENTAL ILLNESS WILL BECOME AN EVEN MORE GROWING ISSUE THROUGHOUT CANADA AND THE WORLD.

IN CONCLUSION

• MENTAL HEALTH AND ILLNESS IS NOT SOMETHING TO TAKE LIGHTLY, PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT MENTAL ILLNESS IS, AND HOW THEY CAN ASSIST AN INDIVIDUAL WITH IT.

• AS SEEN THROUGH THE MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS OF CANADA, MENTAL ILLNESS AFFECTS A LARGE SECTOR OF THE POPULATION AND INDIRECTLY AFFECTS EVERYONE THROUGHOUT CANADA.

• AS A COUNTRY THERE ARE VARIOUS TREATMENT OPTIONS, SUCH AS THERAPY, MEDICATION AMONG OTHERS.

REFERENCES• DEPRESSION AND CAUSES. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER, 2013, FROM BLACK DOG INSTITUTE

WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.BLACKDOGINSTITUTE.ORG.AU/PUBLIC/DEPRESSION/CAUSESOFDEPRESSION/ILLNESS.CFM

• KOZIER, B., ERB, G., BERMAN, A., SNYDER, S. J., BUCK, M., YIU, L., & STAMLER, L.

L. (2014). FUNDEMENTALS OF CANADIAN NURSING:CONCEPTS, PROCESS AND PRACTICE (3RD CANADIAN ED. ED.). TORONTO ON, CANADA: PEARSON.

• MENTAL HEALTH. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER, 2013, FROM CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.CMHA.CA/MENTAL-HEALTH/

• MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER, 2013, FROM MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.MENTALHEALTHCOMMISSION.CA/

• MENTAL ILLNESSES IN CANADA. (N.D.). RETRIEVED NOVEMBER, 2013, FROM MOOD DISORDERS- SOCIETY OF CANADA WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.MOODDISORDERSCANADA.CA/DOCUMENTS/MEDIA%20ROOM/QUICK%20FACTS%203RD%20EDITION%20REFERENCED%20PLAIN%20TEXT.PDF

• MOONEY, L. A., HOLMES, M., KNOX, D., & SCHACHT, C. (2013). UNDERSTADING SOCIAL PROBLEMS (CUSTOM ED.). TORONTO, CANADA: NELSON.