Unit 11: Mental Health

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Unit 11 Mental Health
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Defining Mental Health

• Not just the absence of mental illness
• Now, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
  promotes a holistic positive psychology
• Promotes qualities that make people flourish
• Includes
• Courage
• Optimism
• Hope
• honesty
• interpersonal skills
• work ethic
• perseverance

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CMHA mental health assessment criteria

• Ability to enjoy life
• Resilience
• Balance
• Flexibility
• Self-actualization

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Self-actualized people

• Have a realistic and positive self-image
• They accept themselves and others as they are
• They are autonomous
• They are genuine and spontaneous
• They are capable of intimacy
• They are creative, playful and accept change

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CMHA Mental Fitness Tips

• Daydream of an ideal setting
• collect positive emotional moments
• Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts
• Do one thing at a time
• Exercise
• Enjoy hobbies
• Set personal goals
• Keep a journal/ talk to the wall
• Share humour
• Volunteer
• Treat yourself well

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Mental illness
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Mental Illness Overview

• 1/5 Canadian will experience a mental health
  issue in their lives
• The economic cost of mental illnesses 7.3
  billion (1993)

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Mental Illness Stigmas

• Stigmas often limit diagnosis
• Unfortunate since there is effective treatment
  for most illnesses
• Myths about mental illness
• Those affected are violent and dangerous
• Those affected are poor and/or less intelligent
• It is caused by a personal weakness
• It is a single, rare disorder

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Defence mechanisms

• Defence mechanisms are a Freudian concept which
  outlines ways we deal with undesired situations.
• They can be negative to our mental health and
  lead to maladaptive behaviour
• Examples
• Fantasies
• Repression
• Sublimation/Displacement
• Denial
• Delusion
• Acting out
• Intellectualization

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Psychological Disorders
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1. Mood Disorders

• 1/7 Canadians have at some point in their lives
  showed symptoms that qualify for mood disorder
  diagnosis
• 12.2 depression
• 2.4 bipolar

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Causes/ risk factors for mood disorders

• No single cause
• Family history
• Genetics
• Changes in brain signalling
• Neurotransmitters
• Previous episode
• Stress (maybe only for initial episode)
• Traumatic life event
• Socio-economic factors (income, housing,
  prejudice, workplace stress)
• Chronic medical condition
• Females twice as likely than males

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Diagnosing DepressionSigns to look for

• Feeling worthless, helpless, hopeless
• Sleeping more than usual
• Eating more/less than usual
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of interest
• Decreased sex drive
• Feeling unreasonably guilty
• Loss of energy, feeling tired
• Thoughts of death, suicide

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Bipolar disorder

• Formally manic depression
• Their mood swings between a depressed state and
  a state of mania.
• Mania is characterized by
• Elevated, and/or
• irritable mood
• Hyperactivity
• Difficulty sleeping
• Extreme optimism
• Feelings of invincibility

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Treatment for Mood disorders

• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• Drug therapy

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2. Anxiety disorders
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Anxiety Disorders

• Most common mental health problem
• 1 in 10 people suffer from them
• More common among women then men
• Those afflicted suffer from intense, prolonged
  fear and distress without obvious reason

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Panic Disorder

• Evidenced by repeated, spontaneous panic attacks
• Feelings of impending doom that occur suddenly
  with no warning
• High heart rate, sweating, weakness, faintness
  dizziness often accompany panic attack
• Often have intense anxiety between attacks

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Chronic worry/tension without anything to warrant
  you feeling that way
• Anticipate the worst
• Trouble sleeping
• Accompanying physical symptoms trembling,
  twitching, muscle tension, irritability,
  sweating

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Phobias

• Phobias typically trigger extreme anxiety and
  panic typically illogical fear
• There are 2 types of phobias
• 1. Social phobias
• An intense fear of being humiliated/embarrassed
  in social situations
• 2. Specific phobias
• Fear of flying, fear of heights, arachnophobia

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Specific, time-consuming obsessions lead to....
• Compulsions/Rituals I have to do this

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Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

• 1. Drug Therapy
• Anti-depressants, anti-anxiety
• 2. Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Positive thought replacement
• Exposure/response therapy
• Diary of events and the feelings that go with
• Questioning thoughts and assumptions
• Relaxation
• Distraction techniques

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3. Schizophrenia
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Cause of Schizophrenia

• Cause is unknown and complex
• Changes in brain chemistry
• Neurotransmitter changes
• Changes in brain structure
• Genetic factors
• Viral infections?
• Head injuries?
• Drug abuse
• Social isolation

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Symptoms of Schizophrenia

• Positive symptoms (symptoms which are present and
  should be absent)
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Thought disorder
• Altered sense of self
• Negative symptoms (those that are absent which
  should be present)
• Lack of motivation
• Blunted feelings
• Depression
• Social withdrawal

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Schizophrenia Treatment

• Hospitalization
• Drug therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Electroconvulsive therapy

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4. Suicide
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Suicide Overview

• 3500-4000 Canadians kill themselves every year
• 80 of cases men 1 cause of death for men
  25-29, 40-44
• High risk subgroups
• Aboriginals that live on reserves twice as likely
• Those with physical or mental illness
• Drug abusers
• Gays and lesbians
• People in jail
• Those who have previously attempted suicide
• Young people
• Those who are experiencing a major loss (job,
  loved one, divorce)

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Personal level suicide prevention what to do if
someone you know is suicidal

• Express concern show love caring
• Encourage conversation
• Ask direct questions are you thinking about
  suicide
• Encourage seeking professional help
• Ask the person about recent events
• If danger is immediate dont leave them alone
• Call a crisis center
• At SFU contact Health, Career and Counselling
  Services
• The CMHA says that the single most important
  thing you can do is to listen without judgement

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Stress
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Stress overview

• Your body tends to regulate itself very tightly,
  keeping body systems in a state of dynamic
  equilibrium homeostasis
• Dr. Hans Seyle defined stress as an event that
  shifts the body away from homeostasis

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General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

• GAS is the generalized way the human body
  responds to various stressors
• 1. alarm stage fight or flight response
• 2. resistance stage cortisol released to resist
  stress, bring body back towards homeostasis
• 3. exhaustion

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Stress vs Distress

• Not all stress is bad!
• Distress too little or too much stress
• Eustress optimal good stress

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Stress management

• Three main approaches
• Change the stressor
• Remove yourself from the stressor
• Change your response to the stressor

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Stress management

• Specific stress management strategies
• Know yourself and what you can handle
• Develop communication skills talk to others
  about it
• Time manage properly so you dont have too much
  to do all at once
• Make time for exercise, enjoyable activities
• Have a good sense of humour
• Be optimistic
• Rest
• Sleep