Professional Documents
Culture Documents
People often experience sadness in response to difficult life events, but when does this become a mental health problem?
One in four people are expected to experience a mental health problem, yet stigma and discrimination are still very common. Myths such as assuming mental illness is somehow down to a 'personal weakness' still exist.
Mental health problems are defined and classified to help experts refer people for the right care and treatment. The symptoms are grouped in two broad categories - neurotic and psychotic. Neurotic conditions are extreme forms of 'normal' emotional experiences such as depression, anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Around one person in 10 experiences these mood disorders at any one time. Psychotic symptoms affect around one in 100 and these interfere with a person's perception of reality, impairing their thoughts and judgments. Conditions include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mental illness is common but fortunately most people recover or learn to live with the problem, especially if diagnosed early.
The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known but a combination of physical, psychological and environmental factors are thought to play a role. Many mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder can run in families, which suggests a genetic link. Experts believe many mental illnesses are linked to abnormalities in several genes that predispose people to problems, but don't on their own directly cause them. So a person can inherit a susceptibility to a condition but may not go on to develop it. Psychological risk factors that make a person more vulnerable include suffering, neglect, loss of a parent, or experiencing abuse. Difficult life events can then trigger a mental illness in a person who is susceptible. These stressors include illness, divorce, death of a loved one, losing a job, substance abuse, social expectations and a dysfunctional family life.
Many different mental illnesses can have overlapping symptoms, so it can be difficult to tell the conditions apart. To diagnose a mental health condition, psychiatrists in the UK may refer to the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system. This lists known mental health problems and their symptoms under various sub-categories. It is updated around every 15 years. Some experts argue that the current system relies too strongly on medical approaches for mental health problems. They say it implies the roots of emotional distress are simply in brain abnormalities and underplay the social and psychological causes of distress. They argue that this leads to a reliance on anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs despite known significant side-effects and poor evidence of their effectiveness. For symptoms and more information, visit NHS Choices