Mental Disorders: The Canadian Situation - Essay Example

? Mental Disorders: The Canadian Situation Hassan AL-KHIRY 100474455 CRN 42189 UOIT October 2, (P MiLLY RYAN-ARSHMAN Mental disorders are being seen among many people across the world. They have forced governments all over the world to spend a lot of money in an attempt to cure their citizens. There are many kinds of mental disorders affecting people today. According to the research and psychologists, there is no one specific cause of mental disorders. There are many factors that cause mental disorders all over the world. According to the recent studies, many people and countries are affected with mental disorders. Canada is one of the countries that have been experiencing high rates of mental disorders. As a result, they have had many effects on economic, social, and political development of Canada. Consequently, Canadian government has been dedicated towards preventing and curing mental disorders, though with little success. However, it is due to this fact that this study is aimed at studying the situation of mental disorders in Canada. Introduction A mental disorder, also referred to as mental illness, refers to a psychological pattern or abnormality replicated potentially in behavior that is connected generally with anguish or disability and which is not viewed as a section of ordinary growth of an individual’s culture. Mental disorders are described in general by a mixture of how an individual feels, recognizes, does something or thinks. Mental disorders have caused 11% of the disease burden worldwide and have affected many Canadians. Classified as changes in mood, thinking and behavior, mental illnesses affect the proper emotional functioning of a person, which may also result in restrictions to social and physical wellbeing. In Canada, one in five people faces a serious mental or behavioural disorder at some point in their lives. A recent study showed that 2.2 million Canadians over 15 years old experienced such problems over the period of one year. That is more than 10 per cent of the general population. Their disorders included major depression, mania disorder, anxiety disorders, or issues with alcohol or other drugs (Caron & Liu, 2010).There are several categories of mental illnesses including affective disorders, anxiety disorders, childhood conditions, eating disorders, mental retardation, personality disorders, and schizophrenia and substance use disorders. Causes of Mental Disorders in Canada It is suggested by research that mental disorders are the outcome of a multifaceted interaction of biological, generic, personality and environmental factors. Nevertheless, the brain is the last ordinary way for the control of behavior, anxiety, mood and cognition. At this juncture, the connections between certain brain dysfunction and mental disorders are not comprehended fully. Nearly all mental disorders are found to be highly ordinary in close family members of an individual with a mental disorder, suggesting a genetic background to the illness. There is research proof in some occasions suggesting that certain genetic factors affecting brain chemistry facilitate the beginning and development of mental disorders (Langlois et al., 2012). Nevertheless, there is also growing proof that lasting changes in brain function can take place in response to environmental factors such as experiences of traumatic or chronic stress, stimulation, or different types of deprivation, i.e., the interaction between brain biology and live occurrence seems to function both ways. Biological and psychosocial factors affect rates of mental disorders. The beginning or recurrence of a mental disorder can be precipitated by environmental factors like family situation, the socio-economic status of the person and workplace pressures. Choices of the lifestyle such as substance abuse, and learned patterns of thought and behavior can influence the beginning, course and result of mental disorder. Langlois et al. (2012) assert that the interaction of physical and mental disorder is the same composite. There is proof that mental disorder can contribute to, emerge from, or share a similar causal means with physical diseases such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart disease. Respective roles and interactions of heredity and environment, brain dysfunction and life experience are supposed to be given equal considerations since a great deal remains anonymous about them. Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Canada There is absence of recent national data on the prevalence of mental disorders in Canada despite the fact that some regional population studies had investigated mental illness in the past. However, prevalence data is supposed to be produced in the near future by Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) which is carrying out a population based study on some mental disorders. It was estimated by previous Canadian studies that approximately one out of five adult Canadians will individually experience a mental disorder in the course of one year period. However, according to the approximations from the United States, mental illness may affect about 7% to 10% of the population (Caron & Liu, 2010). Federal Action Currently, Canada lacks a national action plan to tackle the requirements of the people affected by mental illness. Federal initiatives have been spotty and separated up to date. The federal/provincial Health Care Renewal Accord has included a pledge in the recent past to finance home care for cases of acute severe mental illness. Absence of federal action has led many people affected by mental disorders to live in poverty and poor lifestyles. This is because they are unable to access necessary treatments and care (Caron & Liu, 2010). Hence, the provincial/federal Health Care Renewal Accord’s objective of financing home care for cases of acute severe mental illness will be a major remedy for all people affected by mental disorders in Canada. Hence, government is supposed to come up with and support this organization to attain its goals. Community Response According to Caron and Liu (2010), “the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and mental Health (CAMIMH) is a non-profit organization consisting of providers of health care as well as organizations which represent people with lived experience of mental illness.” “It is a national alliance of specialists, community organizations, family and consumers. CAMIMH was founded in 1998, and it is a volunteer rub organization that offers mental health education to the public. The major goal of CAMIMH is to involve Canadians in a national conversation about mental illness. It hopes to reduce the stigma connected with mental disorders and offer insight into the services and support available to the living with mental disorders” (Caron & Liu). “The Faces of Mental Disorders Campaign, a national education movement that works in combination with Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), is one of CAMIMH’s major yearly initiatives” (Caron & Liu, 2010). MIAW will be celebrating its 20th birthday this year and will reach more Canadians than ever before via their yearly campaigns. Consequently, it has urged all Canadians to join their conversations and assist in putting an end to the stigma associated with mental disorders. MIAW 2013 is October 6th-12th Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is a yearly national public education campaign meant to assist in opening the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental disorders. The Canadian Psychiatric Association established this week in 1992, and is coordinated currently by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in conjunction with all its associate organizations and many other supporters throughout Canada (Lim et al., 2008). Mental Health and Addiction Statistics in Canada Incidence and Prevalence One out of five Canadians will experience a mental disorder in their life. The four remaining will have a family member, colleague or a friend who is affected by mental disorder. Mental disorders affect mood, behavior or thinking and can be linked with distress and/or injury of functioning, with signs that differ from mild to severe. Approximately 21% of people with mental illness have a co-occurring substance use problem (Lim et al., 2008). Approximately 2% of people are affected by schizophrenia, 9% major depression effects and 13% anxiety disorder. One out of every ten Canadians at the age of 15 years and above report signs constantly with illicit drug or alcohol dependence. In Ontario, approximately 4% of adults are grouped as having moderate or severe gambling problems. Who Is Affected? Approximately 71% of mental health problems begin during childhood or adolescence. Teenagers at the age of 15-24 years are more probable to report mental disorders and/or substance use disorders compared to other age groups. Generally, men were about 2.8 times more probable compared to women to attain the criteria for substance dependant. Furthermore, approximately 26% of male drinkers are high-risk drinkers in contrast to about 10% of female drinkers (Lim et al., 2008). On the other hand, women were about 1.7 times more probable to meet the criteria for a mood or anxiety illness compared to men. Canadians falling under lower income groups were about 4-5 times more probable compared to those who fall under the highest income group to report fair to poor mental health. Access Merely one-third of people who required mental health services in Canada essentially obtained them. Approximately 72% of household physicians ranked access to psychiatrists in Ontario as fair to poor (Lim et al., 2008). Mental disorders receive merely about 5.6% of health care dollars despite the fact that mental disorders constitute more than 16% of the disease burdens in Canada. Stigma Approximately 51% of Canadians would tell friends or colleagues that they have a family member with a mental disorder in contrast to about 73% who would discus diagnoses of cancer or 69% diabetes in the household. Merely 13% of Canadians said they would employ a lawyer infected with mental disorders, and merely 48% said they would socialize with a friend who had a severe mental disorder (Lim et al., 2008). About 47% of Canadians think people apply the term “mental disorder” as an excuse for bad behavior, and about 28% are afraid of being surrounded by people who suffer from severe mental disorders. Cost to Society of Mental Disorders and Addictions Mental disorder is the second leading cause of human disability and early death in Canada. At least 500,000 working Canadians are incapable of working weekly because of mental disorders including about 356,000 disability cases because of mental and/or behavioral disorders in addition to about 174,000 full-time employees absent from work because of mental health issues. In Canada, mental health is the leading cause of disability and it accounts for about 31% of disability claims and &1% of the entire costs (Lim et al., 2008). Tobacco is accountable for one-quarter of cancer deaths in Ontario. Approximately $51 billion is the cost of mental disorders to the Canadian economy in terms of health care and lost productivity. About $34 billion is the cost of mental disorders and addictions to the economy of Ontario. Depression will be the sole biggest medical burden on health by 2020 according to the World Health Organization. Effects of Mental Disorders on Canadians Mental illnesses severely affect the quality of life of many Canadians as well as the economy and we will now take a look at one of the mentioned illnesses in the article that has had a great impact on the health status of Canadians. Characterized as an affective disorder, major depression affects Canadians aged 18 and above with about 12% lifetime prevalence rate (Caron & Liu, 2010). Signs of major depression in an individual include loss of interest, changes in appetite, lack or self-worth, low energy, psychomotor activity, difficulty in everyday tasks and suicidal thoughts. Although the main cause of depression has yet to be identified, several factors have been proposed to contribute towards the illness such as the monoamine theory, genetic predisposition, and chronic conditions (Gadalla, 2008) Although treatable, depression has taken the lives of up to 15% of individuals who committed suicide. It is categorized by severity being mild, moderate and severe major depression, each having its effects on the individual’s mental health with different levels of impact. For example, the article describes severe major depression as showing several symptoms that significantly hinder social and occupational accomplishments. A study carried out by the Association of Comorbid Mood Disorders and Chronic Illness with Disability and Quality of Life in Ontario indicate that the portion of the population that suffers more from high psychological distress are youth between the age of 15 and 25, aboriginal Canadians, and individuals who are separated. The results also show that women are more likely to suffer from distress than men, and that distress decreases with age and education level. When comparing the subjects on income levels, the low-income population, according to this study, is more prone to suffering from major depression and substance dependence. The study acknowledges that cultural and ethnic background is influential as non-immigrant Canadians, according to this study, tend to suffer more from psychological distress. With such severity, the health state of the individual is gravely affected, making even simple daily tasks difficult to complete. With such sadness and feeling of despair, as the illness increases and becomes worse, so does the chance of suicide and self-harm. Along with depression, many other illnesses continue to affect Canadians every day. Mental disorders pose a huge problem for individuals in society and an illness such as depression, for example, deteriorates the life of the person, resulting in unstable and unfit social encounters and an increase in suicides. This shows how important it is for government and health organizations to continue informing and supporting those that struggle with mental illnesses and the further development of programs and medical advancement. The socio-demographic characteristics coherent with mental disorders include gender, age, and education level, and marital status, immigrants versus non-immigrants, ethnicity, first language and region. Within these characteristics, the article also sheds light on one of the main groups that are most likely to be affected being young (15 to 24 years old), single women of low income that are non-immigrants and of low educational and employment achievement (Lim et al., 2008). This data has been consistent with previous studies; however, what needs to be addressed further seems to be how this specific group being affected the most can receive the social and medical support and attention needed. The relationship between low income and psychological distress seems to also be congruent. Low-income conditions present more struggle in financial stability resorting to stressful episodes. Subsequently, with mental stress comes the inability to psychologically function and attain a job, thus resulting in poverty. This creates a cyclical situation desperate for intervention. Therefore, programs should be developed to provide social stimulation for this targeted socio-demographic group that can instill a sense of belonging that would, in turn, enhance mental health. From their sampled population, Langlois and Samokhvalov (2012) have outlined in their study that low income individuals are affected the most and that the health care providers need to also ensure that these people are put on the right track towards good mental health in order to progress in society. If the healthcare system is aware of the socio-demographic distribution of mental illness, then they will be better informed on how to approach the targeted group and which regions and communities are in the greatest need of such rehabilitation. For example, such a program would be best cultivated in low income communities rather than in high income communities. Having investigated the impact of mental illnesses on the individual, there is also a huge impact on the economy due to mental disorders as well. An analysis based on the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.1 (2003) reports a total of $51 billion in economic burden as a direct and indirect result of mental disorders. The burden is a result of medical resources being used and the loss of productivity as a result of mental and physical disorders that lead to unemployment (Maar et al., 2009). Therefore, as this affects the rate of employment, it also creates stagnant economic growth. The article proposes that the burden is not only a financial measurement but also encompasses other components such as the quality of life, levels of pain etc. Thus, in summary the economic measurement of the burdens due to mental disorder combines changes in medical resource use, decreases in health-related quality of life and employment loss. Mental and substance use disorders place a heavy burden on health care systems in Canada. However, their impact goes far beyond the costs of health and social services. These illnesses strain the mental, social and economic well-being of the sick person. They also affect the person’s family and friends, the community, and society as a whole. We can see how much mental illnesses affect not only the individual but also the economy and overall Canadian society. This paper further brings up other questions and issues for further investigation, such as what current practices, programs and discussions are in place to help fight the struggle of mental disorders to ensure a better standard of life for everyone. Prevention and Treatment of Mental Disorders Maar et al. (2009) assert that mental health can be promoted and may prevent some mental disorders by addressing the psychological and social determinants of mental health. Factors such as friendship and social support, secure attachment, internal locus of control, meaningful employment and social roles, good parenting, adequate income, and physical activity will strengthen mental health and reduce the effect of incidence of some mental problems indirectly. At the system level, plans that develop supportive atmospheres, empower community action, develop individual skills and reorient health services can assist in ensuring that the population has some control over the psychological and social determinants of mental health. The main prevention of nearly all mental disorders still lies in the early stages of growth. It is logical to conclude that preventing traumas would prevent mental health problems given the very constant proof that a history of a severe trauma such as like sexual or physical abuse is associated with a variety of mental health problems such as addictions, dissociative disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and personality disorders. There is promising proof that early teaching of cognitive-behavioral plans can reduce or prevent the effect of anxiety disorders. Conclusion In general, 20% of Canadians will individually experience a mental disorder in the course of their life. People of all cultures, income levels, ages and education experience mental disorders, even though most mental disorders start in the course of adolescence and teenage. Nearly all people experience feelings of disconnection from things, isolation, emotional distress, loneliness or sadness during a lifetime. These feelings are usually temporary, normal reactions to difficult circumstances such as sudden change of situations, death of a loved one, romantic breakup, or loss of a job. Individuals learn to adapt to the hard feelings just as they learn to adapt to other hard circumstances. Nevertheless, by definition, mental disorder is very different. It has a severe effect on the ability of an individual to function effectively over a long period of time. An individual may have severe disturbance in thinking, behavior or mood depending on the disorder. They may not be capable of coping with the simplest aspects of daily lives and may require assistance in regaining balance in their lives. The economic costs of mental disorders are also huge along with the deep costs of livelihood. For instance, the cost of mental illness in Canada was approximated to be at least $7.331 billion in 1993. Nearly all people with mental disorders can be assisted via health specialists and community-based services. References Caron, J., & Liu, M. (2010). A descriptive study of the prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders in the Canadian population: Comparison between low-income and non low income populations. Chronic Diseases in Canada, 30(3), 84-94. Retrieved from: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cdic-mcbc/30-3/ar_03-eng.php. Gadalla, T. (2008).Association of comorbid mood disorders and chronic illness with disability and quality of life in Ontario, Canada.Chronic Diseases in Canada, 28(4), 148-154. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18625088. Langlois, A., Samokhvalov, V., Rehm, J., Spence, T. and Conner-Gorber, S. (2012). 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