Understanding Mental Health - Coursework Example

Understanding Mental Health Table of Contents 0.Introduction 3 2.0.Meaning of Mental Health and Illness 4 3.0.Causes, Symptoms and Functional Difficulties Associated with Mental Health 5 4.0.Effects of Life Choices and Decisions from Person with Mental Health 7 5.0.Support Offered for Mental Health and Illness 9 6.0.Illustrative Examples of Issues Raised in the Case Study 11 7.0.Conclusion 13 References 15 1.0. Introduction Mental health is an important consideration to ensure the social as well as emotional well-being of individual people and the community on the whole. Mental health is identified to be crucial for individuals to realise their abilities with the intention of facing changes continually occurring within the society along with other certain challenges presented by the modern cultural alterations successfully (Jong-wook, 2003). Mental health issues seemed to affect thoughts, feelings as well as actions of individuals in different degrees, in almost every aspect of their life. There are various types of physical illnesses that can be attached with mental health, which include depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorder (Headspace, n.d.). Based on this point of view, it is explicitly noted in the case study that Beryl was diagnosed to be a patient of Dementia. Dementia is considered as a particular form of mental illness, which affects the contents of cognitive function rather than the consciousness level of the patient. It is a regular result of neurodegenerative diseases comprising of cerebral cortex. The most common symptom of dementia is loss of current memory showing a degree of memory disorder and other effects of cognitive functions such as anomia, acalculia and aphasia (Grabowski & Damasio, 2004). In this respect, Beryl suffered from both behavioural and emotional disorders. She also depicted psychotic symptoms of disorientation along with confusion. Additionally, Beryl has been forgetful and agitated in different instances due to cognitive disturbances. It was observed in this regard that Beryl has been suffering from hallucination and agitated behaviour that unfavourably affected her decision making abilities. Contextually, Beryl was unable to act as a normal individual. 2.0. Meaning of Mental Health and Illness In the entire globe, over 450 million people are suffering from the problems of mental health. Usually, disturbances of mental health not only become social, psychological and economical weigh down for the society, but also create a risk of physical harm to the people suffering from it (World Health Organization, 2004). Mental illness, in such circumstance, refers to the medical situations, which affect the human being’s ability of thinking and feeling along with the daily activities of the human brain. On the other hand, mental health is the positive aspect of the medical situations, which refers to the better functioning of the human brain along with growing all the other happiness of life (Commonwealth of Australia, n.d.). Essentially, identifying the signs and symptoms of mental illness and seeking the appropriate treatment is the most important step required for the prevention of mental disturbances of the human. According to the referred case study, a 79 year old female, named Beryl has been discussed as suffering from the mental illness. It has been identified that her mental illness was the cause of agitated behaviour and hallucination. In this regard, she was found to wander in distressed manner in the street as she failed in recalling her house address. According to the lay theories of mental health and mental illness, it is defined as the “knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders, which aid their recognition, management or prevention” (Martinez, 2010). As per the lay theories of mental health, it has been observed that it is a multi-faceted theory, which entails several components of mental illness including the symptoms and causes along with the probable risks that come across with the mental illness. This lay theory also elaborates the knowledge of obtaining information regarding the literacy of mental health. Most of the mental health professionals treat their patients with the assistance and guidance of the lay casual theory of mental illness, which again denotes the probable ways of treating patients with mental illnesses. 3.0. Causes, Course, Symptoms and Functional Difficulties Associated with Mental Health Causes As per the case analysis of Beryl, it was observed that she was suffering from dementia. She has been of 79 year of age, which and dementia is a common in aging population. Apart from this, she was also observed and diagnosed as the victim of hallucination and disoriented behaviour. On the other hand, Beryl had numerous problems, which led her to the stage of mental disorder and dysfunctional ability. As per the case study, it can be apparently stated that Beryl has obtained mental illness i.e. dementia due to her aging factor. Beryl developed agitated and forgetful behaviour due to her mental disturbances to decipher a normal interactive behaviour. Courses From the case study it can be thus analysed that Beryl is of 79 years of age and resided alone as both of her daughters dwell in other areas of London for employment reason. Both the daughters visit her as time preferred. Beryl is also recognised to be independent and additionally, maintain a good relationship with neighbours. She has developed a better association with a neighbouring lady named Florence of similar age. Her mental illness was identified when Beryl, in different instances, had indicated to Florence that things have been stolen from her house. In another instance, Florence observed that Beryl was wandering in the street in a confused as well as distressed manner. Additionally, Beryl was unable to recall the address and way to her house. Moreover, Beryl faced difficulties in recalling the names of her grandchildren. Most of the times, Beryl was identified to be confused along with a disoriented state for example, where Florence observed Beryl mowing the lawn in her garden area in her undergarments. She was trembling with cold and was in bare feet. In this respect, from the aforementioned incidents, it can be comprehended that Beryl has been mentally ill and that she has difficulties in using her cognitive abilities. Contextually, it can be ascertained that Beryl has been suffering from a sort of mental illness. Symptoms There are different symptoms that can be recognised from the case study on the basis of which it can be determined that Beryl had dementia. Beryl revealed signs of agitated as well as confused behaviour. Moreover, she was also identified to behave in a disoriented along with forgetful manner. At times, she would face challenges in recalling the way or address to her place and also failed in recalling the names of her grandchildren. She also used to have hallucinations that money along with house keys are stolen from her house. Functional Difficulties As discussed in the earlier sections, regarding the various symptoms and problems of hallucination, disoriented behaviour and forgetful attitude, Beryl was accounted to a lower competence of decision making and inability of acting in a normal way as other people do commonly in the society. Consequently, Beryl’s mental disorder had resulted to a major disturbance of her daily activities. She had become completely unable to make effective decisions regarding what she should do and what not in most of the times. The mental disorder and problems of hallucination, agitated behaviour and dementia had led her to weaker decision making ability as compared to that of others. She also faced difficulties in recalling the names of her grandchildren and the address of her house. It has been apparently observed in this regard that unlike others, Beryl used to behave differently at different instances due to her forgetful along with confused cognitive aspects. Apparently, she could not make decisions on how she should behave in different situations. Thus, it can be affirmed that the major functional difficulty observed in case of Beryl was low competency of decision making and inability of acting in a normal way like others. 4.0. Effects of Life Choices and Decisions from Person with Mental Health In this modern society, it has been apparently observed that every people in the society possess a very distinct reaction towards the person with mental health disorder. It has also been observed within the employment scenario, especially in the corporate sectors that people suffering from mental health problems get very limited chance of serving the organization and shaping their career (Aromaa, 2011). To be noted in this regard, mental illness has always been a stigmatizing issue when studying people with schizophrenia and depression along with sleeping disorder. It is worth mentioning that the reaction of the people in the society towards the people with mental illness has become more stigmatizing in the modern phenomenon. There is no particular reason to it but it can be stated that the people possess certain human nature which drives them to react in such manner. As a result, people usually, intentionally or unintentionally, tend to discriminates people with mental illness as they think that they are less competent in comparison to the other people and also sometimes may cause harm to others. Most of the people or other social entities thus attempt to keep mentally ill individuals away from various crucial tasks, which require complete attention and concentration. Often, almost all the people in the society try to maintain distance with the people suffering from mental illness until and unless, the sufferers are their relatives or close friends. Among the people trying to maintain distance, young people involve in bullying and making fun of those who behave in an improper manner due to mental disorder (Aromaa, 2011). In regards to the aforesaid reactions represented by the people prevailing in the society towards the mental illness patients, it can be stated that this indifferent reaction towards them can be considered as one of the main causes of growing number of mental disorder cases. Due to it, most of the people in the world possess negative stereotype reactions towards the people with mental disorder. However, it is highly recommended that the people with mental disorder must be treated with kindness so that they can also get the equal treatment from the other people in the society. The other people must therefore possess better behavioural aims while communicating with the patients of mental illnesses. It can also be recommended that at the very beginning, the mentally healthy individuals in the society must understand their roles and work accordingly for the improvement of their behaviour. The community must also fulfil their responsibilities towards the people with mental illness by conducting effective treatments for them along with initiating proper meditative treatment. If the community improves their behaviour towards the people with mental illness, it is quite obvious that the business organizations will also make a move towards giving them an opportunity of taking active part in the societal activities like that of other normal people of the society (Byrne, 2000). It can also be apparently observed in the case of Beryl that even she was revealed different symptoms of lack of decision making, hallucination confused and agitated behaviour. Even though she revealed the aforementioned symptoms, she was not offered with adequate care and treatment services. 5.0. Support Offered for Mental Health and Illness The increased concern for mental health and illness is seemed to raise on a global context due to inadequate support programs. In this context, the patients of mental health are required to be offered with ample support as well as treatment services with the aim of ensuring that appropriate care and medication are provided to the patient diagnosed with the mental health problem. Contextually, the patients are required to be provided with comprehensive programme with the intention of offering better care and support for appropriate treatment (Jong, 2011). There are various supports programs that are offered on community-based models as revealed hereunder. Psychiatric Support The mental health patients should be offered with adequate medical along with psychiatric support with the assistance of suitable medical practitioners and consultants (Jong, 2011). Counselling Counselling services should be provided to the mental health patients with the intention of developing their emotional support. In this respect, the patients are also required to be offered in accordance with their coping mechanisms. Additionally, the patients, when offered with supportive counselling services, may assist in offering better emotional support as well as practical advices and hence, help in increasing the momentum of recovery in the patient. In this manner, the patients are able to develop their social skills. Respectively, the patients are also able to develop their behavioural and cognitive aspects to the desired extent (Jong, 2011). Advocacy People suffering from mental health need to be offered with adequate medical and treatment services by developing better advocacy and proximity. Contextually, the patients are provided with support services in a compassionate and emphatic manner. Subsequently, developing better association with patients will facilitate the practitioners and consultants to interact effectively in order to identify their needs and problems appropriately (Jong, 2011). Practical Support The people having psychological problems should be offered with practical support, which include medical services, sanitation support and water assistance among others in order to ensure that they recover sustainably (Jong, 2011). Community Education The patients of mental health problems must also be offered with adequate education services in relation to psychological problems. In this respect, the people having knowledge about the adverse affect and consequences of psychological problems will be more interested towards the counselling and healthcare services that are provided in the communities (Jong, 2011). Furthermore, the mental health related services should be integrated with primary health care in order to ensure that people suffering from mental problems are offered with different advantages, which must essentially include reduced stigma, better access to healthcare services, improving social interactions as well as minimising chronicity, ensuring protecting human rights, improving the treatment and care outcomes. Subsequently, the integration of mental health services with primary health care will facilitate in enhancing the care and the treatment services so that the patients are able to recover from their mental health illness in an appropriate and rapid manner (WHO, n.d.). Hence, applying these methods, adequate care and treatment services can be provided to the people suffering from mental health and psychological problems. Additionally, these methods may also help patients with social, physical and mental development as well as support in an adequate and effective manner. 6.0. Illustrative Examples of Issues Raised in the Case Study From the case study, it has been identified that Beryl has been suffering from psychological problem of dementia, as noted from the symptoms and difficulties. Consequently, Beryl was unable to control her emotional and behavioural aspects in a normal manner as she was observed to be incapable of having a clear distinction amid realistic and unrealistic happenings, owing to her problems of hallucinations and agitated as well as confused behaviour. On the whole, her mental disorder was observed to be adversely affecting the actions and the thinking process of Beryl (The British Psychological Society and Gaskell, 2007). Illustratively, Beryl had a problem of hallucinating that her money along with house keys is stolen. Additionally, Beryl used to wander in the streets and forget the names of her grandchildren due to lack of recalling abilities. Hence, it can also be stated that Beryl also lacks decision making abilities in order to perform her activities in a moral and normal manner. Respectively, it can be comprehended that Beryl is a patient of psychological disorder or mental illness. There are various causes, courses, symptoms and functional difficulties identifiable in the cases of individuals having mental illness. For example, in this particular case study, Beryl was recognised to be a patient of dementia. It was owing to the same reason that she was required to consult her General Practitioner (GP). It is worth mentioning in this case that patients having mental illness are offered with certain rights on the basis of which, treatment and medical services are to be offered to them for their better recovery along with care (Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2004). Beryl, however, was not offered with adequate care and treatment services in relation to her mental health illness as in accordance with the case scenario her cognitive and behaviour was identified to worsen with time span. Studying the above stated facts, as obtained from the case study, it can be inferred that Beryl has evidently revealed the symptoms of hallucination, agitated and confused behaviour. Respectively, she should be provided with appropriate medication in order to stabilise her mental health which, will ultimately affected the mental health state of Beryl in her later phase. In this regard, the community healthcare providers are thus required to ensure that the people suffering from mental illness are offered with appropriate counselling as well as education services for better intervention and recovery (Mental Health Foundation, 2012). It is often observed that people having mental illness are associated with stigma as the patients isolates themselves or are isolated by the people of the community. As a result, it negatively affects the social relationship of the patients (Whalen, n.d.). In this case, Beryl used to reside alone due to the fact of the dead of her husband and her two daughters resides in other areas of London for employment purposes. Furthermore, her mental health problems would adversely affect her social relationship in the community and with her friend Florence. It is suggestible in this context that the mental health patients should be offered with adequate care and treatment services with the assistance of different procedures or methods, which should essentially include community based support and integrating primary health care with mental illness services (Jong, 2011; WHO, n.d.). 7.0. Conclusion Based on the mental health and illness studied in the referred case, it can be comprehended that mental health problem is adversely affecting the social as well as emotional well-being of all the people. It also affects the social, physical along with psychological conditions of the patients having mental illness. In common instances, as witnessed in the case of Beryl, patients are identified to lack competencies in making decisions, adopting changes and facing challenges appropriately. In this regard, it has been identified from the case scenario that Beryl was suffering from dementia and respectively, she used to have hallucination or cognitive abilities to recall. Subsequently, she revealed different symptoms which include lack of decision making, recalling problem, hallucination, agitated behaviour and inappropriate behaviour. In this context, she must be consulted with her GP with the intention of stabilising her mental health problems and better recovery. The patients, reporting similar problems, must therefore be offered with adequate support programs, with the intention of ascertaining that they are provided with appropriate care and treatment services. In this context, community based treatment services and mental illness services should be integrated with primary health care in order to provide effective treatments in communities. Subsequently, the patients will be able to develop social relations with others and recover from health problems. References Aromaa, E., 2011. Attitudes towards people with mental disorders in a general population in Finland. National Institute for Health and Welfare, pp. 1-87. Byrne, P., 2000. Stigma of Mental Illness and Ways of Diminishing It. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, Vol. 6, pp. 65-72. Commonwealth of Australia, No Date. What is Mental Illness? Types of Mental Illness. [Online] Available at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/F602B63256E116BBCA257BF00020AACF/$File/whatmen2.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Grabowski, T. J. & Damasio, A. R., 2004. Definition, Clinical Features and Neuroanatomical Basis of Dementia. Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-10. Headspace, No Date. What is Mental Health. Media. [Online] Available at: http://www.headspace.org.au/media/183345/what%20is%20mental%20health%20factsheet18.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Jong-wook, L., 2003. Investing in Mental Health. World Health Organisation. [Online] Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/investing_mnh.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Jong, K. D., 2011. Psychosocial and Mental Health Interventions in Areas of Mass Violence. A Community-Based Approach. [Online] Available at: http://www.msf.org/sites/msf.org/files/old-cms/source/mentalhealth/guidelines/MSF_mentalhealthguidelines.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Martinez, M. A., 2010. The Blame Game: Lay Causal Theories and Familiarity with Mental Illness. Causal Theories Held by the General Public, pp. 1-33. Mental Health Foundation, 2012. Peer Support in Mental Health and Learning Disability. Need 2 Know. [Online] Available at: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/content/assets/PDF/publications/need_2_know_peer_support1.pdf?view=Standard [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2004. Dignity in Care. Specialist Care - Threats to Dignity in Mental Health Care. [Online] Available at: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/guides/guide15/specialistcare/mentalhealth/threatstodignity.asp [Accessed January 17, 2014]. The British Psychological Society and Gaskell, 2007. A NICE–SCIE Guideline on supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care. Dementia. [Online] Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG42Dementiafinal.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Whalen, D., No Date. The Stigma Associated with Mental Illness. Stigma. [Online] Available at: http://www.cmhanl.ca/pdf/Stigma.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014].  WHO, No Date. Integrating Mental Health Services into Primary Health Care. Mental Health Policy, Planning & Service Development. [Online] Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/services/3_MHintoPHC_Infosheet.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. World Health Organization, 2004. Prevention of Mental Disorders. Effective Interventions and Policy Options. [Online] Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/en/prevention_of_mental_disorders_sr.pdf [Accessed January 17, 2014]. Read More