Are+you+at+risk+from+mental+illness

Peter Mackintosh N2252708 Tutor: Sarah Jordan

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http://youtu.be/eNXULwsOz1w

**Cultural Artefact **

This video is from the band “Green Day” and is written by the lead singer – Billie Joe Armstrong, and deals with his struggles with Anxiety. It is pertinent since mental illness affects the younger generations.

**Public Health Issue **

How well does Australia deal with Mental Health? This is such a massive problem for today’s society, in regard to how Australian society deals with people with a mental illness, and how to identify people and groups that are at risk of developing bad mental health. Some risk factors that General Practitioners (GP), family and friends can take note of will be discussed as well. **Literature Review **

Mental health has been hidden and people discriminated against for far too long, with the magnitude and cost in terms of emotional and financial burdens to individuals and society is staggering (WHO, 2003, p. 3). Mental health covers illness’s that people suffer, but also covers the aspect of social well-being where the individual can cope with everyday issues and stresses plus have a productive working life and still make a contribution to society (WHO, 2003, p. 7).

 So what is a mental Illness? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (ABS, 2007, p. 3), a mental illness “is a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional or social abilities”. It can be a short term or long term illness i.e. chronic condition that may require treatment with medication or the use of other health services such as psychologists.

In the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, it was reported that 45% of 16 – 85 year olds had a mental illness sometime in their life and during the survey period, one in five Australians had a mental disorder in that period of time. A further 4.1 million people had experienced a disorder but weren’t suffering symptoms (ABS, 2007, p. 7).

The survey also indicated that in Australia, the age group which is at greatest risk of developing a mental illness is 16 to 34 years old, with women experiencing higher rates of mental disorders than men do (ABS, 2007, p. 8 – 9). Mental disorders account for 60% of all disability costs for the above age group, with depression the majority illness. Mood and anxiety disorders can be masked by puberty changes and these conditions aren’t picked up until the person is in their adult life (Hickie, 2004, p. S4).

Psychiatric problems in older generations shouldn’t go unnoticed as well. They adversely impact age-related illness and reduce social support, which this age groups needs a far bit of. They usually need long term care and substantial access to health care services (Zeber et al, 2006, p. 619).

Abnormal behaviour experienced by people used to be classed as being possessed by gods or demons, with the church being the institution that took care of these people. Early psychiatry used practices from general medicine to treat mental distress and some disorders, with surgery on the brain and wasn’t until after the 30’s that medications where used to treat some conditions (QAS, 2010, p. 10).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">So it was no wonder that people with mental illness had their human rights violated due to people being fearful, misunderstanding people’s condition and believing that a mental disorder was incurable and needs to be locked away for their own safety (QAS, 2010, p. 17).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">People can be divided on a loose basis on biological, psychological and sociological factors and when one area is deficient, it can bring about disorders in their mental health such as anxiety disorders which then affects their ability to operate in society since they isolate themselves from certain activities or situations (QAS, 2010, p. 13). <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">How to distinguish differences between normal and abnormal changes in behaviour is difficult to achieve and there is often a problem that the primary health services are a bit reluctant to diagnose mental illness due to the stigma that society presently attaches to it but needs to happen since the problems that undiagnosed illness’s do to people is very significant (McGorry, 2011, p. 95).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Anxiety disorders are conditions where extreme, often disabling, anxiety or fear is the main symptom. Has a physical complication as well, such as tightness in the chest, headaches and upset stomach (Keeley & Storch, 2009, p. 26). Panic disorders are a chronic form of anxiety disorder where a patient suffers from panic attacks. Factors to look out for are persistent concerns that something is going to happen or that they feel they are losing control of their environment. This can lead to conditions similar to heart attacks and asthma attacks (Beyond Blue, 2010, p. 5). Phobias are fear of certain situations or objects that can be natural or artificial. Usually go hand in hand with panic attacks. Women most likely to be afraid of some type of animal while in men its claustrophobia (Beyond Blue, 2010, p. 6).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Depression is the main Mood disorder, where the individual suffers a lowering of energy, self esteem and activity levels to the point where reduced capacity to enjoy life is experienced. These can be mild to severe in nature and therefore lasting a short period of time, to a number or week’s, even months. (QAS, 2010, p. 31). Causes can be genetics, hormone imbalance, effects of chronic illness, age-related effects on the body and being exposed to stressful environments for long period of time (Blackdog Institute, 2011, p. 1).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is becoming more common in armed services due to terrorism threats throughout the world but normal individuals in society are also experiencing the same symptoms. This is from exposure to trauma and suffering on large scale and the person not being able to process and deal with the stress that accompanies it (Spoont et al, 2011, p. 1456).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Assessment of a person’s condition is paramount in working how to treat the patient and this can be based on the stress agents that contributed to their disorder and finding out the severity and duration of their symptoms. This can be via a GP or family members (Ellis & Smith, 2002, p. S78). With children or young adults, the role of the parent and how they are parented needs to be evaluated as well, to ensure that the environment that they are living in isn’t causing more harm to their mental health (Sanders, 2002, p. S87).

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Social Theory **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Mental Health in Australia is a problem which is not fully understood by the community. I will say it’s a problem since governments have underfunded the programs in place to deal with the issues. Is this due to it being in the too hard basket for politicians or is it just not fully understood what the issues are for people?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">I believe it comes down to understanding. People have been fed by media sources such as movies, that anyone that has behaviour different from what society decides is “normal” is said to be unstable. This has probably come from fear and just not knowing how the brain operates due to its complexity.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">This drives people to feel ashamed and not willing to discuss their problems with GP’s or even friends or family due to the stigma that goes with saying that you are “crazy’ I know I wouldn’t want to have this label attached to me. But this is exactly what happened, leading to people being shunted away from society and not allowed to interact with society, which in turns just makes their mental health worse.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">So, people need to change their behaviours towards people with altered behaviour and realise that people with mental illness are not bizarre people, they are not a danger to society and can be a part of society and that no-one should feel ashamed.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Media and government also need to help by giving money to programs which target Mental Health such as Beyond Blue and The Blackdog Institute, which provide a wealth of information to people, letting them know what is causing there issues and help fund research into better treatment programs and therefore better interventions to catch mental illness at the early stages.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Artefact and Reflection **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">My first choice for an artefact was a song by Metallica called “Fade to Black” which has been said to be about suicide but the band never has agreed this, since a teenager took his life to this song. I think the song I have chosen is more relevant to my topic since it is a personal reflection on the some of the issues that the songwriter (who at the time was a young adult himself) is going through when dealing with anxiety.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">He makes mention in the song that his mind plays tricks on him and worries about the smallest things where another person would just get over it. I believe a lot of people who suffer from anxiety or panic attacks would just feel like this, always asking why is my mind doing the stuff that it is doing and how can I just be normal.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">From the point of the essay I found it difficult to focus on the topic and where I should direct my writing. It is such a large topic in regard to all the various disorders that are present in society plus society is changing its way that it deals with mental health in the community so some of the research is still new or vague in some cases.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">From my future career, I found the topic of Mental Health very interesting and very relevant to cases will get down the track as a qualified Paramedic, plus on doing an Observer shift with the QAS I had to deal with a patient that had a personality disorder so it has been good to see why they acted the way they did.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">References **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2007). //National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results//. Retrieved November 3, 2011 from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Beyondblue. (2010). //Literature Review of Anxiety Disorders//. Retrieved November 3, 2011 from [|www.beyondblue.org.au]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Blackdog Institute. (2011). //Causes of Depression – Fact Sheet//. Retrieved November 3, 2011 from [|www.blackdoginstitute.org.au]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Ellis, P.M and Smith, D.A.R. (2002). Treating depression: the beyondblue guidelines for treating depression in primary care. //MJA//, 176, S77 – S83.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Hickie, I.B. (2004). Reducing the burden of depression: are we making progress in Australia. //MJA//, 181, S4 – S5.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Keeley, M.L and Storch, E.A. (2009). Anxiety Disorders in Youth. //Journal of Pediatric Nursing//, 24(1), 26 – 40.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">McGorry, P.D. (2011). Is This Normal – assessing mental health in young people. //Australian Family Physician//, 40(3), 94 – 97.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">QAS (Queensland Ambulance Service). (2010). //Mental Health Intervention Project – Mental State Assessment//. Queensland Government Press, Brisbane.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Sanders, M.R. (2002). Parenting interventions and the prevention of serious mental health problems in children. //MJA//, 177, S87 – S92.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Spoont, M.R., Sayer, N., Friedemann-Sanchez, G., Parker, L.E., Murdoch, M., Chiros. C. (2011). From Trauma to PTSD: Beliefs About Sensations, Symptoms and Mental Illness. //Qualitative Health Research//, 19(10), 1456 – 1465.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">World Health Organisation (WHO) (2003). //Investing in Mental Health//. Retrieved November 3, 2011 from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Zeber, J.E., Copeland, L.A., Grazier, K.L. (2006). Serious Mental Illness, Aging and Utilization Patterns among Veterans. //Military Medicine//, 171, 619 – 626.

**<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Comments on others wiki pages **
 * <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">1. ****<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Australian mental health, how can we move beyond the social stigma? **

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">A good review of the issues that people with mental illness have to go through in today's society. Ask's question to the reader and makes them think and question their values when they see someone in society that is different from then. Well done.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">2. ****<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Can Generation Y Keep Up With Ever-changing Technology? **

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Found this to be a very interesting article to read. You ask some very real questions on what will happen to this current generation if technology keeps going the way it does. maybe its time that society needs to act before it does down the path you say where their life is cut short.