Problems And Illnesses: Mental Health Problems, And Illnesses

Mental Health Problems and Illnesses

What is Mental Health and Illnesses?

Mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” (World Health Organisation, 2014). It is often used as a substitute for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and many others.

The Nature of the Problem:

Mental Health Problems and Illnesses come in a wide range of mental disorders, the most prevalent being: anxiety, depression and substance use disorders. These disorders can range in severity. Through diagnosis the severity of the mental illness according

Of this 20% of Australians with a mental illness in any one year, 11.5% have one disorder and 8.5% have two or more disorders. (Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2009). Approximately one in eleven people (8.9%) in Australia have reported having depression during the period of time from 2014 to 2015. The rate of people reporting depression or feelings of depression increased until around 55-64 years of age (13.7%). Females are reported of having depression or feelings of depression at a higher rate than males (10.4% compared with 7.4% respectively). Similarly to depression during 2014-15, around one in eight females (13.0%) reported having an anxiety-related condition compared with around one in ten males (9.4%). Women in the age bracket 15-24 years have been reported of having an anxiety-related condition at twice the rate of men of the same age (18.9% compared with 7.9%). (Australian Bureau of Statistics,

Risk factors include, being involved of stressful life situations, Traumatic experiences (such as being in military or being assaulted) and the use of alcohol and recreational drugs. Stressful life situations for example loss of a job are considered to be a risk factor as it can create negative thoughts about oneself and their ability in that area, which can lead to the development of Anxiety or Depression. Traumatic Experiences like being assaulted or have previously served in military is considered to be a risk factor in developing a mental health problem due to the hard emotions felt when remembering those experiences or having flashbacks, which can cause the individual to develop depression with the constant feeling of negativity. The use of recreational drugs and alcohol are a risk factor due to the extreme highs and lows the drugs cause whether the drug is a depressant or a stimulus. The constant use of a depressant drug leads to depression and anxiety due to the lows becoming too extreme for them to cope