Welcome Back!
Last time we talked about how emotions can impact our physical health and vice versa. This week we will talk about what mental illness is and who is affected by it.
WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?
- MENTAL ILLNESS is when our thoughts, feelings and/or behaviours become so different from the norms of the society we live in, that it starts to interfere with our day to day functioning in some significant way(s)
- In other words in affects our relationships, our ability to function at work, or take care of ourselves
- Most people think of many of the common diagnoses of mental disorders on a continuum, where most of us have some of everything at some time, but when it doesn’t last and doesn’t form a pattern that leads to substantial difficulty in our lives, it is NOT considered a disorder or illness
- That is part of why some diagnoses vary depending on where people live or the context they live in. For instance, some cultures believe God or Spirits can communicate with chosen people in their communities, and that is acceptable and normal within that cultural context- therefore unless it began to cause dysfunction, it is not considered a mental illness
- Whereas in other parts of the world, that would be outside of the realm of what is considered “normal” or acceptable behaviour and that individual may be diagnosed with Psychosis
- In short, mental illness is a pattern of thinking, feeling or acting that interferes with our functioning in the context in which we live
HOW COMMON IS IT?
- 1 in 5 people are affected by mental illness WORLDWIDE!
- Look around you… think of your family, your friends, your co-workers…1 out of every 5 of them has had, currently has or will have a recognized mental illness!
In general, large, multi-site Canadian and US studies have found:
- 46% of people reported having a mental illness at some point in their lives
- 20% had been diagnosed with mental illness within the past year
WHO DEVELOPS MENTAL ILLNESS?
- It affects people from all walks of life, in all sociodemographic groups, all races and all ages
- Certain illnesses are more common in certain groups however, as you will read below
- 75% of people with any mental illness had their first symptoms by age 24 yo.
- People between the ages of 18-44 years old were most likely to have a disorder
- Women were at higher risk for anxiety and mood disorders
- Men were more likely to have impulse control disorders or substance use problems
- Low education was linked to substance use problems
- Marital disruption was a risk for mood, anxiety and substance use disorders
SOCIAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS INCLUDE:
- Negative life events (ie. Being separated or divorced,death of a parent, trauma, abuse, unstable home life in childhood, etc)
- Living as common-law (it is unclear why this is)
- Being financially dependent on someone else
- Being unemployed (especially men)
- Low levels of education (ie. not completing high school)
BIOLOGICAL AND/ OR GENETIC RISK FACTORS INCLUDE:
- Head trauma or previous brain injury
- Seizure disorders and many other medical illnesses
- Certain medications
- Unstable attachments to our main caregivers (usually our mothers) in infancy and early childhood – this means that as a child we did not consistently feel safe with them, so our brains went on hyper-alert and this can change how our brains, immune systems and bodies develop
- Our temperaments- this refers to our natural tendency towards the need for routine, structure, reward, how readily we approach new things, how we adapt to change and our tendency towards being happy, cautious etc.
- Other family members with a mental illness often puts people at risk for developing the same or similar mental illnesses
Note: This is in no way an exhaustive list, it is intended to introduce an overview of the topic
These environmental and biological risk factors interact and contribute to a person’s vulnerability to developing a mental illness!
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON MENTAL ILLNESS’?
1. Anxiety Disorders (28.8%)
-
ie. Phobias, Separation Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder etc.
2. Mood Disorders (20.8%)
-
ie. Depression, Bipolar disorder, Dysthymia etc.
3. Impulse Control Disorders (24.8%)
-
ie. Attention Deficit Disorder, Intermittent Explosive Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder
4. Substance Use Disorders (14.6%)
-
ie. Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence
As you can see, mental illness is very common, affecting 1 out of every 5 (20%) of people worldwide. The most common illnesses include anxiety, mood, impulse control and substance use disorders.
In order for something to be called a mental illness, it must be causing significant impairment or disruption in the person’s life, and takes into account the cultural context in which the person lives.
I hope I am leaving you with a clearer understanding of mental illness, and I am looking forward to future posts, where we will be exploring what it means to have “mental health” and other topics.
Thanks for joining me again!
Until next time!
