Mental Health

By, Dr. Farwa Rizvi

Community Medicine Department

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH



Mental Health is the ability of an individual to form harmonious relations with others and to participate in, or contribute to changes in the social and physical environment. environment. It is influenced by both biological and social factors. factors.

ETIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS

    

Genetic Factors Physical Constitution Personality Extrinsic Causes Psychosocial Stresses

Types of mental illness



The international classification of Diseases (ICD-10) classifies the mental (ICD-10) and behavioural disorders as
1.

Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders e.g., dementia in Alzheimer s disease, delirium. delirium.

2.

Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use e.g. harmful use of alcohol, opioid dependence syndrome. Schizophrenia, shizotypal and delusional disorders e.g., paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorders, acute and transient psychotic disorders.

3.

4.

Mood (affective) disorders e.g., bipolar affective disorder, depressive episode. episode. Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform stressdisorders e.g., generalized anxiety disorders, obsessiveobsessive-compulsive disorders. disorders.

5.

6.

Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors e.g., eating disorders, nonnonorganic sleep disorder, transsexualism. transsexualism. Mental retardation. retardation.

7.

8.

Disorders of psychological development e.g., specific reading disorders, childhood autism. autism. Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence e.g., hyperkinetic disorders, conduct disorders, tic disorders. disorders. Unspecified mental disorder. disorder.

9.

10.

Causes of mental illhealth

1. 2. 3.

Organic conditions Heredity Social pathological causes

Environmental factors
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Toxic substances Psychotropic drugs Nutritional factors Minerals deficiency Infective agents Traumatic factors radiation

Preventive aspects
1.

Primary: Primary: Primary prevention operates on a community basis. This consists of basis. improving the social environment and promotion of the social, emotional and physical well-being of all people. wellpeople.

2.

Secondary: Secondary: This consists of early diagnosis of mental illness and of social and emotional disturbances through screening programmes in schools, universities,

industry recreation centres, etc., and etc. provision of treatment facilities and effective community resources. In this resources. regard, family based health services have much role to play

3.

Tertiary: Tertiary: Tertiary prevention seeks to reduce the duration of mental illness and thus reduce the stresses they create for the family and the community. community.

Mental health services

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Early diagnosis and treatment Rehabilitation Group and individual psychotherapy Mental health education Use of modern psychoactive drugs AfterAfter-care services

Comprehensive mental health programme

The community mental health programme includes , treatment and rehabilitation. rehabilitation. The philosophy of community mental health programme consists of the following essential elements

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Inpatient services Out patient services Partial hospitalization Emergency services Diagnostic services

6.

7. 8. 9.

PrePre-care and aftercare services including foster home placement and home visiting Education services Training, Research and evaluation