Transcript Mental Health Problems & Diseases

Mental Health Problems &
Diseases
The Health of Young People
General Nature
 Young people today seems to experience increasing levels of
stress due to factors beyond their control
 Stress: is a physiological or psychological influence that
produces a state of tension in a person.
 Since everyone is exposed to some level of stress, it is an
individual’s reaction that determines how well they cope
What type of person are you?
TYPE A
TYPE B
 Aggressive
 Relaxed
 Competitive
 Non-competitive
 Impatient
 Patient
 Time Urgent
 Work steadily, are not fussed
 High work involvement
 Hate failure, word hard to
avoid it
by achievement
 Faced with competition, do
not mind losing, or back
down
Coping Mechanisms
 Young people need to develop personal coping mechanisms and
alter their perspective of the stressors that affect them. The AIHW
report Australia’s young people — their health and wellbeing 2007
indicated that one in five males and one in 10 females aged 18 to
24 years were found to have a substance (alcohol/drug) use
disorder. Combined with the high frequency of mental illness and
youth suicide, this indicates that not all young people are coping
with life.
Coping Mechanisms
Do
Don’t
Develop time management strategies
Leave everything to the last minute
Use positive self-talk
Make mountains out of molehills
Try different relaxation techniques
Forget your body & mind need time to
relax
Talk to someone you trust about your
issues
Think you’re alone
Take an occasional break
Think you always have to be right
Give in occasionally
Be self-absorbed
Do something good for another person
Try to work when you’re tired
Accept that everyone makes mistakes
Be critical of others
Accept others as they are
Believe in winning at all costs
Keep the value of competitiveness in
perspective
Socially isolate yourself
Make the first move to be friendly to
someone
Keep your emotions bottled up
Have some fun – play or sport, have a
hobby
Feel you have to be a perfectionist
Mental health issues of major concern
DEPRESSION
 All people may feel depressed at some stage in their lives or
even during a typical week. Depression becomes a serious
health concern for young people when it extends for several
weeks at a time and they feel ‘down’, worthless, angry, tired
and irritable.
 They may have difficulty sleeping and concentrating, and no
longer gain satisfaction from daily activities.
 It has been found that depression is linked to the increased
risk of suicide and self-harm behaviours.
DEPRESSION
According to information from Mental Illness Education
Australia:
• Women experience a higher rate of depression and anxiety
than men. This results in a greater incidence of self-harm,
eating disorders and attempted suicides.
• 1 to 3 per cent of young people will be affected by a major
depressive disorder
• 15 to 40 per cent of young people will report having
symptoms of a depressed mood disorder
• It is believed that by the age of 18, approximately 24 per
cent of young people will have suffered from a major
episode of depression.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
 Schizophrenia affects the way a person behaves, feels and views
the world.
 It is not just a single disorder, but a group of disorders with variable
causes and outcomes.
 A common misconception is that it is the development of a split
personality or multiple personalities.
 A person suffering from this illness may experience hallucinations,
delusions, diminished emotional responsibility and disjointed
thought patterns, and may seek to withdraw from society.
 It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or intelligence.
 Sufferers may experience one or a few episodes and can return to
normal living in between episodes; for others, it can be a daily
struggle.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
 According to the New South Wales Department of Health, most
new cases of schizophrenia are diagnosed in adolescents or young
adults.
 One in three schizophrenics will have only one to two episodes in
their lives.
SELF HARM
 Self-harm encompasses a wide range of behaviours that are not necessarily
suicide attempts or an indication that the person wants to die.
 One of the behaviours attributed to deliberate self-harm is self-mutilation,
which involves the person inflicting pain or punishment on themselves,
usually in secret.
 This can be their way of trying to cope with stress or painful emotions, or
might be a means of regaining power that has somehow been lost or taken
away by others.
 Young people who are victims of sexual assault often exhibit this type of
behaviour. It can be a cry for help and attention.
SELF HARM
• It is estimated that the number of young people who have
engaged in self-harm is 40-100 times greater than those who
have actually ended their lives
•
It is difficult to estimate the rate of self harm as evidence
suggests that only 10% of young people who self-harm will
present for hospital treatment
• Australian studies suggest that 6-7% of Australian youth aged
15-24 years engage in self-harm in any 12-month period
•
While suicide is more common among young men, self-harm is
more common among young women
SUICIDE
Suicide is an intended self-inflicted injury that is fatal.
 Studies conducted in Australia estimate that 5 to 10 per cent of young people will
attempt suicide and 1 in 2 will have suicidal thoughts at some time during their
life.
 Females tend to use drug overdoses and are less successful in taking their own
lives, whereas some males use more violent methods such as firearms and
hanging.
 Suicidal tendencies are most prevalent in the mid-teens and many of the people
who commit suicide have previously shown evidence of poor mental health.
SUICIDE

According to the AIHW,in 2004, of the 15–24 years age group, males suicided at a rate of 13 deaths
per 100 000 people and females suicided at a rate of 6 deaths per 100 000 people.

There is a growing trend towards an increase in female suicides.

Females generally make more unsuccessful attempts, largely due to the different method used
between males and females.

The Australian suicide rate is the fourth highest among Western countries, with New Zealand having
the highest rate of all countries.
Risk Factors & Protective Factors
Determinants that impact health
Young people at risk

the unemployed or economically disadvantaged

students who leave school prematurely

individuals with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds

rural males

Females

gay youth

individuals who experience incarceration or the juvenile justice system

long-term drug users

individuals who experience habitual bullying or harassment

individuals who act as a carer for parents or siblings with disabilities.
Time to be a
1. You will be given a scenario/case concerning a
mental health issue.
2. Read through it and use pages 335-349 of your
textbook to suggest coping strategies or
social problem solving skills that could assist
the individual.
3. Write up your diagnosis and coping
prescription
Health Services
Health Services
Health Services