Mental Health: Causes, Types, and Management - Essay Sample

Introduction

The primary area of focus for the paper is a broad analysis of mental health paying specific attention to the types of mental health conditions, what causes these conditions, and the control and management measures for patients with mental health issues. The paper takes a research angle, and thus it requires both hard copies and online research materials for the analysis. The leading equipment for the analysis is the computer, which is useful in identifying and gathering the required digital resources. The research was a solo project with no direct cooperation with peers or groups.

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The process for the research entails identification of the most suitable discussion topic, determination of the best resources to handle the study, collection of the relevant literature, and then carrying out the comprehensive research. Since the processes involved using available documentation for the analysis, the primary challenge in the paper was obtaining a reliable and coherent resource with the necessary resources. Therefore, it was challenging to assemble the bits of information from numerous sources. In a scenario where the research would be done again, the main area to change is in the data collection method. It would be broader to increase the information pool from many scholars. The entire research, I believe, is successful and informative.

Mental Health Issues

Mental health is critically essential in life. The world order today introduces different challenging environments to people resulting in mental health issues. People suffer from distinct mental health illnesses and disorders, including anxiety, bipolar affective, depression, paranoia, dissociation and dissociative, and obsessive compulsion, among others. All these mental health issues affect people in all levels of society, such as the homeless, people in the low-income end, those dealing with drug abuse and substance addiction as well as students coping with huge workloads, exams, adolescent and peer pressure and relationship issues. With this in mind, understanding mental health issues in terms of its causes, effects, and mitigations are essential. Therefore, the paper examines the broad mental health issues paying close attention to subsidiary areas of types, causes, its effects, and the regulation and control measures.

Mental health issues manifest to an individual or community in numerous ways. Some of the most common types of mental disorders include anger, panic attacks, bipolar and body dysmorphic disorders, borderline personality, and dissociation and dissociative disorders, and depression, among other forms (Munro and Rosa 18-22). Mental health issues affect individuals in different ways. While it may cause minor problems and complications to others, it can lead to severe effects not only on the victims but also to the people they associate with. Anxiety, stress, and eating and drug-related disorders and borderline disorders are the most common type of mental health issue affecting learners. Stress and depression also affect people who have advanced in age as a result of clouded judgment and overthinking. These types of mental health issues can lead to the development of a subsidiary form of mental illnesses such as hypomania, loneliness, panic attacks, hearing strange voices, paranoia, and phobias (Munro and Rosa 20). Therefore, there is a connection between one type of mental disorder and another.

Mental health issues occur in a person as a result of numerous causes. These causes differ based on the age of an individual. Lynn, in an article, stipulates some of the notable foundations of mental health issues. According to the article, some of the causes include childhood abuse, neglect, and traumatic experiences (90). These, together with social isolation, which leads to loneliness, are the most common causes of mental health issues amongst children. They develop mental health illnesses at an early stage in life, which progresses as they advance in age. Social discrimination and stigmatization that comes with it is another cause of mental health issues. It is the primary cause of mental disorders amongst the homeless and less privileged or the marginalized group in the community (Lynn 105). People tend to develop a feeling of rejection caused by stigmatization, which ultimately affects their self-esteem and emotions. Racial or religious discrimination can lead to mental health issues as it can also force a person to develop deviant behaviors arising from the rejection experience.

As stated earlier, the social and economic classes can also contribute significantly to mental health issues. The social or economic disadvantage is the leading cause of mental disorders amongst the homeless, poverty-stricken individuals, as well as those suffering from a financial crisis. Social and economic disadvantage contributes to mental health disorders either through the lack of essential medical attention or as a result of feeling rejected due to the low-income condition (Marchand et al., 573). Additionally, people from poor financial backgrounds tend to constitute a higher percentage of individuals struggling with drug and substance consumption. Prolonged grief and bereavement is another significant cause of mental health issue. People suffering from the loss of a loved one find it difficult to develop positive mental capacity, thereby laying conducive grounds for mental health disorders. Bereavement slowly advances to severe and long-term depression and stress, which are types of mental health issues. The situation can worsen if the individual fails to get essential palliative care.

Certain physical health disorders can also create an excellent opportunity for the development and advancement of mental health disorders. Physical conditions such as prolonged heart disorders, respiratory disorders, diabetes, chronic and painful experiences, as well as an overactive or underactive thyroid, can cause mental disorders (Marchand et al., 575). These physical health disorders cause tremendous painful ordeal to an individual who can, in turn, translate to depression and stress, and ultimately becoming a chronic mental health issue. Besides the health-related issues, people can develop mental disorders following unemployment that persists for a long time or as a result of losing a job. The high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression that comes with unemployment is the primary contributor to mental health issues.

Mental health issues have numerous effects both on the individual and the community. First, mental disorders come with erroneous and erratic thinking and reasoning, changes in the moods of an individual, and chronic anxiety, which in most cases, leads to impulsive actions. People with mental health issues can cause physical harm, damage to property, or even contribute to loss of life in a more severe case. Mental health issue causes instability in a person. Most of the people who take part in criminal offenses develop deviant behaviors as a result of mental disorders. On a personal level, mental health issues impact the actions of a person and can cause severe emotional complications. Most of the people suffering from mental health issues can experience alienation. The alienation and its associated trauma is the primary cause of suicides and suicidal thoughts amongst individuals experiencing mental health issues.

Mental health disorders are, in most cases, manageable at the early stages. It becomes challenging to control and regulate it at a more advanced phase. Numerous options are available to manage, control, and monitor the adverse effects of mental disorders. Identification of mental health disorders is critical in controlling it (Milligan et al., 220-227). For instance, identifying that a toddler is suffering from mental disorders helps in determining its cause and how to deal with it. Mental health issues of this kind, affecting children as a result of painful or traumatic experiences, are controllable through therapeutic and palliative care. Such children can be placed in healthcare facilities under-qualified professionals who will help in the provision of the care they need. Such care could be in terms of assisting them in reliving and re-experiencing these painful moments and letting go of all the stress and negative energies, causing mental health problems.

Financial difficulties are one of the most significant contributors to mental health challenges. Therefore, controlling mental health issues could involve helping and offering care to people in the financial crisis. Provision of care goes a long way in assisting people in experiencing challenging moments feel they have shoulders to lean on. The homeless, unemployed, and people with physical health conditions will feel at ease when they have caring people around, thereby experiencing less depression, anxiety, and emotional stress (McGorry et al., 210). Additionally, the provision of medical support to people with mental disorders helps in the control and prevention of relapse. At personal and caretaker levels, responsible lifestyles such as sufficient sleep, refraining from substance abuse, healthy eating habits, and physical exercise are critically essential in controlling mental health issues.

Works Cited

Lynn, Natalya Nerease. Prevalence of mental health issues and their contributing factors within the foster care system. Diss. 2018. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/68216/LYNN-THESIS-2017.pdf?sequence=1

McGorry, Patrick, Jason Trethowan, and Debra Rickwood. "Creating headspace for integrated youth mental health care." World Psychiatry 18.2 (2019): 140.

Marchand, Alain, et al. "Health and Stress Management and Mentalhealth Disability Claims." Stress and Health 32.5 (2016): 569-577.

Milligan, Karen, et al. "Mindfulness enhances use of secondary control strategies in high school students at risk for mental health challenges." Mindfulness 7.1 (2016): 219-227.

Munro, Mary, and Rosa Milne. "Symptoms and causes of depression, and its diagnosis and management." Nursing Times 116.4 (2020): 18-22. https://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/mental-health-nurses/symptoms-and-causes-of-depression-and-its-diagnosis-and-management-30-03-2020/