Mental Illness Prevalence Of And Diagnosis Of Mental Illness

Some psychiatrists attribute mental illness to organic/neurochemical causes that can be treated with psychiatric medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle adjustments and other supportive measures, but it is important to note that we really don't know what causes mental illness. The battle between "nature" and "nurture" goes on as it has for years. We still don't know enough about the working of the brain and the nature of mental illness to understand what might be inherited (a result of specific genes) and what is learned as a result of our unique environment.

Advocacy organizations have been trying to change the common perception of psychiatric disorders as a sign of personal weakness and something to be ashamed of to an affliction akin to physical diseases (like the measles).

1 Prevalence of and diagnosis of mental illness

According to the 2003 report of the U.S. President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, major mental illness, including clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorderFor other things named "OCD", see OCD (disambiguation). For other types of "obsession", see obsession (disambiguation). For other types of "compulsion", see compulsion (disambiguation). Defined Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD is an anxiety disorder., when compared with all other diseases (such as cancer and heart disease), is the most common cause of disabilityThe term disability , as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. National governments and global humanitarian agencies have narrowed this definition for their own purposes, onl in the United States. According to NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) an American advocacy organisation, twenty-three percent of North American adults will suffer from a clinically diagnosable mental illness in a given year, but less than half of them will suffer symptoms severe enough to disrupt their daily functioning. Approximately nine percent to 13 percent of children under the age of 18 experience a serious emotional disturbance with substantial functional impairment, and five percent to nine percent have a serious emotional disturbance with extreme functional impairment due to a mental illness. Many of these young people will recover from their illnesses before reaching adulthood, and go on to lead normal lives uncomplicated by illness.

The treatment success rate for a first episode of schizophrenia is 60 percent, 65 percent to 70 percent for major depression, and 80 percent for bipolar disorder.

At the start of the 20th century19th century 20th century 21st century more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901- 2000 in the sense of the Gre there were only a dozen recognized mental illnesses. By 1952 there were 192 and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) today lists 374. Depending on your perspective, this could be seen to be the result of one of more of:

2 Controversy over the nature of mental illness

The subject is profoundly controversial, e.g. homosexuality was once considered such an "illness" (see DSM-IIThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the handbook used most often in diagnosing mental disorders in the United States and other countries. While widely accepted among psychologists), and this perception varies with cultural biasCultural bias is interpreting and judging phenomena in terms particular to one's own culture. This is a danger in any field of knowledge that claims objectivity and universality, such as philosophy and the natural sciences. The problem of cultural bias is and theory of conductMany ethicists behave as though the theory of conduct is more important than the theory of value, although there is disagreement about this point. Here are some of the outlines of some of the major views. The theory of value looks at what things are valua.

It is important to note that the existence of mental illness and the legitimacy of the psychiatric profession are not universally accepted. Some professionals, notably Doctor Thomas Szasz, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Syracuse, are profoundly opposed to the practice of labelling "mental illness" as such. "There is no such thing as mental illness" is not an uncommon statement at gatherings of therapists emphasizing patient care and self-control, often decrying labels as suitable only for pill salesmen. This movement, known as anti-psychiatry argues against a biological origin for mental disorders, or else suggests that all human experience has a biological origin and so no pattern of behavior can be classified as an illness per se.

Neurochemical studies have proven that there are systemic lacks of certain neurotransmitters in the brains of certain individuals. Also, some structural differences between brains of people with behavioral differences can be detected in brain scans. Some mental illnesses tend to run in families, and there have also been strongly suggestive, but not conclusive, links between certain genes and particular mental disorders. Routine tests for these conditions are, however, not generally required for prescription of drugs, and are not always employed in law either. It is not clear whether these differences in brain chemistry are the cause or the result of mental disorders. Anti-psychiatrists argue that traumatic life experiences that exceed an individual's coping ability can result in lasting changes in brain chemistry. Patterns of learned behavior can also alter brain chemistry, for better or for worse. Cognitive behavior therapy focuses on changing patterns of thinking through learning, which may ultimately restore so-termed "healthy" brain chemistry.

Drug therapies for severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and clinical depression which are consistent with biochemical models have been remarkably effective, and there are reports of increasively effective treatments for schizophrenia. Anti-psychiatrists, however, argue that drugs merely mask the symptoms of mental suffering by physically crippling the brain's emotional response system. Studies have shown that many patient's symptoms return once drug treatment is ceased.

See the articles on anti-psychiatry and causes of mental illness for a fuller treatment of these topics.

Other arguments against psychiatry:

Patients of mental illness are often placed in a mental institution with other mentally ill people. This does much to increase the emotional stress levels of the patient by influence of the other patients, causing the mental illness to worsen.
Electroshock therapy

3 Categorization of mental illness

In the United States, mental illnesses have been categorised into groups according to their common symptoms, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders compiled by the American Psychiatric Association. There are thirteen different categories. Some categories contain a myriad of illnesses and some with only a few. Selecting any of the Wikipedia categories in the table will allow you access to all the articles and subcategories in that category.

DSM Group	Examples	Wikipedia category
Disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence	Mental retardation, autism, ADHD	Disorders usually first present before adulthood
Delerium, dementia, and amnestic and other cognitive disorders	Alzheimers disease	Memory disorders and Cognitive disorder
Mental disorders due to a general medical condition	AIDS-related psychosis	Mental disorders due to a general medical condition
Substance-related disorders	Alcohol abuse	Substance-related disorder
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders	Delusional disorder	Psychosis
Mood disorders	Clinical depression	Mood disorders
Anxiety disorders	General anxiety disorder	Anxiety disorder
Somatoform disorders	Somatization disorder	Somatoform disorder
Factitious disorders	Munchausen syndrome	Factitious disorder
Dissociative disorders	Dissociative identity disorder	Dissociative disorder
Sexual and gender identity disorders	Dyspareunia, Gender identity disorder	Sexual and gender identity disorder
Eating disorders	Anorexia nervosa	Eating disorder
Sleep disorders	Insomnia	Sleep disorders
Impulse-control disorders not elsewhere classified	Kleptomania	Impulse-control disorder not elsewhere classified
Adjustment disorders	Adjustment disorder	Adjustment disorder
Personality disorders	Narcissistic personality disorder	Personality disorder
Other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention	Tardive dyskinesia, Child abuse	Other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention

4 Symptoms of mental illness

In addition to the categorized illnesses, there are many well-defined symptoms of mental illness such as paranoia that are not regarded as illnesses in themselves, but only as indicators of one of the illnesses belonging to one of the classes listed above.

Crime is not a symptom of mental illness. Movies often portray a murderer as mentally ill. This makes a villain more emotional, intresting, and dramatic. In truth, mentally disturbed people commit less crimes than the elderly.

5 Cures of mental illness

People with mental illness almost always have thoughts that are too complicated, chaotic, or unorganized. This is called a 'complex'. The psychiatrist's job is to help the patient think in a simpler way, such as to focus on food, water, shelter, and physical warmth - basic human needs. Everything else is unimportant: stress from family, friends, work, love and other complex and difficult emotions and problems are ignored in favor of 'the basics'. This helps the patient focus on what is important in life. These basics are solid objects that are easier to understand and control. The patient relaxes because he/she no longer has the burden of complicated expectations and emotional stress. This is called 'shrinking the complex'. This is why psychiatrists are sometimes called 'shrinks'. Some psychiatrists are accused of making the patient's complex more complex, by focusing on relationships and asking the patient stressful questions.

Other cures are relaxation, a stress-free environment, soothing music, fun non-stress games, easy exercise, easy physical outdoor activities, coloring, 'brain food' (like fish), the sound and smell of water, and regression therapy.

6 See also

7 External links

Abnormal psychology Disability Disorder Ethics *

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