Introduction to Mental Health and Mental Illness
Mental health is measured on a continuum and not with a black or white diagnosis. This is due to the fact that mental illness occurs in varying degrees. People may experience the same mental health issue to entirely different extents. Mental health is at the beginning of the continuum, it represents controlled emotions, actions and thoughts and the ability to function within society. Next is a mental health problem or issue found in the middle of the continuum, these are like mental illnesses but to lesser degrees. Mental illnesses are at the end of the scale, these are diagnosable mental disorders with long lasting effects on a person’s functioning, emotions and thoughts, for example: Schizophrenia, severe depression or anxiety, severe eating disorders, etcetera.
Mental HealthAccording to the World Health Organisation, ‘Mental health is a state of emotional and social wellbeing where individuals realise their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can contribute to the community.’ If a person is mentally healthy this means they experience a state of psychological wellbeing where their emotions, thoughts and actions are controlled and mainly pleasant.
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Experiencing Mental Health Problems and IssuesA mental health problem or issue effects the way a person acts, thinks, feels or functions within society, but to a lesser extent than the disruption a mental illness causes (Western Australia Mental Health Commission, 2015). The fact that there are mental health issues which aren't disorders is why mental health has to be measured on a continuum and not with a black or white diagnosis.
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Mental IllnessAccording to the Mental Health Foundation of Australia (2015), mental illness can be defined as a health condition that changes a person's thinking, feelings, or behaviour (or all three) and that causes the person distress and difficulty in functioning. Mental illnesses can be diagnosed in much the same way that a physical illness can; by a professional trained in the area. There are varying degrees of mental illness represented by an array of symptoms and many different categories which this illnesses fit into including mood disorders like depression and and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.
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