Definitions

Mental Health: A state of harmony between oneself and others; a co-existence between the realities of the self, other people, and the environment.

Health (WHO): A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Psychiatry: A branch of medicine which deals with the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.

Characteristics of a Mentally Healthy Person

1. Ability to make adjustments: They are flexible and open to change, adapting to various situations.

2. Sense of personal worth: They have a positive self-image and believe in their own value.

3. Problem-solving skills: They are capable of solving their problems largely through their own efforts and making their own decisions.

4. Sense of personal security: They feel secure in themselves and in social groups, showing understanding and empathy towards others’ problems and motives.

5. Sense of responsibility: They take ownership of their actions and choices, understanding the impact of their behavior on themselves and others.

6. Capacity to give and accept love: They can form and maintain healthy relationships, fostering positive connections.

7. Living in reality: They have a firm grasp on reality and are grounded in the present, differentiating between fantasy and reality.

8. Emotional maturity: They demonstrate emotional maturity, including the capacity to tolerate frustration and disappointment in their daily life.

9. Meaning and purpose: They have developed a philosophy of life that gives meaning and purpose to their daily activities.

10. Well-balanced life: They have a variety of interests and maintain a healthy balance of work, rest, and recreation.

11. Adequate contact with reality: They have a clear perception of the world around them and are in touch with reality.

12. Control of thoughts and imaginations: They have the ability to control their thoughts and imaginations, avoiding excessive intrusive thoughts.

13. Efficiency in work and play: They are productive and focused in work while allowing time for leisure.

14. Social acceptance: They have a sense of belonging and acceptance within their social circles.

15. Positive self-concept: They have a healthy self-esteem and believe in their own worth and capabilities.

16. Healthy emotional life: They are able to regulate their emotions effectively and express them constructively.

Mental Illness

Definition: Mental illness is the maladjustment in living, representing the inability to cope with stress and environment.

Impact: It produces a disharmony in the person’s ability to meet human needs comfortably or effectively and function within their culture. A mentally ill person loses the ability to respond according to their own expectations and the demands of society.

An individual may be considered mentally ill if:

• The personal behavior is causing distress to self and others.

• The person’s behavior is causing disturbance in their day-to-day activities, job, and interpersonal relationships.

COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS

(Explained more later in General Symptomatology)

Disturbances in Motor Behavior

Motor retardation: Slowed movements and speech.

Stupor: A state of unresponsiveness to external stimuli.

Stereotype: Repetitive, purposeless movements.

Negativism: Resistance to instructions or attempts to be moved.

Ambitendency: Inability to make a decision or take action.

Waxy flexibility: Maintaining a posture even when uncomfortable.

Echopraxia: Mimicking the movements of others.

Restlessness: Excessive movement and fidgeting.

Agitation: Increased motor activity accompanied by anxiety or excitement.

Disorders of Thought, Language, and Communication

• Pressure of speech: Rapid, continuous talking.

• Poverty of speech: Reduced amount of speech.

• Flight of ideas: Rapidly changing thoughts and topics.

• Circumstantiality: Providing excessive, unnecessary details.

• Loosening of association: Incoherent or illogical thinking.

• Tangentially: Going off on tangents and not returning to the main topic.

• Incoherence: Unintelligible speech.

• Perseveration: Repetitive thoughts or behaviors.

• Neologism: Creating new words or using words in an idiosyncratic way.

• Clang associations: Rhyming or wordplay that is not relevant to the topic.

• Thought block: Inability to think or speak.

• Thought insertion: Belief that thoughts are being put into one’s mind.

• Thought broadcasting: Belief that one’s thoughts are being broadcast to others.

• Echo-Lalia: Repeating words or phrases spoken by others.

• Delusions: False beliefs that are not based in reality.

• Obsessions: Persistent, intrusive thoughts.

• Phobias: Intense, irrational fears.

Disorders of Perception

• Illusions: Misperceptions of real stimuli.

• Hallucinations: Sensory experiences that are not real.

• Depersonalization: Feeling detached from oneself.

• Derealization: Feeling detached from the environment.

Disorders of Emotions

• Blunt affect: Reduced emotional expression.

• Labile affect: Rapidly changing emotions.

• Elated mood: Excessively happy or euphoric mood.

• Dysphonic mood: Irritable or angry mood.

• Depression: Sad, hopeless, and apathetic mood.

• Anhedonia: Loss of interest or pleasure in activities.

Disturbances of Consciousness

• Clouding of consciousness: Reduced awareness of surroundings.

• Delirium: A state of confusion, disorientation, and agitation.

• Coma: A state of unconsciousness.

Disturbances in Attention

• Distractibility: Difficulty focusing on a task.

• Selective inattention: Focusing on only one aspect of a situation.

Disturbance in Orientation

• Disorientation of time: Not knowing the current time or date.

• Disorientation of place: Not knowing where one is.

• Disorientation of person: Not knowing who one is or who others are.

Disturbance of Memory

• Amnesia: Loss of memory.

• Confabulation: Making up stories to fill in memory gaps.

Other Disturbances

• Impairment in Judgment: Difficulty making sound decisions.

• Disturbance in Biological Function:

  • Deviations in temperature, pulse, and respiration.

  • Nausea, vomiting, headache.

  • Loss of appetite or increased appetite.

  • Weight loss or gain.

  • Pain, fatigue.

  • Insomnia or hypersomnia (difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much).

  • Sexual dysfunction.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL DISORDERS

• Self-Care Limitations or Impaired Functioning:

  • Difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting.

  • Problems with work, school, or relationships.

  • Difficulty managing finances or transportation.

• Significant Deficits in Biological, Emotional, and Cognitive Functioning:

  • Changes in brain structure and function, and disruptions in neurotransmitters and hormones.

  • Emotional dysregulation (difficulty managing anger, sadness, or fear).

  • Cognitive impairments (problems with attention, memory, and decision-making).

• Disability and Life-Process Changes: Mental illness can lead to disability, making it difficult to work or go to school, and can result in changes in life roles and responsibilities.

• Emotional Problems:

  • Anxiety

  • Anger

  • Sadness

  • Loneliness

  • Grief

• Physical Symptoms:

  • Fatigue

  • Headaches

  • Stomachaches

  • Insomnia

  • Weight changes

  • Pain

• Alterations in Thinking, Perceiving, Communicating, and Decision-Making:

  • Delusions

  • Hallucinations

  • Disorganized speech

  • Poor decision-making

• Difficulties in Relating with Others:

  • Social isolation (withdrawing from social interactions).

  • Difficulty forming or maintaining relationships.

  • Conflict with others.

• Behavior May Be Dangerous to Self or Others:

  • Self-harm

  • Suicide

  • Aggression (violence towards oneself or others).

• Adverse Effects on the Well-Being of the Individual, Family, and Community: Can lead to financial, marital, family, academic, and occupational problems.

• Others:

  • Stigma: Mental illness is often stigmatized, which can prevent people from seeking help.

  • Lack of access to treatment: Many people with mental illness do not have access to the treatment they need.

  • Discrimination: People with mental illness may experience discrimination in housing, employment, and education.