1. Mental and Emotional Problems
Mental Disorders

2. What are Mental Disorders?
A mental disorder is an illness of the mind that can affect the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of a person, preventing him or her from leading a happy, healthful, and productive life. Ea
What are Mental Disorders?

3. Why should I care about mental disorders?
An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.1 When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.2
References
1. Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun;62(6):
2. U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates by Demographic Characteristics. Table 2: Annual Estimates of the Population by Selected Age Groups and Sex for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2004 (NC-EST ) Source: Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau Release Date: June 9,
Why should I care about mental disorders?

4. Types of Mental Disorders
Organic Disorder
Functional Disorder
It is caused by a physical illness or an injury that
affects the brain.
Possible causes:
Brain tumors
Infections
Chemical imbalances
Exposure to drugs and toxins
Injuries resulting in brain damage
Types of Mental Disorders

5. Types of Mental Disorders
Organic Disorder
Functional Disorder
It has a psychological cause and does not involve brain
damage.
Possible causes:
Heredity
Stress
Emotional conflict
Fear
Ineffective coping skills
Disturbing events in childhood or in the recent past
Types of Mental Disorders

6. Types of Mental Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Mood Disorders
Eating Disorders
Conduct Disorders
Schizophrenia
Types of Mental Disorders

7. Anxiety disorder = a condition in which real or imagined fears are difficult to control.

8. Anxiety Types of Anxiety Disorders Phobia
strong and irrational fear of something specific
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
persistent, recurrent, and unwanted thoughts
Repeated, irresistible behaviors
Panic Disorder
Sudden unexplained feelings of terror
Accompanied by symptoms such as trembling, heart pounding, shortness of breath, dizziness
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
A condition that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event that threatened or caused physical harm
Anxiety

9. The emotional swings of a mood disorder are extreme in both intensity and duration.
Mood Disorders

10. Mood Disorders Clinical Depression Bipolar Disorder
Clinical depression affects a person’s ability to:
Concentrate.
Sleep.
Perform at school or work.
Handle everyday decisions and challenges.
Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or despair last for
more than a few weeks and interfere with daily
interests and activities.
Mood Disorders

11. Mood Disorders Clinical Depression Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is marked by:
Extreme mood changes.
Extreme energy levels.
Extreme behavior.
Adults may behave normally between episodes of
extreme emotion.
Teens tend to alternate rapidly between the two
extremes with few clear periods of wellness between
episodes.
Mood Disorders

12. Eating Disorders Factors that can lead to an eating disorder are:
Psychological pressures
Possible genetic factors
Obsession with body image and thinness
Eating Disorders

13. A person who suffers from an eating disorder can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including:
Serious heart conditions
Kidney failure, which may lead to death.
It is critical that a person with an eating disorder get help immediately
Eating Disorders

14. Children and adolescents who act out their impulses toward others in destructive ways may have a conduct disorder.
They may project an image of toughness, but people with this disorder usually have low self-esteem.
Without treatment, they will be unable to adapt to the demands of adulthood.
Conduct Disorders

15. Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder in which a person loses contact with reality.
Symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorders.
Causes of this condition may be a combination of genetic factors and chemical and structural changes in the brain.
Schizophrenia

16. Seeking medical attention
People are reluctant to seek treatment for mental/emotional problems because of:
Embarrassment or shame.
Stigma or a negative label.
Misconceptions and stereotypes.
Many mental and emotional disturbances involve imbalances in brain chemistry and require medical attention.
Seeking medical attention

17. Who can help?

18. What are some difficulties an adolescent with an anxiety disorder might face? At school, with friends, with family?
Discussion

19. Although scientific evidence shows that mental disorders are medical conditions, the stigma attached to these illnesses persists. Why do you think this is so?
Discussion