This document provides an overview of mental health and mental illness issues in adults. It begins by defining mental health from a holistic perspective involving the body, mind, and spirit. Approximately 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness like anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or substance abuse. Genetic and environmental factors can contribute to mental illness. The document addresses stigma, types of illnesses, living with illnesses, concurrent disorders, consequences, causes, differences among genders and cultures, and recovery. It aims to educate about mental health issues and create understanding.

1. Issues in Human Services
Adult Mental Health Issues

2. What is Mental Health?
• What is your understanding of mental health?
• Creating a safe place to talk about mental
health and mental health issues.
• Chances are some of us have experienced
mental illness ourselves or with someone
close to us.

3. Definition of Mental Health
• The definition of mental health is changing.
• Mental health seen from more holistic
approach- Body, Mind and Spirit
• Canadian Mental Health Association defines
mental health as:
• Ability to enjoy life, Resilience, Balance , Self
Actualization, Flexibility

4. Body/Mind/Spirit
• It is important to take care of our bodies.
Adequate nutrition, exercise and avoiding toxins
are seen as crucial to our well-being. Emotions
have an effect on the body.
• Our thoughts affect our mental health. Thoughts
supporting the person rather than self judgment
or judgments of others affirm mental health.
• Relatively new to mental health field is the
person’s spiritual dimension .

5. Living with Mental Illness
• What is mental illness?
• 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness
at some point in their lives
• Many people do not seek help due to Stigma –
Negative attitudes and behavior towards people
with mental illness
• What are some of the myths?
• Results of negative attitudes: inequality in
employment, housing , education; loss of
family/friends, self-stigma

6. Addressing Stigma
• In Canada, efforts at national, provincial and local levels to address
stigma
• Mental Health Commission of Canada – Opening Minds 2009 to
educate following groups:
• Health Care providers
• Youth 12-18
• Workforce
• Media
• Canadian Mental Health Association(Ontario) publicity re: stigmaLocal chapters at many events to demystify mental illness
• http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/muchtalks/mentalhealth/

7. Types of Mental Illnesses in Adults
• Psychiatrists have developed a text identifying
types of mental illnesses (disorders), the
symptoms, the age one usually experiences the
disorder and some causes for the disorder
• Several common mental illnesses will be
discussed in class. Note: there are many more not
addressed here but no less important to the
individual, family and community
• Within each group of people living with mental
illness, there is a range of lived experience and
ability to manage their lives.

8. Anxiety Disorder
• A person experiencing an Anxiety Disorder will:
• Have at least 6 months of persistent worry about
a number of events/activities
• The anxiety is accompanied by at least 3 other
symptoms: restlessness, easily fatigued, difficulty
concentrating, irritability, muscle tension and
disturbed sleep
• Anxiety affects the person’s functioning at
school/work and relationships

9. Social Anxiety Disorder
• Many types of anxiety
• One type often overlooked is social anxiety
disorder
• Let one woman tell you her experience with
this disorder:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0YCxZl3s
po

10. Major Depressive Disorder
• A person experiencing a Major Depressive
Disorder will have one or more depressive
episodes which involves at least two weeks of
Depressed Mood or Loss of Interest in nearly all
activities as well as four of the following: change
in appetite, weight or sleep; agitation or slowed
thoughts or movements, decreased energy,
feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty
thinking, concentrating or making decisions,
recurrent thoughts of death or suicide thoughts,
plans or attempts.

11. One woman’s experience with
Depression and What helped her
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzXuZIUDI-s

12. Bipolar Disorder
• A person experiencing Bipolar Disorder will have
experienced at least one or more Major Depressive
Episodes and at least one Hypomanic Episode
• See above for depression. For Hypomanic episode the
person experiences a distinct period of persistently
elevated, expansive or irritable mood, last at least 4
days. Also he/she will have 3 or more of the following
symptoms: Inflated self-esteem, decreased need for
sleep, more talkative than usual, racing thoughts,
distractibility, increase in activity at work/school,
socially or sexually; excessive involvement in activities
with negative consequences

13. To live with Bipolar Disorder
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWguFrH
CzZM

14. Schizophrenia
• A person suffering with Schizophrenia
demonstrates symptoms falling into 2
categories:
• 1. Distortions in thought content (delusions)
i.e. being persecuted; in perceptions
(hallucinations) i.e. auditory- hearing voices;
in language and thought processes (
disorganized speech); self monitoring of
behavior
• At least 2 of the following for at least a month:

15. Living with Schizophenia
• Those living with schizophrenia speak of the
difficulty with their thoughts, emotions and
trying to engage their environment.
• First symptoms usually identified by family
members; social withdrawal, loss of interest in
school/work, deterioration in hygiene,
unusual behavior, outbursts of anger
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXO4Civ0
eU

16. Substance Abuse
• This is seen as a separate disorder - significant
overlap between mental illness and
addictions.
• Those people experiencing substance abuse
disorder have shown the following in a 12
month period:
• Recurrent substance use resulting in failure to
fulfill role at work, school or home
• Recurrent use in situations which are
physically hazardous (i.e. driving a vehicle)
• Legal problems related to substance abuse

17. Living with Substance Abuse
• A man who has overcome his substance abuse
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyMzzVJC
Z-w

18. Mental Illness and Addictions
• Some people live with a psychiatric disorder and a
substance abuse disorder and/or gambling disorder.
Concurrent Disorder
• Having either one increases likelihood of having the
other
• Those people living with bipolar disorder and
schizophrenia especially vulnerable to substance abuse
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggests the
following reasons the two coexist:
• People use substances to feel better i.e. self medicate
• The effects of substances look like mental illness
• Substances cause harm in his/her life leading to
anxiety/depression
• Biological disposition to both or have experienced

19. Consequences of Mental Illness
• The diagnosis of a mental illness can be very
difficult. Trying to understand what is
happening, what treatments to take and how
this will affect the person’s school/work and
relationships with family and friends.
• Treatment can take time. Uncertainty is a
common reaction. Will this treatment work?
Will I live with this for the rest of my life? Can I
return to my role as
student/worker/caregiver? Who am I with this
illness?

20. Suicide and Mental Illness
• Those people suffering from depression, bipolar
disorder and schizophrenia are at risk for suicide
especially if their illness is untreated or
undertreated.
• Depression- likely to become 2nd leading cause of
disability by 2020. Highly linked to suicide
• Bipolar disorder creates high risk for suicide, 15 %
higher than the general population
• Schizophrenia creates 4-10% lifetime risk for
suicide
• These illnesses combined with other factors
increase the suicidal risk.
• Protection against Suicide: Effective

21. Suicide Prevention
• More openness about suicide and mental
illness
• Community awareness through Suicide
Prevention programs
• Education about suicide and the warning signs
• If have any concern about someone thinking
about suicide, let her/him know that you will
accompany them to the nearest hospital
emergency
• Get support for yourself and take care of

22. Causes of Mental Illness
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
cites that most mental illnesses are a
combination of biological factors,
psychological factors and stressful life
experiences.
• Genetic predisposition: inherited family genes
or altered genes at conception
• Childhood developmental issues
• Stressful or traumatic life events
• Alcohol, medications or illicit substances

23. Political/Sociological Factors
• Gender Differences: Women experience mental
illness differently than men-1.5 times more likely
to experience depression, more symptoms, more
physical symptoms and other mental health
issues than men
• Reasons? Biology – different brain chemistry and
hormonal cycles
• Social/Psychological – Women have been
socialized to value relationships and tend to
blame themselves . Taught to derive self esteem
from physical ideals. Internalize anger
• Trauma – women are more likely than men to
experience sexual abuse in childhood and rape in

24. Racial/Cultural Differences
• Aboriginals of Canada
• Important to understand the political,
economic and social context of the Aboriginal
people
• Compared to non-aboriginal people,
aboriginals experience higher rates of
experiences of discrimination/racism, major
depressive episodes and substance abuse with
suicide. Rates of suicide are 8 times higher for
females and 5 times higher for males than the

25. Aboriginals’ Experience
• Seven generations ago Aboriginal people lived
close to the land, to each other and in tune to the
rhythms of nature.
• British and French colonization – land taken with
the accompanying natural resources, domination
of the culture
Canadian Government defined Aboriginal Status
– disrupting families where the women could not
maintain their Status if married a non-Aboriginal
man
• Residential school system – separation of children
from their families, not permitted to speak their

26. Aboriginal Experience
• Understanding the aboriginal person
presenting with mental health issue means
understanding the way their history has
affected their opportunities for stable living
conditions, education, work and self worth.
• (Dr. Joanne McCarthy, BA(Hons), ND, Fall
2011)

27. Recovery from Mental Illness
• In the past people with mental illness often
hospitalized for long periods or indefinitely with
the main treatment being medications to control
behaviors.
• Today hospitalization is sometimes used to help
stabilize the illness and reintegrate the person
back to the community where they may continue
to see a psychiatrist or family doctor to monitor
medications and/or other mental health
professional for therapy/support. Some people
will not need hospital but the ongoing support of

28. Recovery Continued
• For many mental illnesses, psychiatric treatment
involves:
• 1. Education about the illness and treatment for
the individual and family/friend.
• 2. Psychiatric medication: finding the right
medications with the fewest side effects to
change brain function
• 3. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Trying to
change thoughts which affect feelings of anxiety
or low mood

29. Future of Mental Health
• Anti stigma programs to allow a more
compassionate approach to people who live
with mental illness
• More research to understand how the brain
functions and what treatments can heal the
brain
• Early detection so effective treatments start
early in a person’s life
• Supporting families to raise mentally healthy
children

30. How you can help?
• Creating a non-judgmental attitude towards a
person with mental illness
• Listening to her/his story and understanding
the context of the illness
• Seeing the whole person

31. References
REFERENCES
1. www.cmhaontario.ca retrieved February 2012.
2. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders. Fourth Edition, Text Revision, Washington, D.C., 2000.
3. www.mentalhealthcommission.ca retrieved February, 2012.
4. www.camh.net retrieved February 2012.
5. Mate, Gabor In the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts Vintage Canada, Random House,
Toronto, 2009.
6. McCarthy, Dr. Johanne, B.A. (Hons), ND. “The Context of Aboriginal Health in
Canada” CAND Vital Link, v. 18i3 Fall 2011, pp.35-43.
7. Pouther, Michael PhD and Hymie Anisman, PhD. How does your environment
affect your gene health and is there a link to suicidality? CASP News Volume 19
November 2010.