Mental Health

1. Understanding
Master Teacher II

2. What is
Mental Health?
Mental health refers to the maintenance of
successful mental activity.
Mary Ann Lim
This includes maintaining productive daily activities
and maintaining fulfilling relationships with others.
It also includes maintaining the abilities to
adapt to change and to cope with stresses.

3. Mary Ann Lim
It is definitely NOT easy
being a teenager!
Sometimes it’s tough to avoid
feeling stressed, and pressure
can build up in many areas of
life (socially, in school, at home,
and while making big life decisions)

4. Mary Ann Lim
Worrying about these
pressures is NORMAL.
But feeling VERY sad,
hopeless or worthless
might be a sign of a
mental health problem.

5. Mary Ann Lim
Mental illness can occur when the brain
(or part of the brain) is not working well
or is working in the wrong way.

6. Mary Ann Lim
When the brain is not working properly,
one or more of its 6 functions will be disrupted
Thinking
Perception
Emotion Signaling
Physical
Behavior

7. Mary Ann Lim
Symptoms can include
Thinking difficulties
or problems
focusing attention
Extreme emotional
High and low
Sleep problems

8. Mary Ann Lim
When these symptoms
significantly disrupt a person’s life,
we say that the person has a
mental disorder
or a mental illness.

9. Mary Ann Lim
So, what are the
CAUSES
of mental illness??

10. Mary Ann Lim
Well, the causes of mental illness are
COMPLICATED!!
Genetics Environment Brain
Disorder

11. Mary Ann Lim
The symptoms of mental illness are a
result of abnormal brain functioning.
Mental illness is a brain
disorder.
Mental illness is rarely if
ever caused by stress alone

12. Mary Ann Lim
 It is not the consequence of poor
parenting or bad behavior.
 It is not the result of personal
weakness or deficits in personality.
 It is not the manifestation of
malevolent spiritual intent.
 Only in exceptional cases is it caused
by nutritional factors.
 It is not caused by poverty.

13. Mary Ann Lim
Many mental illnesses begin
during childhood and
persist into adolescence.
Some of these include:
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD

14. Mary Ann Lim
BUT… some illnesses begin
during adolescence.
The illnesses that most often
begin during adolescence
include:
● Major Depression (MD) ● Schizophrenia
● Bipolar Disorder (BD) ● Panic disorder
● Eating disorder ● Addiction
● Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
● Social Anxiety Disorder

15. Mary Ann Lim
What do we know about people
with mental illnesses?

16. Mary Ann Lim
Mental health problems can be treated!
If you feel VERY sad, stressed or worried, it might help to
talk to someone about how you are feeling.

17. Mary Ann Lim
Do you ever…
Often feel very angry or very worried?
 Do reckless things that could harm you or others?
 Feel grief for a long time after a loss or a death?
 Think your mind is controlled or out of control?
 Use alcohol or drugs?
 Exercise, diet and/or binge-eat obsessively?
 Hurt other people or destroy property?

18. Mary Ann Lim
If you feel any of these
things, it might help to talk
to a parent, teacher, school
counselor or physician.

19. Thank You!