The Prevalence Of Mental Illness - 1182 Words

Silent but deadly as the saying goes. This phrase is used when describing something aggressive or violent that also has an element of surprise, such as a predator stalking its prey, or a stealth bomber in warfare. This phrase could also be applied to mental illness, as many illnesses such as anorexia have frighteningly high mortality rates but often go undetected or undiagnosed for extended periods of time. In addition to their danger, mental illnesses are widespread, with 21.4% of youth experiencing a severe mental disorder at some point during their life (National Alliance of Mental Illness, 2016). The prevalence of mental illness has raised questions of how better to provide healthcare to populations like young people and†¦show more content†¦Mentalhealth.gov defines mental health as including â€Å"emotional, psychological, and social well-being†. A mental illness, or psychological disorders, is, as Barlow and Durand define it, a â€Å"psychological dysfunct ion within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected† (2), and psychological dysfunction is defined as â€Å"a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning† (2). Before the 19th century, mental disorders were largely attributed to supernatural forces such as demons and witches. Treatment was often exorcism, beatings, and other torturous and inhumane practices. But, during the 19th century, there began more and more a search for a biological basis of disorders as well as an attempt to distinguish between different disorders by figures such as Emil Kraepelin. Then, after the mid-19th century, Dorothea Dix spearheaded what is known known as the mental hygiene movement, when she campaigned for reform of the treatment of mental insanity, as current conditions were deplorable. Moving forward, Sigmund Freud and Ivan Pavlov furthered the field of psychology through Freudâ₠¬â„¢s psychoanalytic model and Pavlov’s study of classical conditioning. In 1950, the â€Å"first effective drugs for severe psychotic disorders [were] developed† (Barlow, Durand, 26). Over the course of the last 60 years, the field of psychology hasShow MoreRelatedThe Prevalence Of Mental Illness1348 Words   |  6 PagesMental illness is increasingly being recognized as a challenge faced by many Canadians. The Mental Health Strategy for Canada estimates that ‘in any given year, one in five people in Canada experiences a mental health problem or illness’. (Bartram et al., 2012) The prevalence of mental illness is not exclusive to the Canadian population and it is estimated that these figures are rising. In 2004, the World Health Organization ranked major depression as third in terms of the overall burden of diseasesRead MoreEssay about Prevalence of Mental Illness in our Criminal Justice System2057 Words   |  9 Pages The Prevalence of Mental Illness in our Criminal Justice System Introduction Mental Illness has been prevalent all throughout our history from Isaac Newton to Abraham Lincoln to Sylvia Plath and so on. These illnesses can be as minor as a slight bipolar disorder or as severe as schizophrenia. In recent years, mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent in our criminal justice systems than anywhere else. Mental illness is becoming an association with crime and based on the information that hasRead MoreMental Health : Mental Illness1604 Words   |  7 PagesMENTAL HEALTH REPORT 1.Prevalence is the number of cases of disease in a given population* and is defined with epidemiological data. Mental health is a person’s psychological well-being. 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The information they all share in common are the factors why a specific type of population became homeless. The interrelation of homelessness and mental illness are informed by many factors such as; the lack of support, extreme poverty, substance abuse, lack of affordable health insurance, and lack of affordable housing. The homeless population shares different struggles when dealing with homelessness and mental illnesses because there areRead MoreMental Illness Of Mental Health Disorders1590 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen gathered on mental illnesses and their prevalence. Before around the 1980’s though, the evidence that was gathered on mental illnesses was too inconsistent to be credible. In a survey conducted by the World Health Organization’s department of World Mental Health, data was gathered on the prevalence of mental health disord ers in 14 countries around the world. The results of these surveys conclude that mental health disorders are more prevalent than any other chronic illness. The author of theRead MoreDescriptive Epidemiology Of Major Depressive Disorder In Canada1111 Words   |  5 Pagessurvey called Canadian Community Health Study - Mental Health (CCHS-MH) to evaluate Major Depressive Disorder among their participants. CCHS-MH is an adaptation of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostics. They had a sample of 25, 113 individuals who went through a computer assisted personal interviewer. Their participants were at least 15 years old. In the context of gender, this study states that the prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder was higher in womenRead MoreTragedy of Tormented Teenagers: Mental Illness Hits One in Four1429 Words   |  6 PagesMany young Australians suffer from mental illness and are exposed to serious risk of harm. It is found that more tha n one in four teenagers suffer a mental illness and most are not identified or treated (Mcdougall, 2013). Mental illness is the largest risk factor that causes suicidal behaviour and serious psychological distress in young people (Australian Government, 2013). According to Mcdougall (2013), the life expectancy for people with mental illness is 15 to 20 year lower than other AustraliansRead MoreDepression Is A Highly Prevalent Mental Disorder With Estimates1690 Words   |  7 PagesDepression is a highly prevalent mental disorder with estimates indicating that it affects up to 6.7 percent of the United States population age eighteen and older in a given year for Major Depression and 1.5 percent for Persistent Depressive Disorder. The prevalence of mental disorders is the greatest among those who are ages 16 to 24 years of age (ADAA, 2016). The prevalence of youth with mood disorders is 11%, with nearly 50% of youth aged 8 to 15 did not receive mental health services in the previousR ead MoreThe Importance Of Mental Disorders In The Prison System1288 Words   |  6 PagesIn addition, persons with mental disorders are clearly overrepresented in the prison system, when compared to rates of persons in the community with mental disorders, studies found â€Å"that prevalence estimates were three to 12 times higher than in community samples, reaching as high as 64%,† (Prins, S. J., 2014, p. 862) with â€Å"prevalence† being defined as the commonness or occurrence of a mental disorder. The reasoning behind this skewed representation has continually puzzled researchers and led to