Mental health & mental illness

According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is a state of emotional and social well-being in which a person can fulfil his or her abilities, cope with normal stresses of life, work productively or fruitfully and be able to make a contribution to his or her community. With sound mental health, we feel good in ourselves and are able to get on with our life smoothly. Whereas problems with mental health can affect our feelings, thoughts and actions as well as our performance and enjoyment in a range of life areas (e.g. school, work and relationships).

Mental health problems are common health complaints that may cause distress and can interfere with our enjoyment of life.  Feeling down, tense, angry and being anxious are symptoms of a mental health problem. We all suffer from mental health problems over the course of life. They are usually understandable reactions to personal and social problems and are not too severe or long lasting.

What is mental illness?

When mental health problems continue for long periods of time and begin to severely affect a person's daily life it is possible a mental illness has developed. Mental illness refers to a range of specific conditions, which affect a person's thoughts, feelings, actions and mental functioning. It is usually more severe and longer lasting than mental health problems and causes more distress and disruption to a person's life. Where a mental health problem ends and a mental illness begins, is often hard to judge. There are many different types of mental illness and each has its own specific pattern of symptoms.

What are the signs?

Although mental illness can occur at any age, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and psychotic illnesses often commence in adolescence or early adult life. Most illnesses develop gradually over a period of weeks or months, however, some develop quite quickly, usually as a result of a stressful life event. These may be one-off problems, occur on a recurring (episodic) basis through out a person's life, or lead to ongoing persistent illness.

What are the causes of mental illness?

There can be no single cause for mental illness. It is usually a combination of genetic predisposition, personality traits, environmental conditions, current stress levels and coping styles.

How is mental illness treated?

Depending upon the onset, duration and characteristics of the mental illness, it can be treated via counselling (from a psychologist, psychiatrist or trained counsellor) or medication. A combination of counselling and medication has been seen to be very effective in treating psychological disorders.

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