Introduction to the nature and impact of mental health problems

2 Introduction to the nature and impact of mental health problems





Mental health problems – frequency and impact


Mental health is described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (2007, p.1) as “a state of well being in which the individual realises his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life and can work productively and fruitfully to make a contribution to his or her community”. Yet the experience of emotional and psychological distress is a fairly common one. The majority of people will be able to identify times in their lives where they have felt overwhelmed by sadness, anxiety or emotional pain. This is important to bear in mind in any consideration of mental health problems as the issue of mental and emotional wellbeing is increasingly one for each individual, community and institution within our society. It also highlights that mental wellbeing and ill health are part of a continuum. This helps to challenge some of the beliefs within wider society that mental distress and the people who experience it are something to be feared, avoided or shunned. It is when these emotional and psychological experiences become so overwhelming as to restrict the extent to which people are able to live their daily lives, when they persist for a length of time or when they might put that person’s (or a) life at risk, that people may be diagnosed as experiencing a mental health problem and benefit from support from a mental health service or professional.


Mental health problems are a major health issue for the global community. The WHO estimates that hundreds of millions of people will experience mental health and neurological problems worldwide (WHO 2010). They also suggest that currently these problems account for the second biggest burden of illness after cardiovascular disease (WHO 2005). This highlights that mental health problems account for a significant health need and are an important area where health and social care services may impact positively on people’s lives.


It is important to bear in mind that there are always problems with the measurement of such statistics, as methods of diagnosis may differ and there may be many people in this situation who have not had support from health services. This could mean that some rates may be underestimated. Also a change in attitudes and acceptance towards some experiences may result in individuals being more likely to report this. The following section provides an overview of some of the rates of mental health problems and the implications for healthcare delivery.





Serious mental health problems


Serious mental health problems are those which often have a more complex and potentially long-lasting impact on the individual and their lives. This might involve increased support for the person in different areas such as housing, occupation and relationships. This will often involve some periods of care within an in-patient setting. People with serious mental health problems may have experiences such as hearing voices, or have distressing beliefs which are defined as outside the norm. They may have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder



Once you know where you are going for your mental health placement(s), Chapters 4 and 5 will help introduce you to the preparation for these practice areas. However, this chapter has started to introduce some basic information about the problems and challenges people using these services may face and has drawn on evidence to support this. The activity outlined below will help you build on this in relation to the area you are going to.




Suicide and self-harm


Self-harm can be used as a coping strategy to deal with emotional and psychological distress and may be used by people regardless of a diagnosis of mental health problems. However, considering people who have contact with mental health services have often experienced traumatic lives and are struggling with emotional distress, self-harm is an area where mental health nurses may offer individuals support. Self-harm is considered as a need to inflict physical wounds onto one’s own body to deal with severe and often unbearable psychological pain; the harm itself may be an attempt to cope with this and provide an emotional release. This is without intent to commit suicide (Sutton 2007). Self-harm has been described by survivors as a ‘painful but understandable’ response to distress, a form of silent scream (Pembroke 1994).



Suicide is a traumatic and devastating occurrence. However, individuals who may be having suicidal thoughts will still have a need to be valued, understood and listened to (Noonan 2009). There are particular groups who are more at risk of suicide and this includes people who self-harm.




Substance misuse


Defining problems around substance misuse and dependence can be problematic. Dependence may be physical or psychological and is generally considered as a need to continue using a substance on a regular and repeated basis (Kipping 2009). Withdrawal or lack of use could lead to experiencing physical or psychological symptoms. Some people may experience mental health problems alongside being dependent on a substance, which is described as dual diagnosis. However, support for people who are dependent on substances also tends to be provided by mental health services.


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Feb 25, 2017 | Posted by in NURSING | Comments Off on Introduction to the nature and impact of mental health problems

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