Essay Defining Mental Health and Mental Illness Article – Management Assignment Help

Assignment Task:

Task:

Introduction In this chapter we explore the concepts of mental health and mental illness from different perspectives, including those relating to children, and of children. This is important as those who work in mental health, or are familiar with the field, often make the assumption that the terms used are readily understood by others. The scale of the problem and access to services is outlined. We then discuss stigma generally, explore the reasons for it and possible sequelae, and then consider how this relates to children. Finally, interventions to reduce stigma are briefly presented. As mentioned in the Introduction, where possible we have referred specifically to the literature relating to children but where this is limited we have drawn from the wider literature to highlight key issues. The chapter begins with an exercise which provides a practical context for the theoretical content and should be borne in mind as you read, and answered once you have finished the chapter. Box 1.1 Exercise General questions

• What words or images do you associate with the following terms:

• Mental health

• Mental health problems

• Mental illness

• Mental disorder

• What sorts of problems do people experience that could be described as mental health problems or mental illness?

• How would you be able to tell if someone was experiencing mental health problems or mental illness? 1 Case scenarios and associated questions Please read each senario and then consider the following questions in relation to it: • What do you think might be happening with the young person?

• Do you think the young person has a mental health problem or illness? If so, on what grounds would you justify that decision?

• Do they need help?

• If so, who and/or what might be helpful?

• How might this be helpful? Case scenario 1 Jack, aged 9, lives with his mother and younger brother. His father unexpectedly left the family a year ago. Jack started a new school six months ago and is having difficulty settling in. He complains of tummy ache each school morning and is increasingly reluctant to attend.

Case scenario 2 Emily, aged 14, lives with her parents, who are both busy professionals. She works hard, achieves A-grades and plans to be a lawyer. Recently she has been teased by her friends about her weight and has decided to go on a strict diet. She is pleased with the results so far and plans to continue eating little, making herself sick after meals and exercising a lot. Case scenario 3 Joshua, aged 15, lives with his dad and stepmother. He has little contact with his mum or younger brother and sister. Recently he has been cautioned by the police for joy-riding in stolen cars with his mates. He prefers to spend time smoking dope with older boys rather than going to school. Defining mental health and mental illness Clarity is essential when using the terms ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’. In all phases of a recent small-scale research project, conceptual confusion was identified in the literature review and among participants (Leighton 2008). Ironically, referring to mental illness in terms of mental health originated in the 1960s in an attempt to reduce stigma (Rowling et al. 2002). There is no widely agreed consensus on the meaning of these terms and their use. Mental health and mental illness can be perceived as two separate, yet related, issues.