Understanding Mental Illnesses and Suicide Prevention

Mental Illness

Health condition in which negative or unhelpful feelings of thoughts become so severe they interfere with daily life. Also called a mental disorder. Common and treatable.

Anxiety Disorders

Mental illnesses in which feelings of worry and dread interfere with daily life. Unrealistic or exaggerated anxiety. Most common mental illnesses in the United States.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Mental illness characterized by difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Usually develops during childhood and can continue through adulthood.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Recurring and uncontrollable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make daily functioning difficult. Responding to obsessions (uncontrollable thoughts) with compulsions (repeated actions). No pleasure or satisfaction gained from compulsive behaviors.

Personality Disorders

Mental illnesses characterized by patterns of inappropriate behavior. Usually diagnosed in older teens and adults and may be associated with childhood trauma.

Behavioral Disorders

Disorders characterized by patterns of behavior that are disruptive or harmful.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Usually diagnosed in children. Characterized by uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior.

Conduct Disorder

Can grow into antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. Characterized by hostile and sometimes violent behavior.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

A mental illness characterized by irregular thoughts, delusions, and hallucinations. An estimated 20 percent of people who are homeless may have a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Factors Affecting Mental Illness

Events that occur even before birth, such as alcohol or drug use, poor nutrition, and trauma or complications during pregnancy, can increase a baby's risk of developing a mental illness later in life.

Learning Outcomes of Lesson 6.1

After studying this lesson, you will be able to define mental illness; analyze individual and environmental factors that influence whether a person develops a mental illness; explain how anxiety disorders are different from normal anxiety.

Learning Outcomes of Lesson 6.1 (2)

After studying this lesson, you will be able to differentiate between ADHD, executive function disorders (EFDs), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); assess the impact of different types of mood disorders.

Learning Outcomes of Lesson 6.1 (3)

After studying this lesson, you will be able to identify types of personality and behavioral disorders; list the symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders; and explain how substance-related and addictive disorders develop.

Warm-Up Activity

Make a list of what you do every day, including what you need to do as well as what you choose to do for fun. For each item, answer the question: How would being unable to do this affect my physical, mental and emotional, and social health?

ADHD and Biological Sex

Biological sex influences the symptoms a person with ADHD has. Males with ADHD typically show frequent movement, impulsivity, and physical aggression. Females with ADHD are more likely to show inattentiveness, daydreaming, low self-esteem, and verbal aggression.

Substance Use and Addictive Disorders

Involve recurrent use of substances, repetition of behaviors that lead to health issues, and inability to meet responsibilities.

Co-occurring disorders

Can occur together with other mental illnesses.

Substance Use Disorders

Mental illness in which a person continues using a substance despite negative effects on health and life.

Stages of Substance Use

Experimentation, regular use, tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

Addictive Disorders

Mental illnesses in which people develop a psychological dependence on certain processes or behaviors.

Examples of Addictive Disorders

Gambling disorder and Internet gaming disorder.

Mood Disorder

A mental illness that causes serious changes in how people feel.

Signs You Need to Seek Help

Feeling sad, angry, or just not like yourself; feeling constantly tense, worried, or on edge; experiencing difficulty paying attention, sitting still, or staying organized; using drugs, alcohol, or food to cope; experiencing a serious loss; experiencing a traumatic event; feeling you cannot do activities you used to enjoy; engaging in self-harm.

Self-Harm

Occurs when people cause injury to themselves in some way on purpose, used to cope with negative feelings or attempt to manage emotions.

Professional Help

Distinguishing symptoms that require professional help from those that do not.

Inpatient Mental Health Treatment

A type of treatment that may be necessary for some individuals.

Mental Health Medications

Types of medications used to treat mental illnesses.

Therapy

Used to treat mental illnesses.

Overcoming Barriers to Treatment

Assessing strategies for overcoming barriers to treatment.

Helping Someone with a Mental Illness

Analyzing strategies for helping someone with a mental illness.

Confidentiality in Mental Health Treatment

Mental health treatment is kept confidential.

Teen Mental Health Treatment

Teens can receive mental health treatment for some issues without consent from a parent or guardian in most states.

Locating Resources

Ask for help finding a therapist or counselor.

Inpatient Treatment

Takes place at a clinic or hospital and is used only when people are at serious risk of harming themselves or others.

Stigma

Negative, false, unfair beliefs associated with a circumstance, quality, or person.

Therapist

What kind of healthcare professional diagnoses mental illnesses and delivers therapy.

Suicide

What is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 in the US?

Suicide contagion

Term that describes the copying of suicide attempts after exposure to another person's suicide.

Survivors

People who have lost someone to suicide.

Environmental Risk Factors for Suicide

Influence of family, peers, culture, community, and the media.

Suicide clusters

Series of suicides in a particular community that occur in a relatively short period of time.

Protective Factors for Suicide

Problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, beliefs that discourage suicide, easy access to effective mental health services, family and community support, and support from medical and mental health professionals.

Coping with a Loved One's Suicide

Accept your feelings, take care of yourself, rely on friends and family members, join a support group, and talk to a professional.

Myth

Mental illnesses are not real health conditions.

Fact

On the contrary, mental illnesses are as real and have as real of an impact on health as physical illnesses.

Warning signs of suicide

What are the warning signs that can indicate a person is considering suicide?

Cost of Treatment

Often covered by health insurance; free or low-cost services offered by some mental health clinics.

Intervene

What to do if you suspect someone intends to attempt suicide or hurt someone else.

Support for Survivors

Survivors often feel anger, guilt, and sadness and may not get the support they need.

Stages of Grief

The stages of grief do not happen the same way, in the same order, or for the same amount of time for all people.

Building Self-Esteem

Use skills to build your self-esteem, shift to a positive mind-set, and manage stress.

Promoting a Positive Environment

Build supportive, healthy relationships and communicate effectively.

Getting Help

Always take thoughts of suicide very seriously and do not keep this a secret.