1008 - Personality and Mental Health

Definition of incidence

New cases occuring over a specific time

Incidence Formula

New cases / population at risk

Definition of prevalence

Total cases

Prevalence Formula

Total cases / total population

Social costs of mental illness

stigma and reduced quality of life

Economic costs of mental illness

healthcare expenditure and lost productivity

UK annual economic cost of mental illness

£300 billion

Global cost of health-care spending on brain disorders

$1.7 trillion

Features of mental illness

distress, dysfunction and impairment

Challenges in defining normality

subjective, cultural relivitity, changing standard, individual differences

WHO definition of mental health

State of mental well-being, enables people to cope with life stresses, realise abilities, learn and work well and contribute to community

Mental disorder

Syndrome characterised by clinically significant disturbance in an individuals cognition, emotion regulation or behaviour, reflects dysfunction in the psychological, biological or developmental processes underlying mental functioning

Supernatural Theory

Possession by evil spirits, displeasure of gods, curses, sin, eclipses, planetary gravitation

Somatogenic Theory

Disturbances in physical function, resulting from illness, genetics, brain damage or imbalance

Psychogenic Theory

Trauma or stressful experience, maladaptive conditions, distorted perceptions

Change from ‘madhouses’ to asylums to communities

Social and political changes to improve conditions, links to diagnosis and treatment, changing views