Understanding Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Person-first language

Prioritizing the person over the illness in language

Respect

Demonstrating respect for individuals seeking or receiving services

Economic costs of mental illness

Staggering costs, ranking first in illnesses causing disability

Untreated mental illnesses

Can lead to suicidal outcomes, surpassing deaths from murder or war

Cost of U.S. substance abuse in 2000

$160.7 billion, impacting healthcare and productivity

Addiction

Characterized as a disease, treatable with effective treatments

Stages of substance use

Use, Misuse, Abuse, Dependence/Addiction

Brain's pleasure circuit in addiction

Activated by addictive substances causing biological changes

Age of trying mood-altering substances

Adolescence, around ages 12 to 15

Theories of addiction causes

Clinical, Social, Medical/Biological, Biopsychosocial

Clinical theory of substance use

Using substances to cope with personal problems like low self-esteem

Social causes of substance use

Inclusion in a group, acceptance in certain circles

Medical/biological view of addiction

Viewed as a disease, comparable to diabetes

Biopsychosocial theory

Combination of biological, psychological, and social influences

Types of mind-altering drugs

Stimulants, Depressants, Narcotics, Cannabis, Hallucinogens, Inhalants

Purpose of stimulants

Relieve tiredness and increase alertness

Stimulant present in tobacco

Nicotine

Most widely used depressant

Alcohol

Purpose of narcotics in medicine

Relieve pain

Types of cannabis

Marijuana and Hashish

Short-term effects of cannabis

Problems with memory and distorted perception

Hallucinogens

Drugs that change how a person sees and understands

Inhalants

Substances inhaled for pleasure, dangerous to use

Mental disorders

Problems in thinking, feeling, or behaving

DSM-IV-TR

Establishes standards for diagnosing substance abuse and mental health disorders

Major types of mental disorders

Anxiety Disorders, Psychosis, Mood Disorders, Personality Disorders

Anxiety

Being very nervous, tense, or feeling fearful

Psychosis

A thought disorder involving difficulty distinguishing reality

Mood disorders

Conditions affecting feelings like sadness, anger, or happiness

Personality disorders

Disturbed patterns in thinking and relating to others

Mental health problems in children

Emotional disturbance

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

Lack of emotional attachment in children due to negligent care

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Disorder involving overactivity and attention difficulties in children

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Pattern of negative, defiant behavior in children

Conduct Disorder

Diagnosis for youth consistently ignoring others' rights and rules

Co-occurring disorders

Conditions where substance use and mental disorders coexist

Dually diagnosed

Term for a person with both mental illness and developmental disability

Challenges of co-occurring disorders

Lead to severe and lasting problems

Risk and protective factors

Interaction between biology and environment

Resiliency

Traits helping individuals bounce back from negative events

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)

Primary manual for diagnosing mental disorders

Risk factors for mental disorders

Genetic predisposition, unhealthy environment, stressful circumstances

Heredity and mental disorders

Genetic predisposition may increase susceptibility

Reactive Attachment Disorder

Associated with lack of emotional attachment in early childhood

Clinical definition of ADHD

Overactivity, attention difficulties, and impulsivity in children

Characteristics of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Persistent negative, defiant behavior in children

Purpose of stimulants in drug classification

Relieve tiredness, increase alertness, and induce euphoria

Danger of inhalant use

Slows down body functions, particularly breathing and heart rate

Diagnosing mental health

Observing behaviors and using criteria from the DSM, with interpretations varying among clinicians