Interwork Limited presents

Practical Trainingfor Carers

Mental Health Awareness

Group Rules

Respect opinions

Let people have their say

Respect confidentiality, anything personal discussed

must stay within the group.

Mental Health Awareness

AIM

To give a basic understanding of Mental Health and Mental Illness.

Activity 1

Leaders, scientists, authors and artists

Celebrities Leaders Scientists Authors Artists

JimCarrey

Winston Churchill

JohnNash

GraemeGreen

VincentVan Gogh

FrankBruno

AlexanderThe Great

StephenHawking

SamuelBecket

JacksonPollack

Sting NapoleonBonaparte

IsaacNewton

ErnestHemingway

EdwardLear

EllenDeGeneres

OliverCromwell

Sir CharlesDarwin

VictorHugo

BuzzAldrin

RichardNixon

CarlPaul Link

HenryJames

INTRODUCTION

TO

MENTAL HEALTH

Activity 2

MYTH OR FACT

Complete the

Fact or Myth Quiz

What is Mental Health?

What keeps us Mentally Healthy?

Who is Affected by Mental Health?

Mental health affects us all

and it is important that we

recognise our own

vulnerabilities.

Definition

Mental illness

Diagnosable Identifiable group of symptoms/behaviours Significant interference

Statistically

how many people will have a

mental health problem

in the course of a year?

Activity 3

One in five Australians will suffer a mental health condition in any given year

14.4% of Australians will suffer from an anxiety disorder in any given year

6.2% of Australians will suffer from a mood or affective disorder in any given year

Annual cost of mental illness in Australia was estimated to be $20 billion in 2007

(ABS Australian Social Trends, 2008 – Mental Health)

What causes Mental Illness?

Research

Combination of factors Genetics Brain chemistry Environmental factors

Physical and mental health linked

Substance abuse

Causes of Mental Illness

Mental Illness

Biological Factors: Chemical imbalance in

brain, Genetics, Brain injury, Chronic illness, Medication

Psychological Factors:Poor Self-esteemNegative thinking

Social factors:Family conflict

PovertyUnemployment

Poor housingHaving a baby

Infertility

Events in Childhood:Violence and abuseEmotional neglect

Death of parent

ATTITUDES

TOWARD

MENTAL ILLNESS

Stigma

and

Mental Illness

Activity 4

Attitudes

It is easy to understand why many people with a history of mental health problems keep quiet about it.

Workplace and stigma

Attitudes Continued……

In a Survey by The Mental Health Foundation in 2000

42% of people with mental health problems didn’t tell members of their family

22% didn’t tell their partners

74% didn’t mention it on forms

19% didn’t even tell their General Practitioner (GP)

SELF AND PERCEIVED STIGMA

Involves negative attitudes about yourself and what others think about you

Barriers to seeking help

Food for Thought!

If we don’t change the way we think, someday one of us may

be on the receiving end of this stigma.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

OF

COMMON MENTAL ILLNESS

Mental illnesses

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

Bipolar

Schizophrenia.

Anxiety

Anxiety - Facts

25% of the population experience anxiety disorders and will require treatment

25% more will experience less severe anxieties

2007 – Anxiety Disorders most common mental health issue for those aged between 16 to 85 (ABS, 2009-2010 Year Book)

Is Stress

the same

as Anxiety?

Stress

Stress is necessary part of life

May manifest in physical, mental and/or emotional responses

Perception is usually negative

Stress and Anxiety Correlation

Inability to fight or flee from perceived danger

Inability to return to previous non-aroused physiological state

Stored stress hormones

Reduced ability to think clearly and concentrate

Excessive stress levels lead to Anxiety

Common Anxiety Disorders

Disorder Males Females

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) 2% 4%

Panic Disorder 2% 3%

Agoraphobia 2% 4%

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) 2% 2%

Social Phobia 4% 6%

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 5% 8%

Source: ABS, 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Approximately 5% Australians will experience Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Most common

Disproportionate excessive and uncontrollable worry

Brains do not switch off

DEPRESSION

Depressed Mood or Depression?

4.1% of Australians will experience major depressive disorder in any given year

Age of onset generally 25 years

Around 160,000 Australian youth live with depression

Most common mental illness for young people

Not a sad or low mood

Comorbid with anxiety and/or substance abuse disorders

Causes

Family history

Stressful event/s

Giving birth

Abuse or bullying

Low confidence at school/work

Family

Poor self esteem

Not getting on with friends or family

Stress

Inability to cope

Lack of support

Debt

Putting yourself down

Loneliness

Words to Avoid!

“Snap out of it”. “She is putting it on”. “Pull yourself together”. “Cheer up”. “You’re bringing everyone down”. “Don’t be so soft”.

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar Disorder

Once called Manic Depression

2% Australians will experience Bipolar Disorder

Typified by extreme mood swings

At least one episode of mania

Episodes of depression which may become Major

Major episodes leave person feeling great despair, in some cases suicidal

Periods of ‘normal’ mood between episodes

Two polarities/poles

Bipolar I or II

Mania

Elevated mood

Inhibitions

Energy

Racing thoughts

Many ideas

Little need for sleep

Rapid speech

Difficulty focussing

Frustration and irritability

Bipolar I and II

Bipolar I

One or more manic episodes; often one or more major depressive episodes

May last several weeks to several months

Alternates with intense manic symptoms

‘Normal’ health in-between

Season affects

Bipolar II

Same symptomology as Bipolar I

Manic Episodes not as extreme

CausesMultiple factors

Hereditary

Environmental

Job changes

Living arrangement

Family/relationship problems

Abuse

Trauma

Grief

Major life transitions

Physical

SCHIZOPHRENIA

Activity 5

What does the term

Schizophrenia

mean to you?

Schizophrenia

Firstly and most importantly Schizophrenia is not

a split personality.

This idea the behavior and personality of people with Schizophrenia swing dramatically between normal and dangerously disturbed, is not true.

An experience

Schizophrenia

It is a complex mental disorder thought to be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

May result in distorted thinking and behaviour Hallucinations Delusions Social withdrawal.

Schizophrenia

How many people are affected?

One in a 100 people develops schizophrenia at some time in their life.

However with support and treatment many people recover and lead normal everyday lives.

POSITIVE

MENTAL HEALTH

AND

SUPPORT

10 TIPS TO POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH

1.Connect with others

2.Take time to enjoy

3.Participate and share interests

4.Contribute to your community

5.Take care of yourself………

10 TIPS TO POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH continued…

6. Challenge yourself

7. Deal with stress

8. Rest and refresh

9. Notice the here and now

10. Ask for help.

WHERE TO GET HELP?

General Practitioner (GP) - Family Doctor

Mental Health Services

Mental Health Professionals

Telephone Help Lines

Websites

Activity 6

Group work- case studies

Activity 7

What am I going to do now

to improve my mental health

and the mental health of others?

Final Thought!

For centuries people with mental health illness were kept away from the rest of society, sometimes locked up, often in poor conditions, with little or no say in running their lives.

Today, negative attitudes lock them out of society more subtly but just as effectively.

RECAP

Evaluate the information you have received in

Mental Health Awareness.