Mental Disorder
What is mental health?
Mental health is essential at every stage of our lives, from childhood, adolescence through adulthood and older adulthood . Our Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being which affects how we think, feel, and act. Our mental health also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choice.
What is mental illness?
A mental illness is a health problem affecting people’s thoughts, mood, behaviour or the way they perceive the world around them.
Mental illness can lead to one experiencing distress and may affect the person’s ability to function at work, in relationships or in everyday tasks.
Mental illnesses ranges from mild disorders lasting a few weeks through to severe illnesses that can be life-long and cause serious disability if not addressed on time.
What are the types of mental illness?
There are many different types of mental illness. Some of the main groups of mental disorders are:
Mood Disorders ( such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders
Psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia)
- Eating disorders
- Trauma-related disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Substance abuse disorders
Nearly 300 mental disorders are listed in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). This is a handbook published by the American Psychiatric Association. It is used by health professionals to help identify and diagnose mental illness.
The diagnosis of mental illness can be controversial. There have been many debates in the medical community about what is and isn’t a mental illness.
The definition can be influenced by our society and culture, but most mental illnesses occur across all countries and cultures. This suggests that they are not just constructed by social norms and expectations, but have a biological and psychological basis too.
What are the symptoms of mental illness?
Each type of mental illness has a different set of symptoms. For example, extreme dieting may be a sign that someone has an eating disorder. Hearing voices could be a sign of psychosis. An ongoing feeling of hopelessness after childbirth could be a sign of postnatal depression. People with anxiety will have excessive worry or fears, and people with depression will have a lasting sadness or low mood.
Drastic changes in a person’s thoughts, moods or behaviour can be a sign they have a mental illness. Changes can be sudden or come on gradually over a long period. A person who usually copes well with life may start to have trouble functioning at work or in normal activities due to a mental illness.
Here are some signs of mental illness to look out for:
CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS
Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
The symptoms of mental illness can come and go throughout a person’s life. Refer to the specific topics on this site for more detailed information.
What causes mental illness?
Researchers are still trying to understand what causes mental illness. There is no one cause — it can happen due to a mix of factors including genetics, how your brain works, how you grew up, your environment, your social group, your culture and life experience.
Some examples of these factors include:
- Genetic factors: having a close family member with a mental illness can increase the risk. However, just because one family member has a mental illness doesn't mean that others will.
- Drug and alcohol abuse: illicit drug use can trigger a manic episode (bipolar disorder) or an episode of psychosis. Drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines can cause paranoia.
- Other biological factors: some medical conditions or hormonal changes.
- Early life environment: negative childhood experiences such as abuse or neglect can increase the risk of some mental illnesses.
- Trauma and stress: in adulthood, traumatic life events or ongoing stress such as social isolation, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, financial or work problems can increase the risk of mental illness. Traumatic experiences such as living in a war zone can increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Personality factors: some traits such as perfectionism or low self-esteem can increase the risk of depression or anxiety.
When should I see my doctor?
Seeing a doctor is the first step to getting treated and returning to good mental health. If you’re concerned that you might be experiencing a mental illness, book an appointment with a doctor today.
FIND A HEALTH SERVICE
The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.
How is mental illness diagnosed?
Mental illness can be diagnosed by talking to a doctor in detail about your symptoms. There are generally no blood tests or brain scans that can confirm a mental illness, although these tests may be useful in ruling out other possible causes of the symptoms.
Assessment will include questions about your thoughts, mood and behaviours. It may be helpful to bring along a family member or carer. Questionnaires are sometimes used, although a diagnosis should not be made on the basis of a questionnaire alone.
The symptoms of different mental illnesses are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This manual is used by doctors to decide which mental illness you have.
It may be necessary to get a referral to a psychiatrist, psychologist or other specialized service for further assessment and treatment.
How is mental illness treated?
Mental illness is treatable, and most people with mental illness recover to live productive and happy lives.
The treatment is different for each type of mental illness and can vary according to the individual, the severity of the illness and past history of illness.
The main types of treatment include:
- Psychological therapy: there are many different types of psychotherapy, including supportive therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal therapy, group, couple and family therapy.
- Medicines: the most commonly prescribed medicines are antidepressants, which can be used for anxiety or depression. Mood stabilisers are used for bipolar disorder, and antipsychotic medicines are used for schizophrenia or psychosis.
- Lifestyle changes: exercise is known to help relieve or prevent anxiety or depression. Avoiding illicit drugs and alcohol is also recommended, as is a healthy diet and good nutrition.
- Complementary therapies: relaxation strategies, meditation or other therapies may be helpful to restore good mental health.
If severe, or a person is at risk of suicide, then treatment may involve hospital assessment and maybe admission.
ASK YOUR DOCTOR
Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.
Can mental illness be prevented?
Good mental health can be boosted by positive things in life such as:
Complications of mental illness
Mental illness can attract stigma and discrimination, which can be 2 of the biggest problems for a person with these disorders. Up to 1 in 10 people with mental illness dies by suicide.
Resources and support
A good first step is to talk to people you trust, such as a partner, friend or colleague. You can also seek professional support, for example, from your doctor a psychologist or a counsellor. These health professionals are all trained to help people going through mental health difficulties.
Where to get help
We provide Telephone or online mental screening health resources if you aren’t able to access a health service, or find talking to someone face-to-face difficult. Here are some telephone and online resources to try:
What is mental illness stigma?
In relation to mental illness, stigma is when someone is marked or discredited somehow, or reduced from being a whole person to being a stereotype or labelled as a collection of symptoms or a diagnosis (e.g. ‘psychotic’).
The meaning of the word stigma is a mark, a stain or a blemish.
People with mental illness may face stigma — they may be viewed in a negative way, treated differently, and made to feel ashamed or worthless, as if they are somehow less than other people. Stigma can also lead to discrimination, and this in turn can make mental illness worse.
What are examples of mental illness stigma?
When someone with a mental illness is called ‘dangerous’, ‘crazy’ or ‘incompetent’ rather than unwell, it is an example of a stigma.
It’s also stigma when a person with mental illness is mocked or called weak for seeking help.
Stigma often involves inaccurate stereotypes. People with mental illness may be characterised as being more violent than the rest of society. A person with anxiety may be labelled as being cowardly rather than having an illness. People with depression may be told to ‘snap out of it’. People living with schizophrenia are incorrectly described as having a ‘split personality’. These are all examples of stigma against people with mental illness.
Why does stigma exist?
Stigma arises from a lack of understanding of mental illness (ignorance and misinformation), and also because some people have negative attitudes or beliefs towards it (prejudice). This can lead to discrimination against people with mental illness. Even some mental health professionals have negative beliefs about the people they care for.
Media can also play a part in reinforcing a stigma by:
For example, if a part of the media associates mental illness with violence, that promotes the myth that all people with a mental illness are dangerous. In fact, research shows people with mental illness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence.
How does stigma affect people with mental illness?
A person who is stigmatised may be treated differently and excluded from many things the rest of society takes for granted, leaving them marginalised.
They may become labelled by their illness, and so become vulnerable to prejudice and discrimination.
Dealing with the effects of prejudice and discrimination is distressing and can exacerbate mental illness. Many people say dealing with this is harder than dealing with mental illness itself.
People with mental illness may also take on board the prejudiced views held by others, which can affect their self-esteem. They may feel ashamed or embarrassed. This can lead them to not seek treatment, to withdraw from society, to alcohol and drug abuse or even to suicide.
Stigma can lead people with mental illness to be discriminated against and miss out on work or housing, be bullied, excluded from social groups, or become a victim of violence. Some cultures have an inbuilt stigma against mental health issues, and this can make it difficult for a person to seek and get help and may give rise to shame. Mental Health Australia runs the Embrace Project, which offers resources and support for mental health services for consumers and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
How to deal with stigma
Here are some ways to deal with stigma.
Use facts
Mental illness is common. It is not a sign of weakness. Learn some useful facts and figures, and tell people about it.
Defend negative stereotypes and misinformation
Set the record straight when you hear false or negative information. You can report examples of mental illness stigma you see in the media to SANE StigmaWatch.
Tell your story (if you want)
The more mental illness remains hidden, the more people think it must be something to be ashamed of. People speaking out can have a positive impact. You can choose how much you reveal about your life. When people get to know someone with mental illness it helps reduce stigma.
Join a support group
You may find it helpful to join a support group of one of the mental health organisations. It can be useful to meet others in the same situation, and support groups often have resources that may help educate family members and others about mental illness. Reducing stigma
Everyone can help reduce stigma about mental illness.
When negative stereotypes come up in conversation or in the media, you can actively dispel myths and educate people against harmful, inaccurate stereotyping. Report examples of stigma you see in the media to SANE StigmaWatch.
Be mindful about the words you use when describing yourself or others, avoiding insensitive and hurtful words, and words which define a person by their condition. Speak up when you hear people make inappropriate comments about mental illness. People living with mental illness should be respected and accepted just like everyone else.
People with mental health problems are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as everybody else. Challenge it if you see examples of discrimination or of bullying. Discrimination in the workplace against someone with mental health issues is against the law in Australia under the Disability Discrimination Act.
Resources and support
If you suffer from stigma or know someone who does, help is available from:
If you want to learn more about how to deal with stigma or report stigma, visit the SANE Australia website. You can report stigma by filling out an online report form or calling SANE StigmaWatch on (03) 9682 5933.
Mental Health Australia’s Embrace Project offers resources and support for mental health services for consumers and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For immediate counselling assistance, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Sources:
SANE Australia (The SANE guide to reducing stigma), National Mental Health Commission (Strengthening community understanding), BeyondBlue (Stigma and discrimination associated with depression and anxiety), Healthy WA (Stigma?), Mental Health Council of Australia (Consumer and carer experiences of stigma from mental health and other health professionals), Queensland Government (Understanding mental health), SANE Australia (Legal rights and responsibilities)