Mental Illness and Mental Health

Mental Illness and Mental Health

1) What are your values, beliefs, attitudes and judgments towards mental illness and mental health?
Mental health is tied to general well-being of individuals. Mental illness takes place when one is psychologically unable to successfully function in society and requires some form of intervention or treatment. The underlying causes of mental illness can be congenital, or acquired by disorders in metabolism (endocrine), degeneration, trauma, or drug use. This can be manifested either in symptoms of emotional distress or in abnormal behavior.
Most mental disorders can be broadly classified as either psychoses or neuroses. Psychoses (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) are major mental illnesses characterized by severe symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and an inability to evaluate reality in an objective manner. Neuroses are less severe and more treatable illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and paranoia as well as obsessive-compulsive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders. The presentation of mental illness can vary among individuals despite being given the same diagnoses.

2) Share your own perceptions of mental illness.
In Hong Kong’s fast paced, stressful society, the incidence of mental illness is increasing and deserves more attention. However, there is comparatively lack of funding and manpower in the research and treatment of mental disorder. Therefore, these disorders can be under-diagnosed, and many individuals who genuinely need help do not receive the proper pharmaceutical and psychological support they need.
Besides, public knowledge and recognition of mental illnesses is still lacking, despite an increasing recognition and acceptance of mentally impaired individuals in the workplace and society. The mentally impaired individuals are still stereotyped by being labeled as a “mentally-impaired” individual. The stigma towards them deprives their right to seek treatment and to be accepted in the...

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