Most mental health professionals believe that there are a variety of contributing factors to the onset of a mental illness. Studies have found that there are physical, social, environmental and psychological causes for mental illness. Physical causes (Biological factors) Each individual’s own genetic make-up can contribute to being at risk of developing a mental…
We know there’s still a lot of questions out there in the behavioral health community about which ICD-10 diagnostic codes to use for mental health diagnoses. From what we understand, some insurance payers are still determining which behavioral health codes are billable and non-billable ICD-10 codes. We see that there is a lot of healthy debate happening among…
Fact 1: Health inequities are systematic differences in health outcomes Health inequities are differences in health status or in the distribution of health resources between different population groups, arising from the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. Health inequities are unfair and could be reduced by the right mix of government…
There are factors that can place an individual at risk for poor mental health. Individuals that utilize negative coping skills are less able to deal with stress. Use of negative coping skills can threaten an individual s mental and physical health. It is important to maintain both good psychological well being and physical health because the two are so closely…
White HouseAmong other things, the gun-related executive actions that President Obama is announcing today aim to increase mental health treatment and reporting to the background check system. To put it another way, the president wants to encourage more people with mental problems to seek professional help while increasing the likelihood that doing so will…
Some changes in your nails are due to medical conditions that need attention. See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms: discoloration (dark streaks, white streaks, or changes in nail color) changes in nail shape (curling or clubbing) changes in nail thickness (thickening or thinning) nails that become brittle nails that are pitted bleeding around nails…
Mental Health America takes a unique approach to policy. MHA believes policy should ask people what they need to live the lives they want, and support them in getting there. Recovery is founded on the principle that people can take on meaningful roles in the community in spite of mental health challenges, when they receive the support they need. MHA s goal is…
Acute Mental Illness Acute mental illness is characterised by significant and distressing symptoms of a mental illness requiring immediate treatment. This may be the person s first experience of mental illness, a repeat episode or the worsening of symptoms of an often continuing mental illness. The onset is sudden or rapid and the symptoms usually respond to…
Mental and substance use disorders affect people from all walks of life and all age groups. These illnesses are common, recurrent, and often serious, but they are treatable and many people do recover. Learning about some of the most common mental and substance use disorders can help people recognize their signs and to seek help. According to SAMHSA’s 2014 National…
One day in February 2009, a 13-year-old boy named Sasha Egger started thinking that people were coming to hurt his family. His mother, Helen, watched with mounting panic that evening as her previously healthy son forgot the rules to Uno, his favorite card game, while playing it. She began making frantic phone calls the next morning. By then, Sasha was shuffling…
Mental health treatment exists for everyone, from people experiencing distress in one or more areas of life to those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. When someone lives with mental health problems, from mild to severe, he or she deserves to seek treatment in order to regain emotional health and wellbeing. Different types of mental health treatment…
Average (in science) A term for the arithmetic mean, which is the sum of a group of numbers that is then divided by the size of the group. behavior The way a person or other organism acts towards others, or conducts itself. coauthor One of a group (two or more people) who together had prepared a written work, such as a book, report or research paper. Not all…
While mental disorders are common in the United States, their burden of illness is particularly concentrated among those who experience disability due to serious mental illness (SMI). The data presented here are from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which defines SMI as: A mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder (excluding developmental and…
Few tech topics are hotter right now than virtual reality (VR). Though it’s been around for decades, VR has at last entered the world of consumer electronics via devices like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive and, increasingly, headsets that can be used in conjunction with our mobile phones. But VR isn’t just a technological game-changer: it could transform the way…
Demi Lavato was barely 18 when she was forced to confront the reality of mental health problems. Under the strains facing a child star whose fame had soared rapidly, she suffered from depression, an eating order and even self-harm. In 2010, she was forced to pull out of the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour and enter a treatment facility. She wrote about some…
When meeting new people, I m often asked what I do for work. Depending on how I phrase my answer, I receive very different reactions. I m a doctor specializing in mental health elicits fascination. People s faces brighten and they say, Very cool! But If I instead say, I m a psychiatrist,the conversation falls quiet. They get uncomfortable and change the subject…
Illustration Works/Corbis Illustration Works/Corbis It s not easy for a child who has had mental health issues to make a successful transition into adulthood. But even children who have symptoms that are mild enough that they wouldn t be diagnosed are more likely to struggle with life as adults, a study finds. Children and teenagers with a psychiatric disorder…
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the importance of psychological well-being, defining health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In 2002, of the estimated 450 million people worldwide living with mental or behavioral disorders, 90 million were drug or alcohol dependent…
A lone gunman with a history of mental illness legally checked a 9mm semiautomatic handgun into his baggage on Friday, flew to Ft. Lauderdale airport, and killed five people. On Saturday, authorities and local politicians questioned the flawed system that allowed Esteban Santiago, who officials identified as the attacker, to get through security with the weapon…
Content creators in general, and streamers in particular, have long demonstrated a strong willingness to learn about, and foster discussion of, mental health issues. Successful creators build healthy, accepting communities, and a big part of that, especially on the internet, where those suffering from social anxiety or depression can come together in a comfortable…
Photo: David Gonzalez/EyeEm/Getty Images It can be scary to deal with mental health problems — for many who are afflicted, there’s a sense of a loss of control, of not feeling like oneself. And since anxiety and depression appear to be on a long-running upswing, more and more people are dealing with these feelings, at least in the United States. In fact, a growing…
If you are struggling with mental illness, or trying to help someone you love get his or her mental health back on track, it s easy to feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless array of treatment options. Even more stressful can be figuring out how to cover the costs of trying multiple medications while attending therapy or perhaps even contemplating hospitalization…
Intermittent explosive disorder is said to affect around 7.3% of adults at some point throughout their lifetimes. This equates to around 11.5-16 million Americans. Of the individuals in the U.S. who were diagnosed with IED, 67.8% had engaged in direct aggression against another person(s), 20.9% had threatened aggression against another person(s), and 11.4% had…
Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with 7.8% of people meeting criteria for diagnosis.1 4-10% of people in England will experience depression in their lifetime.2 Common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are distributed according to a gradient of economic disadvantage across society. The poorer…
