18 Mental Health and Mental Illness 1. Identify characteristics of mental health Define the...

18 Mental Health and Mental Illness

1. Identify characteristics of mental health

Define the following term:mental health

a general term that refers to the normal functioning of emotional and intellectual abilities.


1. Identify characteristics of mental health

Understand these characteristics of a person who is mentally healthy: • Gets along with others • Adapts to change • Cares for self and others • Gives and accepts love • Deals with situations that cause anxiety, disappointment, and

frustration • Takes responsibility for decisions, feelings, and actions • Controls and fulfills desires and impulses appropriately


2. Identify four causes of mental illness

Define the following terms:mental illness

a disease that affects a person’s ability to function at a normal level in the family, home, or community.

situation response a temporary condition that has symptoms like those of mental illness; possible causes include a personal crisis, temporary physical changes in the brain, side effects from medications, interactions among medications, and severe change in the environment.


2. Identify four causes of mental illness

Know these situations of chronic stress which may cause or worsen mental illness: • Physical factors such as illness, disability, aging, substance

abuse, or chemical imbalance • Environmental factors such as weak family relationships or

traumatic childhood experiences • Heredity or family influence • Stress, including coping abilities


3. Distinguish between fact and fallacy concerning mental illness

Define the following term:fallacy

a false belief.



REMEMBER:

Understand that it is a false belief that people who are mentally ill can control their illness and choose to be well.



REMEMBER:

Sometimes people confuse the meaning of terms “intellectual disability” and “mental illness.” They are not the same. Intellectual disability (formerly called mental retardation) is a developmental disability that causes below-average mental functioning.



Know these differences between intellectual disability and mental illness:• Intellectual disability is a permanent condition; mental illness

can be temporary.• Intellectual disability is present at birth or emerges in

childhood. Mental illness may occur any time during a person’s life.

• Intellectual disability affects mental ability. Mental illness may or may not affect mental ability.

• There is no cure for an intellectual disability, although persons who are intellectually disabled can be helped. Many mental illnesses can be cured with treatment, such as medications and therapy.



REMEMBER

Mental illness is a disease like any other physical illness.


4. Explain the connection between mental and physical wellness

REMEMBER:

Mental health is important to physical health. Mental health can reduce stress and prevent some physical diseases.



Think about this question:

How can physical illness or disability cause or worsen mental illness?




Are there any stress-reducing techniques you use in your own life? How about exercise, massage, deep breathing exercises, meditation, reading, or just talking with friends about conflicts and problems?


5. List guidelines for communicating with mentally ill clients

Know these guidelines for communicating with clients who are mentally ill: • Do not talk to adults as if they were children. • Use simple, clear statements and a normal tone of voice. • Show respect and concern. • Sit or stand at a normal distance. Be aware of body language. • Be honest and direct. • Avoid arguments.• Listen carefully.


6. Identify and define common defense mechanisms

Define the following term:defense mechanisms

unconscious behaviors used to release tension or cope with stress.


6. Identify and define common defense mechanisms

Understand these types of defense mechanisms: • Denial • Projection • Displacement • Rationalization • Repression • Regression


7. Describe the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia

Define the following terms:anxiety

uneasiness or fear, often about a situation or condition.phobia

an intense form of anxiety or fear.claustrophobia

fear of being in a confined space.panic disorder

a disorder in which a person has repeated episodes of intense fear that something bad will occur.



Define the following terms:obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive behavior or thoughts.

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)an anxiety disorder caused by a traumatic experience.

apathy lack of interest in activities.

major depressive disorder a type of depression that causes withdrawal, lack of energy, and loss of interest in activities, as well as other symptoms; also called major depression.



Define the following terms:bipolar disorder

a type of depression that causes a person to swing from periods of deep depression to periods of extreme activity; also called manic-depressive illness.

schizophreniaa form of mental illness that affects a person’s ability to think, communicate, make decisions, and understand reality.

hallucinationsseeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling things that are not there.

delusionsbelieving things that are not true.



Define the following terms:paranoid schizophrenia

a form of mental illness characterized by hallucinations and delusions.


Transparency 18-1: Mental Diagnosis 1


8. Explain common treatments for mental illness

Define the following term:psychotherapy

a method of treating mental illness that involves talking about one’s problems with a mental health professional.


8. Explain common treatments for mental illness

REMEMBER:

Mental illness can be treated. Medication and psychotherapy are common treatment methods.


9. Explain your role in caring for clients who are mentally ill

REMEMBER:

Personal care of clients who are mentally ill is similar to care for any client. The care plan will tell you what care to perform. You will also have some special responsibilities.


Transparency 18-4: HHA’s Role in Caring for the Mentally Ill • Observe clients for changes. Document and report.• Support the client and family.• Encourage clients to do as much for themselves as possible.• Help preserve the client’s role and authority in the family.


9. Explain your role in caring for clients who are mentally ill

HHAs may do these home management tasks for clients who are mentally ill: • Food shopping, meal planning and preparation • Housekeeping and laundry • ADLs and personal care • Child and family care


10. Identify important observations that should be made and reported

Know these observations to observe and report, and why it is important to do so: • Changes in ability • Positive or negative mood changes (withdrawal) • Behavior changes • Comments about hurting self or others • Medication errors • Real or imagined physical symptoms • Events, situations, or people that provoke certain reactions


11. List the signs of substance abuse

Define the following term:substance abuse

the use of legal or illegal drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol in a way that is harmful to oneself or others.


Transparency 18-5: Signs of Substance Abuse

• Changes in physical appearance (red eyes, dilated pupils, weight loss)

• Changes in personality (moodiness, strange behavior, disruption of routines, lying)

• Irritability• Odor of cigarettes, liquor, or other substances• Diminished sense of smell• Changes in vital signs• Loss of appetite• Inability to function normally• Need for money or missing money• Confusion/forgetfulness• Blackouts or memory loss• Alcohol or cigarettes missing from home• New friends, strange phone calls



REMEMBER:

Illegal drugs are not the only substances that are abused. Even over-the-counter meds can be abused if too many are taken.




Can you think of substances commonly found in the home that could be abused?


ExamMultiple Choice. Choose the correct answer.1. A person who is mentally healthy

(A) Can control and fulfill impulses appropriately (B) Is unlikely to have relationships with others (C) Cannot deal with stress well (D) Does not take responsibility for decisions

2. Which of the following is a sign or symptom of mental illness? (A) Adapting to change (B) Getting along with others (C) Controlling impulses (D) Being agitated


Exam (cont’d)3. Mental illness can be made worse by

(A) Eating a diet heavy in red meat and other animal-based proteins (B) A strong sense of self-respect (C) Taking prescribed medications (D) Substance abuse

4. Which of the following statements is true about mental illness? (A) People with mental illness can control their symptoms. (B) Mental illness is a disease like any physical illness. (C) Mentally healthy persons are unable to control their emotions. (D) Mental illness rarely disrupts a person’s ability to function.


Exam (cont’d)5. One guideline for communicating with mentally ill clients is to

(A) Talk to adults like they are children if they do not understand what is being said

(B) Maintain eye contact and listen closely (C) Stand really close to clients (D) Argue with clients if what they are saying is not true

6. Which of the following is true of defense mechanisms? (A) They are a type of mental illness. (B) Anyone who uses them is likely to become mentally ill at some point. (C) People who are mentally ill do not use them. (D) They help a person cope with stress.


Exam (cont’d)7. Telling a co-worker, “Let’s throw spitballs at our boss,” is an example of

which kind of defense mechanism? (A) Displacement (B) Regression (C) Rationalization (D) Projection

8. A co-worker gets the promotion that an HHA has wanted for a long time. When a friend asks if the HHA is upset, she says, “No, not at all.” This is an example of (A) Projection (B) Displacement (C) Regression (D) Denial


Exam (cont’d)9. Signs and symptoms of clinical depression include

(A) Apathy (B) Intense hunger (C) Sudden chest pain (D) Breath that smells fruity

10. A ______ is an intense form of anxiety. (A) Phobia (B) Coping mechanism (C) Fallacy (D) Situation response


Exam (cont’d)11. Which of the following is a good way for an HHA to care for a mentally ill

client? (A) The HHA should do everything for the client. (B) The HHA should administer the client’s medication. (C) The HHA should support the client and his or her family and friends. (D) The HHA should encourage the client to stop being mentally ill and just

get better.

12. Which of the following statements about observing mentally ill clients is true? (A) An HHA does not need to report a comment about suicide as long as it is

a joke. (B) An HHA needs to report changes in mood. (C) Withdrawal does not need to be reported. (D) Imagined physical symptoms do not need to be reported.


Exam (cont’d)13. A client has been acting a little strangely lately. She says that she cannot find

money that she knows should be in the house. She forgets simple things and seems irritable most of the time. Sometimes her HHA smells alcohol and cigarettes on her clothes when she is doing the laundry. What would be the best response by the HHA? (A) Call a counselor and suggest he come to the house to talk with the client. (B) Tell the client that the HHA has noticed these issues and feels that the

client has a problem. (C) Discuss what the HHA has noticed with the client’s family in the hope of

staging an intervention. (D) Report the HHA’s observations to her supervisor.

14. The fear of being in a confined space is called (A) Post-traumatic stress disorder (B) Obsessive compulsive disorder (C) Claustrophobia (D) Schizophrenia


Exam (cont’d)15. A brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to think clearly and

understand reality is (A) Clinical depression (B) Claustrophobia (C) Bipolar disorder (D) Schizophrenia

16. An anxiety-related disorder that is characterized by repetitive thoughts or behavior is (A) Generalized anxiety disorder (B) Post-traumatic stress disorder (C) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (D) Panic disorder


Exam (cont’d)17. Which of the following is a common set of treatments for mental illness?

(A) Electroconvulsive (shock) therapy and psychosurgery (B) Medication and psychotherapy (C) Psychotherapy and psychosurgery (D) Medication and electroconvulsive (shock) therapy

18 Mental Health and Mental Illness 1. Identify characteristics of mental health Define the...

Documents

Transcript of 18 Mental Health and Mental Illness 1. Identify characteristics of mental health Define the...