Mental Health: Types, Impact, and Support Services

This article discusses the different types of mental health disorders, their impact on children's development and wellbeing, and the support services available. It also explores the importance of a strengths-based approach and the steps that can be taken to help victims of mental health.

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MENTAL HEALTH
Name of the student:
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What is mental health?
Mental health is mainly seen to refer to the cognitive, behavioural as well as
emotional well-being of individuals that indicates entirely about how the individuals feel,
think and behave. The term of mental health can sometimes be used in meaning the absence
of a mental disorder (Lawrence et al., 2015). Mental health has the ability on affecting the
daily life, relationships as well as physical health of individuals. Mental health is seen to
include the ability of an individual to enjoy life by attaining successfully a balance between
the life activities and efforts in achieving psychological resilience (Lawrence et al., 2016)..
What are the many types and forms of mental health?
There are 300 mental disorders which have been listed in the DSM-5 called the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. These are the mood disorders
including bipolar disorders and depression. Others are the anxiety disorders, personality
disorders, psychotic disorder like schizophrenia. Others are the eating disorders and subsrace
abuse disorders. The others are trauma related disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder.
(Happell, Wilson & McNamara, 2015).
Statistics:
Anxiety disorders are common most with 14.4%, followed by affective disorders
about 6.2% and then substance abuse disorders in 5.1% (Perry et al., 2015).
Why is this social issue in our society?
Mental health issues have always been looked down by the society. There are
prejudices that had been harboured by the society over the decades of years. Society does not
view mental health issues as another form of health conditions just like physical health issues.
Mental health disorders are always associated with the terms like “violent, aggressive,

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unfortunate, punishment” and many others. Association of the words with mental health
disorders are mainly because of the stigmatised behaviours shown by society and people
towards the mental health patient and his family members (Brownson, 2017). Different types
of stigma can prevail regarding mental health issues like that of the personal stigma where
certain individuals exhibit stigmatising attitudes towards the mentally ill patients. Another
form is the perceived stigma where the affected individuals feels low about the negative and
stigmatising viewpoints that other people are seen to hold (Boydel et al., 2014). Another is
the self stigma where individuals hold stigmatizing views about their own levels and the
structural stigma where the polices of public and private institutions and cultures restrict the
opportunities , resources and well being of people with mental illness (Ennis et al., 2015).
What are the possible outcomes of mental health?
The personalised experience of the stigma is highly detrimental to the well being of
the quality of life but is not given enough priority in treatment either but community or
mental health professionals as reported in the National Survey of Mental Health and
Wellbeing. Stigma is seen to promote and reinforce social isolation. This is highly
detrimental for the children and their families as they cannot handle the additional stress of
such stigmatisation in addition to the mental health issues that they suffer from (Lawrence et
al., 2016). It is seen to limit equitable opportunities in the employment domain as well as for
the recreational and academic opportunities that children need to participate in. They are seen
to conceal their mental ailments with the fear of such stigmatisation and discrimination
attitude of society which results in additional negative outcomes on their health as their
mental issues remain untreated. It discourages their help-seeking behaviours and the families
are also seen to conceal such conditions of their wards with the fear of exclusion from society
(Brownson, 2017).

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Who can have mental illness?
Anyone can have mental illness starting from children to that of old people (Trotter,
2015).
What steps can be taken to help victims of mental health?
Children might suffer from depression, anxiety, stress due to their academic
requirements and standards that they need to meet. They might be stressed about separation
from family members, friends, romantic linkups and many others which over time might
result in mental ailments and substance abuse. Children and family might also get exposed to
trauma like abuse, violence, disaster, terrorism, traumatic loss and many others. Therefore, it
is important for the professionals to first realise the root of the occurrence of mental ailments
and negative feelings in place of treating the symptoms only superficially (Trotter, 2015).
The professionals should identify the trauma exposed children and provide culturally
appropriate support as well as information. They should help the children the families to
make connections for the interventions and follow-ups (Atladottir et al., 2015). They should
also arrange for programs involving consolation to the professionals in schools, healthcare
settings, spiritual settings as well as the other service systems who care for trauma exposed
children and families. They should gather training in the evidence based therapies for
children for effectively treating them who have less coping power (Happell, Wilson &
McNamara, 2015).
Effective strategies used to value families and discovering family strengths.
It is important for the professionals to understand the child, the family and the cultural
perspectives in order to develop therapeutic relationship with them. Therefore, they should
listen attentively showing genuine interests to child and family, incorporate extended families

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and kinship network, provide interventions respecting their cultural and spiritual perspective
if traumas, reactions and interventions (Atladottir et al., 2015). While working with children,
they need to take into account the developmental considerations of the children like identity,
social, emotional, cognitive and biological bases and hence provide interventions that align
with them (Boydel et al., 2014). Families should be given scope to express their fears,
concerns and suggestions and family centred therapy can be provided to them to develop their
strength. The four phases for family centred therapy can be included by mental health
workers to empower them like the joining and assessment phase, the restructuring phase,
valuing change phase and the Generalization Phase (Kaakinen et al., 2018).
What are the various approaches that you will use to build authentic partnerships in early
childhood settings?
Trans-disciplinary approaches are mainly defined as the sharing of the roles across the
disciplinary boundaries so that effective communication, interaction as well as cooperation
can get maximised among the team members trying to help the children and families
overcome the difficult phase. Besides counselling for the individual child who have been
affected, peer assisted learning programs, parent education of the needs of the children at
each development stage are important (Ryan et al., 2015). Strategies for teachers for proper
classroom management, community violence prevention programs, screening programs,
recreation centres should be developed. Systemic services like coordination of services in
health, juvenile justice education and child protection systems should be also involved.
Besides child centred and strength based therapies are also used (Bor, 2015). Children are not
a homogenous group and each child has their own individual experiences and perspectives.
Therefore, children with complex care needs require special considerations by mental health

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workers for ensuring their best mental health, well being and meeting of their rights while
provising interventions. This is called child centred approach (Coyne et al., 2016)
Provide a list of support services for mental health
List of services are The Northern Beaches Psychiatrist and Psychologist, Dalwood
Children's Services, Manly Pittwater Psychology - Counseling & Psychologist Northern
Beaches, Hornsby Child and Family Health Service, Psychology Northern Beaches, Ryde
Child Family Health Centre and Kids First Children's Services (Mental health services for
children and family in Northern Beaches Sydney, 2018)
What is the impact of mental health on the child and the child’s development and sense of
wellbeing?
Children suffering from the mental health disorders isolate themselves from society
with the fear of being judged. They lose their self esteem and confidence and cannot perform
well in different spheres of life (Ryan et al., 2015). They tend to work poorly in academic
projects, cannot interact well with other children and elders and might take up substance
abuse to cope with the issues. Constant pressure from elders, peers, teachers and others in
different regards makes them prone to self-harm, gloominess, depression and social exclusion
(Bor, 2015).
Why is it important to have a strengths-based approach?
Strength based approach should be taken up by the professionals as it helps in not
only taking the symptoms in consideration but mainly empowers the inner strength which has

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the capacity to help in recovering from the situation and gives hopes. They should shift away
the focus from the deficits of the children and focus more on their strengths to help them
recover the ailments (Atladottir et al., 2015). The approaches should be based on focusing the
ability of the child and the family, helping them to develop the confidence of the recovery
journey and help them to progress towards recovery. Shortcomings are neglected and abilities
are encouraged. Aspirations, hopes, assets, interests and qualities are elicited and thus they
are cultivated in this form of treatment (Brownson, 2017).

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