Mental Health and Mental Illness: Perception, Types of Disorders, and Treatment Approaches

This report discusses the perception of people towards mental health and illness in the USA, types of mental disorders, and treatment approaches. It also explains the directive and non-directive treatment approach and the manner in which the same can treat a mental disorder.

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1/14/2019

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Introduction
In order to live, a healthy life a person is required to be healthy physically as well as
mentally. From childhood to adulthood, mental health is important at every stage of life. The
same is also significant as a mental health issue affect the behavior and mood of a person.
National Institute of Mental health believes that without mental health, there is no health. Mental
illness can be understood as a disease, which causes a various disturbance in the behavior and
thoughts of a person and further lead to a situation, where the affected person becomes unable to
meet the life’s ordinary routines. This is an issue for every society as it led many other issues and
affects the other people as well. In the USA too, several cases of mental illness are used to report
on a daily basis (Allison, Bastiampillai & Fuller, 2017). As per the data publishes on the official
website of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, every 1 out of 25 adults in the USA is a
victim of mental illness every year. The presented report is focused on the subject of mental
health and mental illness. After the study of this report, one will be able to understand the way in
which people perceive the topic of mental health and illness. Further, the discussion will also be
focused on mental disorders, their symptoms, and the impact of the same on patients. In
conjunction with this, the presented report will also identify and explain the directive and non-
directive treatment approach and the manner in which the same can treat a mental disorder.
Perception about mental health and illness in the USA
Mental health literacy can be understood as knowledge and beliefs regarding mental
health problems and cures. Many of the factors influence a person’s belief in respect to mental
health and illness, which includes his/her personal knowledge, cultural stereotypes and his/her

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interactions with other people suffering from mental illness. In order to check a standard
perception of people regarding mental health, many of the population-based surveys and research
have been conducted in the USA. In the year 2013, Angela M. Parcesepe and Leopoldo J.
Cabassa have conducted a literature review to know the perception of the public towards mental
illness in the US Society. In their research, they have summarized many of the articles of
population-based surveys and used different methods such as literature search strategy and
analytical strategy. According to the research conducted by them, it has held that adults think the
children with the mental disorder are more dangerous to them as well as to others in comparison
to the other children who suffer from asthma or other daily troubles. The perception of
dangerousness in respect to the people with mental illness has increased with time. It means now
people are more scared of the violent behavior of people suffering mental illness in comparison
to earlier. Further to say that this fear/perception of people influenced by the type of mental
disorder. People have a perception of dangerousness mostly in case of adults suffering from drug
dependence disorders, as they are the most violent people. Many times, Americans ignore the
issue of mental illness and the same further increases stigma.
Types of mental disorders
As mentioned above that mental illness/disorders is s situation that affects the behavior,
feeling and thinking of a person, this is also necessary to state that many kinds of mental
disorders are there. These all their different cause symptoms and impacts. All these different
disorders offer different experiences to people. In the following discussion, the focus is made on
the four different kinds of mental disorder, their symptoms, and the impact, which the same lead
to an individual.

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1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):- This disorder is characterized as an
inability to sit still and to remain focused on the task. However, in actual, this disorder is
not limited to these two symptoms and affects the overall behavior of a person. If to talk
about the symptoms of this disorder, this is to mention that inattention, hyperactivity and
Impulsivity are the key symptoms. Further, other symptoms include daydreaming,
Impatience, trouble sitting, impatience, and many more negative aspects of behavior.
This disorder has many negative results and the same not only proves adverse for the
patient but for their families (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083759/).
This reduces the level of concentration and productivity of the patient and therefore many
times they have to leave their employment.
2. Anxiety disorder: - This is another important disorder to discuss. It is a state of mind
where a person remains uncertain or feels fear almost every time. He/she believes that
something wrong is going to happen. Anxiety disorder further has many types of
disordered such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Discords, Panic
Disorder and also includes phobias (Sugiura & Sugiura, 2015). The lead emotional
symptom of this disorder is a feeling of fear. The patient always thinks that danger is so
near. In order to state the physical symptoms of this disorder, this is to mention that the
shaking, unexplained sweating, stomach cramps are the important symptoms. People
experience stressful life cause of this disorder. In addition to this, a person who suffers
from this disorder feels unable to complete the day to day task because of health issues
such as irregular blood pressure and heartbeats. In the long-term impact of this disorder,
it has been noted that 18% of people who experience anxiety disorder end their life by
committing suicide.

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3. Bipolar disorder: - Both men and women face this disorder in the same ratio. It is a
medical state where a person experiences mood swing between the good mood and
depression frequently. The lead cause of bipolar disorder is not known but it has been
seen that a person who has family members suffering from the same are usually the
victims of this disorder. Recklessness, lack of judgment, being easily irritated, and
inability to control emotions are some of the symptoms of this disorder (Haussleiter et al.,
2018). In compare to manic, people spend more time depressed. When a person is in the
mid of manic phase, he/she can feel the mind is running very fast. On the different time,
during a depressed stage, one may find his/her mind slower than the normal one. It
affects the overall personality of a person and disturbs their ability to function as the
brain of the same person acts in a different manner according to the manic and depressed
phase.
4. Schizophrenia: - This is a very significant mental disorder, which affects around 3 million
people in the United States only. This disorder leads the disruption or changes in
emotional as well as cognitive function. This disorder can have three kinds of symptoms
namely negative, positive, and disorganize one (Ahmed & Rasool, 2016). The most
common symptoms of this order include delusions, social withdrawal, abnormal
reasoning, and incoherent speech. This disorder affects a person’s daily life in a very
significant manner. People who suffer from the same may face discrimination and stigma.
Cause of such issues they find themselves unable to keep and continue their current work.
Nevertheless, such people can be recovered fully with the help of treatment.

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Non-Directive Treatment approach
This is also known as a client-centered approach or Rogerian therapy sometimes. A
humanist psychologist named Carl Rogers during the period between 1940 and 1950 has
developed this approach. Behind the development of this approach, Roger believed that people
only need assistance from the therapies and can suggest the best mode to the same in which they
need to be treated. This self-direction has an important role in non-directive treatment approach.
The lead feature of this approach is that in the same healthcare professionals let their client
(patients) to lead and advice in the matter of their treatment. Further, they support and accept the
opinions of clients without being judgmental. There are many activities/treatments, which comes
under the category of non-directive treatment approach. Non-directive Play therapy is one of the
significant examples of this approach. This therapy can be helpful to treat a mental disorder in
children (Ewing, Monsen & Kwoka, 2014). In this technique, the therapist uses toys and games
to understand the behavior and mental disorders and let the children decide the in which
activities they want to take part. In such a manner therapist developed their friendly bond with
children and bring them out of the situation of depression, encopresis problems, abuse and
neglect, and mental issues.
Directive treatment approach
This approach is just opposite to the Non-directive treatment approach. This approach
develops it is focused on coaching and mentoring. In this approach, only healthcare professional
provides the advice and directions. It means similar to the non-directive treatment approach, a
directive treatment approach does not allow the clients (patients) to make any advice or decide
the manner of treatment. Further, healthcare experts use their specific knowledge and experience
to treat a health issue including mental illness. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is the most

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famous kind of directive treatment therapies. The approach/therapy developed by Beck Institute.
This therapy develops a link among emotions, thoughts, and behavior. This is a structured and
time-limited approach to treat various mental disorders. This can be used to treat a mental
disorder and the same can be understood as an example. For instance, a person with an anxiety
disorder can be treated by this therapy. In actual anxiety disorder is a result of behavioral factors.
To overcome from this disorder, one needs to identify and study those behavioral factors which
are possible through CBT. CBT can resolve this disorder as the same focus on the root cause of
such disorder and focuses on the behavioral side of any issue.
Conclusion
To conclude the discussion, this is to state that in addition to physical one, mental is
equally important for a healthy body. In the USA, mental illness leads stigma and people feel
danger from a person having a mental disorder. In addition to this, several types of mental
disorders have been discussed above along with their symptoms and impacts. Two types of
treatment approaches also have discussed namely directive and non-directive approaches. This is
to conclude that many of the methods are there using which a person with mental disorders can
be treated. Further to conclude this is to mention that different types of mental disorders are
required to be treated in different methods and perception of people about mental illness also is
influenced by the type of disorder.

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References
Ahmed, S., & Rasool, G. (2016). Frequency of subtypes of irritable bowel syndrome in positive
and negative subtypes of schizophrenia. European Psychiatry, 33, S240. doi:
10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.603
Allison, S., Bastiampillai, T., & Fuller, D. (2017). Mass incarceration and severe mental illness
in the USA. The Lancet, 390(10089), 25. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31479-4
Ewing, D., Monsen, J., & Kwoka, M. (2014). Behavioural and emotional well-being of children
following non-directive play with school staff. Educational Psychology In
Practice, 30(2), 192-203. doi: 10.1080/02667363.2014.907128
Haussleiter, I., Lorek, S., Zeschel, E., Mattausch, S., Meyers, M., & Juckel, G. (2018). At-risk
symptoms of bipolar disorder in a university student cohort. Psychiatry Research, 265,
324-333. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.05.010
Sugiura, Y., & Sugiura, T. (2015). Emotional intensity reduces later generalized anxiety disorder
symptoms when fear of anxiety and negative problem-solving appraisal are
low. Behaviour Research And Therapy, 71, 27-33. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2015.05.015