Mental Health-Sociology

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Mental Health-Sociology
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Introduction
Most individuals perceive that mental health issues occur rarely to other people. This
kind of mentality is wrong because mental health issues are widespread and they are common
among people (Estes et al., 2013 p.133). Data shows that 45% of adults in Australia are
influenced by mental problems at some point in their life while 3% are seriously impacted by the
same problem (Ogbo et al., 2018 p.49). It is important to note that most families do not
understand how to deal with the people with mental health problems thus they are vulnerable to
judgments and opinions. Mental health problems cause severe distractions on the individual
behaviours or thoughts thus they cannot cope with the daily routines and demands
(Thorsteinsson, Loi and Moulynox, 2014 p.101). This paper seeks to analyze a case study about
a married couple (Julie and Ben) who have two children, but Julie the wife suffers from postnatal
depression.
Psychosocial Issues for the Person in the Case Study
Based on the case study, Julie experiences various psychosocial issues such as depression
that seemed to be caused by childbirth. She experiences mood swings that result due to increased
hormonal changes in the previous months as a result of post natal depression. In recent weeks,
Ben has realized that Julie has been returning home from work at 7.30 pm before he went for
nights shift work. At the same time, the children have been complaining about being hungry
since Julie has withdrawn from cooking dinner for them. Julie continues to experience mood
swings such that when Ben asks her she changes the topic. Ben also received a call from the
bank about mortgage arrears and he discovered that Julie had depleted the savings account by
acquiring a car worth $100, 000. Based on the case study, Julie experiences drastic motivation
changes that influence her thoughts and causes her mood changes. Her appetite level also

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declines because it appears that she has not been cooking dinner at home and therefore, it
inadvisable if she consults a mental health profession to overcome further problems. The
depressive symptoms for Julie compromise her way of decision-making and it results in financial
problems that lead her towards depleting their bank account. Particularly, Julie loses the
happiness and she does not have any interest in the wider world as she comes home late and
directly she goes to sleep without attending to their children. Additionally, Julie has a consistent
feeling of low mood and feeling of sadness and she does not want to talk about her problem with
her husband. It appears like she has difficulties bonding with her children and therefore, it is
important if Ben takes significant actions to consult a mental practitioner to help Julie.
Available Informal Supports for the Person
Informal supports take any type of assistance that can be offered to an individual freely in
daily life (Edward et al., 2015 p.26). This kind of support comes from the family members,
siblings, acquaintances, neighbours, and other societal members (Wilson et al., 2013 p.592).
Based on the case study, Ben may feel upset, challenged, or frustrated to live with Julie with her
current state. But in this case, Ben can offer informal support by making time whereby he can
assist her in having daily tasks done to ensure that she does not feel burdened with taking care of
the family. It is important for Ben to make sure that he keeps in touch with Julie even when she
is at work and it can help in making a difference in her mental health. Additionally, Ben needs to
be patient with Julie and give her ample time as she may be feeling under pressure due to her
new parental responsibilities. Moreover, Ben needs to find more about postnatal depression in
case he does not understand how to face the problem Julie that is experiencing. Listening to Julie
is also important to support as it will create an opportunity for encouraging and advising her.
Moreover, Julie needs not to be judged about her situation as it can lead to the breakdown of the