Mental Health Disorders
Mental health disorders are an important part of psychological study. You can receive help writing a research paper on any mental health disorder from the expert psychologists at Paper Masters.
It is estimated that almost one-quarter of American adults live with some form of mental health disorder. Mental health disorders include a variety of illnesses, including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, and even addiction. There are a wide range of treatment options for mental health disorders, depending on the type and severity.
The most common types of mental health disorders include the following:
- Anxiety disorders
- Mood disorders
- Eating disorders
- Impulse control
- Personality disorders
- OCD
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the United States, the medical community relies on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), in order to diagnose these disorders.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), an American government agency, supports scientific research into an entire range of mental health disorders, not just anxiety, depression and eating disorders, but also Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and social phobias. Mental health disorders can occur in both children and adults, men and women, regardless of age, race, or income level. The lessening of social stigmas associated with mental health disorders allows more people to get the treatment that they require to live successful, integrated lives.
Mental health is defined by the Surgeon General as "the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity". Although expectations for mental health may differ between cultures, in most cases individuals reflect strong mental health if they exhibit many of the following characteristics. Mental health may refer to a sense of well-being and contentment. Emotionally healthy people have the ability to enjoy life, cope with life's stresses and maintain happiness despite adversity. Self-realization, or the participation in meaningful activities, and flexibility, or the ability to change and grow and circumstances change, also reflect strong mental health. Mentally healthy people can balance their lives and create a sense of well-roundedness. Finally, they care for themselves and others and have strong self-esteem. If someone is unable to perform the activities listed above, they may suffer from mental illness. Problems with mental health can be temporary. Many people suffer for a short time if they experience a painful event, illness, or loss. However, long-term mental distress can begin to affect other areas of one's life.
When mental illness was first addressed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the United States, people who suffered from it were subjected to several forms of deplorable treatment. It is believed that prior to that time families were expected to keep mentally ill relatives locked up inside and away from society. The mentally ill were considered either possessed by demons or characterized as inhuman and incapable of feeling pain. Physical and mental abuse was common. Institutions used physical restraints, straight-jackets, or heavy arm and leg chains. Over the past century, both governmental and non-profit agencies have acknowledged the mental health issue and have worked toward ensuring that people who need help can get it. In the nineteenth century, two advocates who spoke out against abuse of the mentally ill were Phillip Pinel and Dorthea Dix. Conditions improved slightly due to their efforts but were still far from ideal. In 1908, a formerly mentally ill doctor, Clifford Beers, published a book titled, "A Mind that Found Itself." It documented his personal experience with inhumane treatment in American institutions in 1900. He founded the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene, which quickly expanded to the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. It succeeded in reforming treatment of the mentally ill in several states.