Every eighth person is suffering from an illness somewhere in the world (WHO). Many of them do not get good treatment. Mental disorders are conditions that affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions (World Health Organisation, 2022a). These problems make everyday life hard. They are not because of personal weakness or a mistake.
A variety of factors can contribute to mental illnesses, but they are overwhelmingly treatable. This article focuses on the major types of psychiatric disorders and their implications, possible treatment options and their evidence, as well as the effects of the conditions on relationships, studies, education and occupation. Additionally, strategies to reduce the stigma around health will be discussed.
Major Types of Psychiatric Disorders and Their Signs
A mental disorder is a set of signs that show changes in feelings, behaviour, or thoughts, and these changes make it hard to do daily tasks. Mental disorders are a challenging issue. Several types of mental disorders can be categorised into seven groups, each of which has unique causes and symptoms.
- For example, mood disorders are characterised by a depressed or sad mood and a loss of interest in activities that cause dysfunction in daily functioning, which is typical of depression. Meanwhile, in the case of affective disorder, an individual experiences extreme highs and lows that could be described as mania and depression (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022).
- Anxiety disorders lead to irrational concerns and fears. Panic attacks come with this, giving a rush of dread, a racing heart and a tight feeling in the chest (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022). The most prevalent mental health conditions in the world are anxiety and depression, accounting for approximately 60% of cases in total (WHO, 2022b). Anxiety and depression can impact a person’s mood, thoughts and behaviour daily.
- Those who have disorders perceive the world in a different manner. Most of the symptoms they experience are hallucinations; that is, they see or hear things that are not real. They may also have delusions, which’re false beliefs that do not make sense and are not based on reality. Another symptom is disorganised thinking or speech, where the person’s thoughts and words become confusing and hard to follow (APA, 2022).
- Personality disorders are especially hard to treat because personality disorders involve long-term patterns of thinking and behaving that’re not helpful. These patterns often lead to distress and problems in relationships, work and daily life. Because personality disorders involve behaviours that are deeply rooted, they can be very difficult to change. For instance, borderline personality disorder means affected people have feelings and fear being abandoned by others (APA, 2022).
- Trauma-related disorders result from experiencing a challenging event and can be observed in terms of flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of triggers, and being hyperalert about safety. The promotion of post-traumatic stress disorder can be considered an excellent example of a trauma-related disorder (APA, 2022).
- Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders exhibit themselves through obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (intrusive behaviours), as well as the desire to do everything perfectly and be on the safe side (APA, 2022).
- Some childhood neurodevelopmental disorders can have an impact on the child’s cognitive abilities, behaviour, and emotions. The most common examples are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder (APA, 2022).
Why Do Psychiatric Disorders Develop?
There are numerous variables that can contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders alone or in combination with each other, ranging from genetic to environmental causes. Specifically, APA (2022) states that “psychiatric disorders are diagnosed based on clinically significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioural patterns that reflect dysfunctions in psychological, biological, or developmental processes.” Most commonly, psychological and neurobiological processes combine with environmental ones (APA, 2022). Genes can contribute to the development of a mental disorder.
For example, a genome-wide analysis of 58,800 individuals identified five major psychiatric disorders- autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar affective disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia that share “genetic risk variants” (Cross Disorder Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, 2013). In other words, these disorders have some genetic risk factors in common. Having a risk for a mental disorder does not mean a person will definitely get it. This is supported by research from the Cross Disorder Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium in 2013.
Psychological factors can also have an impact. For example, adverse childhood experiences are a significant contributor to most mental disorders in adulthood (Solmi et al., 2022). Additionally, an individual’s lived environment can contribute substantially to the development of a mental disorder. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of stress to people. They faced loneliness. Didn’t know what would happen to their health or the health of their family. Because of this, anxiety disorders became more common. In the year of the pandemic, the number of people with anxiety disorders went up by about 26 per cent.
The number of people with depressive disorder also rose by about 28 per cent (WHO, 2022a). Another vital risk factor is age. The majority of mental disorders are acquired in childhood or at a young age. A study looked at 192 groups of people. It found that the average age when a mental disorder first appears is 14.5 years. In that study, 34.6 per cent of people had a disorder before they turned 14. Another 48.4 per cent had one before the age of 18. By the time people turned 25, 62.5 per cent had already developed a disorder (Solmi et al. 2022).
With such a high risk of developing a mental disorder in early life, children and young people need mental health support in schools and colleges. A complex interaction of various causes can be evident in a single person. For example, someone who has a genetic predisposition for depression might be more likely to develop the disorder if they lose their job during an economic recession. In any case, the focus should be on treating the symptoms (APA, 2022).
Diagnosis and Evidence-Based Treatment
A qualified professional such as a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist can give a diagnosis. They will look at the symptoms that someone has, how long they have had the symptoms and the severity of the symptoms in their life. In the US the main manual to diagnose is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR).
The World Health Organization recognizes the International Classification of Diseases Eleventh Revision (ICD-11). Both systems help professionals identify health conditions accurately. There are various evidence-based treatments for mental disorders, with the combination of different approaches being the most successful one. Indeed, the majority of mental health issues can be cured with psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy or combined treatment (WHO, 2022a). However, these challenges can be overcome by someone who is trained and experienced in this area and can provide a diagnosis.
Good treatments like therapy, CBT and medicine are available for mental health issues, and I have seen them help many people (Cuijpers et al. 2023; Cipriani et al. 2018; Hofmann et al. 2012). Good treatments also mean that we need to make sure help is easy to get and reduce the shame that stops people from asking for help, because that is a step in closing the gap in treatment (Gururaj et al. 2016; WHO, 2022a). The investigation of 409 randomised controlled trials also proved the efficacy of CBT for treating depression (Cuijpers et al., 2023). Medication can also be effective.
For example, a large review of 522 trials showed that all 21 antidepressants under study were more effective than a placebo (a substance that does not contain any active ingredient) in treating adults with major depression but varied in terms of effectiveness and side effects (Cipriani et al., 2018). As a result, a patient should always consult his or her doctor to find the most suitable medication and monitor his or her progress. Patients should not discontinue their medication without a doctor’s consultation. Other supportive measures outside clinical settings can also be beneficial.
According to WHO (2022b), community-based services, such as counselling, occupational health services, and peer support, are important components of mental health care. However, the truth is that the majority of people with mental disorders do not receive proper treatment (WHO, 2022a). For example, the National Mental Health Survey in India revealed that the treatment gap (the ratio between the number of people who need treatment and those who actually receive it) was between 70 and 92% for different mental disorders (Gururaj et al., 2016). At the same time, although the problem of treatment gaps is common worldwide, it can be addressed.
How Psychiatric Disorders Affect Daily Life
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2022), a mental disorder is a syndrome that causes distress or impairs functioning in areas such as cognition, everyday behaviour, work, and relationships. In other words, APA (2022) highlights that the main characteristic of almost all mental disorders is damage to everyday functioning. Across all areas of life, the hallmark of a mental disorder is changes in an individual’s behaviour.
They can affect their relationships, studies, education and occupation. When it comes to relationships, a person with a disorder may act in ways that seem strange to their partner, friend or coworker, and the partner, friend or coworker may not fully understand what is happening. For example, people with depression may stop caring about things that usually make them happy. That also makes their friends happy. Individuals who have been diagnosed with social anxiety are sometimes too anxious to leave their homes. Because of these changes, mood changes or unusual behaviours can lead to confusion and arguments.
In an educational setting, mental disorders can have detrimental effects, especially since many of them develop in a person’s adolescence or early adulthood (Solmi et al., 2022). The APA (2022) notes that one of the most common manifestations of mental disorders is inattention, which can be evident in both ADHD and depression, among other conditions. Similarly, in the workplace, a mental disorder can cause fatigue, panic episodes, or lack of concentration that may hinder a person’s capacity to deliver on time or collaborate effectively with co-workers (APA, 2022).
Moreover, the discrimination surrounding mental disorders can affect how individuals are treated by employers or landlords. Corrigan and Watson (2002) explain that public stigma increases the risk of discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas of life. Additionally, individuals can experience self-stigma and develop lowered feelings of self-worth. All these factors can significantly reduce one’s quality of life.
So someone with the disorder doesn’t need to give up on their studies, career, relationships or a good life. There are effective treatments (WHO, 2022a). There are approaches that can help reduce stigma and improve access to care (WHO, 2022a). Everyone should have access to the care they need without facing judgment
Reducing Stigma and Building Support
Stigma is negative social attitudes and stereotypes towards individuals with mental health problems and can lead to discrimination and human rights violations (Corrigan and Watson, 2002). There are two types of stigma: public, which is the negative attitudes that the general public holds towards mental disorders and their treatment, and self, which is the internalisation of these negative attitudes by individuals with mental disorders (Corrigan and Watson, 2002).
Stigma is one of the key barriers people face when seeking treatment (WHO, 2022a). Fortunately, there are steps that everyone can take to reduce stigma. First of all, it is important to learn and use inclusive language and avoid outdated terms and insensitive expressions, such as “schizophrenic” or “I’m so OCD” when referring to a person with schizophrenia or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Additionally, listening to people without judgment is a helpful strategy in reducing stigma. Saying something as simple as “I’m here if you need me” can be effective.
Encouraging people to seek professional help is another way to reduce the harm of stigma. Instead of telling someone to “stay strong,” offer to accompany them on their way to a psychiatrist’s office or research treatment options together. Moreover, organisations, colleges and schools can set up peer support and counselling services. Employers can provide employees with access to wellbeing services. Everyone can take part in programs and activities that highlight health problems (WHO, 2022b). I think that every person should get help when it comes to health.
Families, teachers and employers have a role to play in reducing the shame related to health. Families, teachers, and employers can adopt supportive approaches to work, study, and communication to ensure that people give mental health the same importance as physical health. After all, it is impossible to succeed at work or school while one’s mental health is unstable.
Conclusion
Psychiatric disorders are common, diverse, and treatable. These affect approximately one out of every eight people worldwide (WHO, 2022a). There are seven main categories of psychiatric disorders, including mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality, trauma-related, obsessive-compulsive, and neurodevelopmental, with different symptoms and manifestations.
Various factors can contribute to the development of mental disorders. Commonly, genes, psychological problems and the environment interact, but there are no clear answers in individual cases (APA, 2022; Cross-Disorder Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, 2013). Additionally, most mental disorders emerge in adolescence or young adulthood (Solmi et al., 2022).
However, a trained and experienced professional can help individuals overcome these challenges and provide an accurate diagnosis. Good treatments like therapy, CBT and medication are available for mental health issues, and I have seen them help many people (Cuijpers et al., 2023; Cipriani et al., 2018; Hofmann et al., 2012). Good treatments also mean that we need to make sure help is easy to get and reduce the shame that stops people from asking for help because that is a step in closing the gap in treatment (Gururaj et al., 2016; WHO, 2022a).
If a person feels symptoms of depression, feels very sad for a time, and stops enjoying things they used to like; if they feel anxious, have worries that won’t go away or have other mental health issues for several weeks or more, and these problems are making it hard to sleep, study, work or keep good relationships, the first thing they should do is talk to a professional about getting help. This paper explains that mental health and well-being are essential parts of overall health and deserve serious attention.
References +
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