Mental Health in Adults

This Course is Taught By:
Iona Lister

Her Background: Licentiate, Speech and Language Therapy, UK, Diploma in Advanced Counselling Skills.

She has been a clinician and manager of health services for fifteen years, and a trainer for UK-based medical charities, focusing on psychosocial issues, mental health disorders, and also the promotion of communication skills for people in helping roles. As a freelance writer, she contributes articles for magazines, has written four published books, and has written course material on coaching and counselling related fields.





Lesson Structure: Mental Health in Adults BPS216

Introduction to mental health issues
Depression and related conditions
Anxiety, phobias and OCD
Schizophrenia
Antisocial personality disorders
Eating disorders
Dementias
Helping yourself in mental health issues.
Support options and Services for mental health issues.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Learning Goals: Mental Health in Adults BPS216

Discuss the nature, scope and impact of mental health on adults of all ages.
Explain the different types of depression and the impact of gender on depression.
Explain the nature of anxiety and related conditions, and consider possible responses that may be used for these conditions.
Explain the nature of schizophrenia and consider the responses that might be taken to such conditions.
Explain the scope and nature of antisocial personality disorders, and consider the responses that might be taken to such conditions.
Explain the scope and nature of eating disorders in adults, and consider the responses that might be taken to such conditions.
Explain the scope and nature of dementia in adults, and consider the responses that might be taken to such conditions.
Identify a wide range of self-help options that can be facilitated for sufferers of mental health problems.
Identify mental health services and support options available for those with mental health issues.
Diagnosing Mental Health

When a psychiatrist, doctor or psychologist assesses a person's mental health, they will look at the symptoms they possess, then consider what condition they are suffering from.

Within the field of mental health, DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) or the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Disease) are often used. So, if a person has the symptoms and signs of schizophrenia, the practitioner would say they have schizophrenia. That is a very simplistic explanation of how the process works, but following testing and diagnosis, the person may be told they have schizophrenia. When the practitioner knows they have schizophrenia, they can then determine how the person can be supported or treated. The use of labels in this way ensures that the person receives the correct help and treatment they require.

However, labeling is not always appropriate. If a person’s condition is labelled as ‘mentally ill’ or ‘schizophrenic’ this might have adverse consequences on their self-esteem which is already likely to be fragile. The label becomes their dominant label or master status. It changes the way a person is viewed and treated which can lead to stigmatisation and discrimination.