The effects of mental health

• Increased challenges of modern living

  • Populated areas (cities) can increase stress.
  • Social isolation – More people are living alone this could be down to:
  • Moving for work
  • Family breakdown
• Those in lower income households are more likely to have mental health problems compared to higher households.
• Labelling a person as ‘mentally ill’ or a ‘schizophrenic’ develops expectations about their behaviour. These act as a stigma and can be harmful. The preferred term is mental health, which has less stigma and is focused on health.
• Individual - the social, emotional, cognitive and physical effects on the patient
• Social - the effect on society including om groups of people, laws, and general customs
• Damage to day to day life

  • Trouble sleeping
  • Low energy levels
  • Poor concentration levels
  • Unable to prepare food and eat regularly 
• Damage to physical wellbeing

  • Psychological state has a negative effect on your physical well being - stressed people often get more colds
  • People can find it difficult to follow treatment programmes for their mental health condition
• Damage to relationships

  • Family members may become caregivers, which can increase stress and conflict
  • The effect on household income can also increase stress levels
• Need for more social care

  • Social care costs increase
  • In a welfare state such as the UK, this can result in increased spending im areas such as the health system, social housing, and benefit payments
• Increased crime rates

  • Research indicates an increased risk of violence amongst mentally disturbed patients, perhaps as much as 4 times greater than in the normal population.
  • Have other problems such as substance abuse
• Implication for the economy

  • Mc Crone report suggest the direct cost of mental health in England is about 22 billion a year, about the same as is spent on education.