pyschia 2

• Health is defined as complete physical, mental, and social wellness, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity according to the WHO
• Mental health is characterized by emotional, psychological, and social wellness evidenced by satisfying interpersonal relationships, effective behavior and coping, positive self-concept, and emotional stability
• Factors influencing mental health include individual/personal factors like biologic make-up, autonomy, self-esteem, capacity for growth, and emotional resilience
• Interpersonal/relationship factors impacting mental health include effective communication, ability to help others, and a balance of separateness and connectedness
• Social/cultural/environmental factors affecting mental health encompass a sense of community, access to adequate resources, and a positive yet realistic view of one’s world
• Criteria to consider a person has a disorder:

  • Affects the activity of daily living
  • Social functioning
  • Occupational functioning
• Mental illness includes disorders that affect mood, behavior, and thinking such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and addictive disorders
• Mental disorders often cause significant distress, impaired functioning, or both, leading to dissatisfaction with self-relationships and ineffective coping
• Factors contributing to mental illness:

  • Individual factors like biologic make-up and intolerance or unrealistic worries and fears
  • Interpersonal factors such as ineffective communication and excessive dependency
  • Social/cultural factors like lack of resources and discrimination
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition serves three purposes:

  • Provide a standardized nomenclature and language for all mental health professions
  • Present defining characteristics or symptoms that differentiate specific diagnoses
  • Assist in identifying the underlying causes of disorders
• Historical perspective of the treatment of mental illness:

  • Ancient times: sickness was believed to indicate displeasure of the gods, mentally ill viewed as divine or demonic
  • Period of enlightenment: moral treatment of the mentally ill began with the concept of asylum as a safe refuge
  • Sigmund Freud era: scientific study and treatment of mental disorders began with Freud, Kraepelin, and Bleuler
  • Development of psychopharmacology: treatment of mental illness advanced with the development of psychotropic drugs in the 1950s
• Neurobiologic theories and psychopharmacology are related to the use of medications to treat mental illness, affecting behavior, perceptions, thinking, and emotions through the central nervous system (CNS)
• The CNS comprises the brain, spinal cord, and associated nerves controlling voluntary acts, with the brain divided into hemispheres, lobes, and structures responsible for various functions
• The pons serves as a primary motor pathway and bridges the gap both structurally and functionally
• The midbrain connects the pons and cerebellum with the cerebrum, includes most of the reticular activating system and the extrapyramidal system, and measures only 0.8 in (2 cm) in length
• The reticular activating system influences motor activity, sleep, consciousness, and awareness
• The extrapyramidal system relays information about movement and coordination from the brain to the spinal nerves
• The limbic system, located above the brain stem, includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala
• The thalamus regulates activity, sensation, and emotion
• The hypothalamus is involved in temperature regulation, appetite control, endocrine function, sexual drive, and impulsive behavior associated with feelings of anger, rage, or excitement
• The hippocampus and amygdala are involved in emotional arousal and memory
• Neurotransmitters are chemical substances manufactured in neurons that aid in the transmission of information throughout the body
• Neurotransmitters can either excite or stimulate an action in cells (excitatory) or inhibit or stop an action (inhibitory)
• Dopamine, primarily located in the brain stem, is involved in the control of complex movements, motivation, cognition, and regulation of emotional responses
• Dopamine is synthesized from tyrosine, a dietary amino acid, and is implicated in schizophrenia, other psychoses, and movement disorders like Parkinson's disease
• Norepinephrine, the most prevalent neurotransmitter in the nervous system, plays a role in attention, learning, memory, sleep, wakefulness, and mood regulation
• Excess norepinephrine has been implicated in anxiety disorders, while deficits may contribute to memory loss, social withdrawal, and depression
• Serotonin, found only in the brain, is derived from tryptophan, a dietary amino acid, and is mostly inhibitory
• Serotonin is involved in food intake, sleep, temperature regulation, pain control, sexual behavior, and regulation of emotions
• Histamine is involved in peripheral allergic responses, control of gastric secretions, cardiac stimulation, and alertness
• Acetylcholine, found in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system, can be excitatory or inhibitory
• Glutamate, an excitatory amino acid, can have major neurotoxic effects and is implicated in brain damage caused by various conditions
• Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and modulates other neurotransmitter systems
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan visualizes the brain's soft tissues and is used to diagnose tumors, metastases, effusions, and determine brain ventricle size
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) creates an energy field with a magnet and radio waves to produce a visual image or scan
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) examine brain function by monitoring the flow of radioactive substances injected into the blood as the client performs cognitive activities
• Genetic and heredity factors play a role in mental disorders, with studies using twin, adoption, and family comparisons to investigate the genetic basis
• Stress can affect the immune system, potentially contributing to the development of illnesses, especially in genetically at-risk populations
• Infection, particularly prenatal infections, may impact the developing brain and contribute to mental illness pathology
• Psychopharmacology includes antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, and stimulants