Mental Health Facts

Here are some important facts about mental illness and recovery:

~Mental illnesses are serious medical illnesses. They cannot be overcome through “will power” and are not related to a person’s “character” or intelligence. Mental illness falls along a continuum of severity. Even though mental illness is widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion-about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 Americans-who live with a serious mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that One in four adults-approximately 57.7 million Americans-experience a mental health disorder in a given year
~The U.S. Surgeon General reports that 10 percent of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from serious emotional and mental disorders that cause significant functional impairment in their day-to-day lives at home, in school and with peers.
~The World Health Organization has reported that four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries are mental disorders. By 2020, Major Depressive illness will be the leading cause of disability in the world for women and children.

-NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness/ About Mental Illness http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform_Yourself/About_Mental_Illness/About_Mental_Illness.htm

Clients’ Perceptions of a Counseling Relationship

In attempting to describe this relationship, researchers have focused on various qualities of caring, such as warmth, support, attention, understanding, and acceptance. Another important element of the client-counselor relationship is the way that significance is communicated through interpersonal exchange.

The term “mattering” was used by Rosenberg and McCullough (1981) to describe the feeling that people have when they sense that others are interested in them and value their contribution. When people believe that they matter, they feel that they belong and that others appreciate them. Rosenberg and McCullough’s research indicated that adolescents who felt that they mattered were less likely to commit delinquent acts.

This research defined a series of dimensions associated with mattering. These four dimensions are summarized as folloes:

1. Attention: The feeling that someone notices or is interested in you. For example, when you enter a room, people acknowledge your presence and make you feel welcome.

2. Importance: The sense that people are interested in what you are thinking, feeling, and doing. This aspect is communicated when people inquire about your well-being and take the time to listen carefully to what you have to say.

3. Dependence: The feeling that your contribution is valued and needed. You may be a member of a team and feel that everyone is counting on your participation for the development of ideas.

4.Ego-Extension: The feeling, whether right or wrong, that others are interested in how you are doing (accomplishments as well as disappointments), even when there is no longer a professional relationship.

In any counseling situation, there is a parallel relationship as clients look to counselors for a sense of mattering and counselors look to their colleagues and supervisors for similar recognition.

Perceptions of the Ways of Mattering by People With Mental Illness Marc Corbière, Norman E Amundson. The Career Development Quarterly. Alexandria:Dec 2007. Vol. 56, Iss. 2, p. 141-149 (9 pp.)written for Seven Counties.

Faculty Perceptions of University Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

I have been doing some research on stigmas for the video project that I am currently working on and have found some interesting information, this particular study caught my eye because I am a student at a university and thought it relevant information to possibly use down the road.

• “The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between information sources and university faculty members’ perceptions of working with university students who have PDs.”
• Faculty were asked a)What are your levels of comfort and feelings of confidence in working with university students who have PDs? and b)What is the relationship between your source of information about PD and their perceptions about working with students with PD’s?
• Conclusion: “This study indicated that three experiential information sources were strong positive predictors of faculty perceptions of working with students with PDs: having a friend with a PD, knowing a student with a PD, and currently being treated oneself fora PD. Faculty viewed university students with PDs in a positive light and were comfortable having them on campus. Many faculty felt they did not have adequate knowledge or training to work with these students and would like to have more resources available.”

Faculty Perceptions of University Students with Psychiatric Disabilities Karin F Brockelman, Janis G Chadsey, Jane W Loeb. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Boston:Summer 2006. Vol. 30, Iss. 1, p. 23-30 (8 pp.) written for Seven Counties.

Issues Facing Parents with Mental Illness

Soccer practice, PTA meeting, family dinner, and being a spouse are just some of the things that parents deal with today. If that isn’t challenging enough try adding depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. For parents with a mental illness these daily tasks are much harder to handle.

One in four American families is affected by mental illness. As a result, these families are more likely to be broken by divorce. Mental illness in a parent, if not addressed, can cause emotional and behavioral problems in children. If a parent is depressed, for example, they are less involved emotionally in their children’s lives.

The debilitating forces of mental illness can cause children to take on abnormal levels of responsibility in caring for themselves and in managing the household. These challenges faced by children can cause a range of mental health problems for them. Most of the mental health problems faced by these children stem from being isolated by their peers because of the stigma placed on mental illness.

Not only does this stigma affect the children, it also affects the parent. The negative view placed on parents with a mental illness keeps many from seeking the help they need. Many times when parents with a mental illness seek help they are deemed “unfit” to raise their children. Seventy percent of parents with a mental illness have lost custody of their children. Many families, when seeking help, find themselves in an unending cycle of loss.

Addressing the needs of these families requires not only personal treatment, but family care as well. The current emphasis is on symptom management and individual healing. Shifts are being made towards family care integration to keep these struggling families together. Treatment is most effective when multiple systems work together. This is why communities should strive to improve care for these vulnerable families. “Mental Health America: When a Parent Has a Mental Illness: Issues and Challenges.

Written for Seven Counties, Inc.

“Mental Health America: When a Parent Has a Mental Illness: Issues and Challenges.” Mental Health America: Welcome to Mental Health America. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. <http://mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/strengthening-families/when-a-parent-has-a-mental-illness-issues-and-challenges-t/when-a-parent-has-a-mental-illness-issues-and-challenges>.

Homeless and Mental Illness

The Homeless in the community are in need of our help. Prior to the 1960’s people with mental illness were involuntary admitted to state psychiatric hospitals. Eventually un-necessary hospitalization ceased with the development of medication to control symptoms. The growing practice was that a person was not to be involuntarily admitted unless they posed a threat to themselves or others. Gradually people were being discharged from the hospitals but were not provided with the follow up community based programs they needed therefore these people ended up living on the streets.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20-25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of mental illness. In 2008 mental illness was the third largest cause of homelessness in adults. Research has shown the homeless with a mental illness suffer mostly from severe, chronic depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schoaffective disorders, and severe personality disorders.

Forty percent of the homeless population is families with children; most of these are run by a single woman. Research has shown that 84% of these mothers have been severely assaulted at some point in their lives resulting in a higher probability their children will have mental health problems. These mental illnesses disrupt peoples’ ability to carry out essential daily tasks such as personal hygiene, household management, and creating and maintaining stable interpersonal relationships.

In addition to having a mental illness, some of these people have substance abuse problems. These people self medicate with street drugs which lead to disease from intravenous injections. This combination of mental illness, poor physical health, and substance abuse makes it very hard for people to obtain employment and a stable residence.

Studies have shown that even if homeless individuals with mental illnesses are provided with housing they will not be able to keep that home without continual treatment and services. Supported housing programs were created to provide the care needed to get these people back on their feet. Included are mental health treatment, physical health care, education and employment opportunities, peer support, daily living and money management skills trainings. In order to reduce the amount of homeless people with mental illnesses we need to have more continual treatment available to them.

Domestic Violence

 Domestic violence is defined as using force or threats to hurt and control family members. This violence can come in various forms and can harm children, partners, even the elderly:

1. Physical-shoving, shaking, kicking, punching, using a weapon
2. Emotional-threats, insults, demands, criticism, harassment.
3. Sexual-assault, rape, or attempted rape.
4. Neglect-failing to provide proper food, schooling, and medical care.

There is a circle progression of domestic violence; it starts out with tension building in the home. Secondly the abuser attacks when they are set off by something/someone. The next progression is that there is a period of remorse by the abuser where they buy gifts and do things to “fix” the damage they have done. And lastly they repeat once something/someone sets them off again.

Surprisingly in over half of all cases of domestic violence alcohol and drug usage has been used as an excuse. Alcohol and drugs ALWAYS increase the risk of domestic violence. People are more likely to act violently if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

So, why do people stay in abusive relationships we wonder?Fear of revenge by abuser.
-A sense of duty to keep the family together no matter what.
-A fear of losing children due to dangerous circumstances or surroundings.
-Children often don’t report abuse because they don’t want to “tell” on their parents OR they feel like they will get in trouble if they say anything.

This type of violence has several serious affects on the family involved in these individuals. Domestic violence results in the following:

-Emotional pain-family members may feel ashamed and guilty, worthless, depressed, and maybe even anxious.
-Physical injuries-bruises, head injuries, broken bones, and cuts or burns.
-Death-as violence continues it usually gets worse sometimes resulting in death from attacker.
-Other problems-job loss, school problems, unpaid bills, legal problems.

Domestic violence affects millions of families each year, these families are of all ethnicities, income level, and religion. Domestic Violence is a very serious crime and shouldn’t be taken lightly. This violence is never the fault of the victim, always is 100% the abusers fault.

Written for Seven Counties Services, Inc. And is taken from Seven Counties information.

“Of Mice and Mania”

There is a study being done to find the relationship of dopamine production to people with bipolar disorder in a manic episode. It is being conducted by manipulating a gene called the Clock gene in mice which is located in their brain and is associated with dopamine production. The purpose for altering this gene in mice is to find out which genes affect the neurochemical processes in humans related to dopamine.

Mice with the altered Clock gene seemed to respond more to the electric impulses sent to the pleasure pathways of their brain than the unaltered mice. These genetically altered mice kept coming back to the stimulus frequently, and the unaltered mice were not going back as often. When the Clock mice were given a dose of cocaine they were going back to the stimulus like the unaltered mice were, so their usage of the stimulus was reduced by the dose they were given.

Also, when mice were given a choice between water or sugar solution, this is something that mice find rewarding, the genetically altered mice chose the sugar solution more often than the normal unaltered mice. Genetically altered mice mimic symptoms of people in a manic bipolar state; hypersensitivity to rewards and euphoria, hyperactivity and nervous behavior, reduced anxiety and risk taking, mood stabilizing drug addiction.

Eitghty to ninety percent of people with bipolar disorder have a relative with a mood disorder. Clinicians have noted both depression and manic episodes increase substance abuse. This means these people tend to abuse stimulant drugs during manic phase and alcohol during depressive period. The lifetime rate of substance abuse for people with bipolar disorder is 38% where the rate is 10% for people without psychiatric illness. When bipolar patients abuse stimulating drugs their risks for hospitalization and suicide increase.

The genetically altered mice have different neurobiology than normal mice. Neurons in the starting point for brain dopamine pathways, including the reward circuit, fire more frequently and strongly resulting in greater dopamine release. Extra dopamine in the reward pathway is a critical factor in addiction and may influence vulnerability to both drug abuse and manic symptoms. This research is being done to find if the release of extra dopamine is also true in people with bipolar disorder in a manic episode. The findings may also provide clues to new treatments for people with bipolar disorder and drug abuse.

Whitten, Lori. “Manic Mice Show Heightened Sensitivity to Rewards.” NIDA Notes Nov. 2009: 9-10. Print.

The World Becomes Our Safety Net

ann-e
(click ann-e for a video)

“ann-e,” the new application for the Apple iPhone, was created to connect people in recovery with a support network of peers in the 12-step community. “If it encourages one addict to come out of isolation into recovery, then the application has been a success” states ann-e. This anonymous network of people in recovery was developed to give addicts a network of people with similar problems and with people that are willing to help no matter the time. They developed this application with the simple concept- “Together we can do what we could never do alone.” With this network of people it won’t be long before the “world becomes our safety net.”

This application is a peer-to-peer networking application that allows members of any 12 step program to ask each other for help and support. There are three main ways of communicating with this application:

• Anonymous peer-to-peer instant messaging between those seeking and offering help.
• Conference bridges where members are able to have a voice call anonymously.
• Facilitates face-to-face meetings between trusted peers by disclosing proximity and location.

ann-e allows users to register their affiliated 12-step program and their anonymous name for identification in the application. Also, it allows those offering help to log in and help members seeking help by chatting or setting themselves as “on call” during a set period. This application is also a safe way to exchange contact information of members that have met face-to-face. If you are a member seeking help it shows the location of your “helper” therefore it is easier to know if it is possible to set up a face-to-face meeting.

 

The top ten 12-step programs on the application are:

1. Alcoholics Anonymous
2. Narcotics Anonymous
3. Al-Anon
4. Overeaters Anonymous
5. Gamblers Anonymous
6. Cocaine Anonymous
7. Sex Addicts Anonymous
8. Recovering Food Addicts
9. Food Addicts Anonymous
10. Alateen

This is only a short list of the programs that are offered, there are these and so many more available for users. The main use/purpose of the ann-e application is as a tool for prevention to stay in contact with other recovering addicts to help find direction. A sign on in the morning is a good way to check in with other users and to make sure the day’s path is heading toward recovery.

Step Twelve: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

“Technical Attributes of iPhone App ann-e.” Welcome to ann-e iPhone Application. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. .

Written for Seven Counties Services, Inc.

People with Schizophrenia and Smoking

People with Schizophrenia have a three to four times higher rate of smoking than the general population. In a British study on 100 people with Schizophrenia, they found 92% of the men and 82% of the women were smokers, and they commonly smoke high-tar, unfiltered cigarettes. This type of cigarette is used by only 1% of the total smoking population. “People with mental illnesses have 30% more heart disease and 30% more respiratory disorders” says Ann Crocker about her research. Not only do an estimated 80% of the people with this disorder smoke, but those that are depressed and with anxiety disorders also smoke in great numbers. This can be compared to the 25% of the total adult population.

So, why do these people smoke more than the average adult? Initially people with this disorder smoke for the same reasons other people smoke; social pressure, peer influence, it’s “cool.” These reasons do come into play with smoking and Schizophrenia, but there may be a more compelling reason behind their smoking addiction. Nicotine causes an increase in synaptic dopamine so they may smoke to make up for the lack of dopamine production. This dopamine production causes stimulation to different areas of the brain responsible for mood, cognition, and appetite. By smoking they are improving the production of dopamine therefore improving their mood, sharpening cognition, and decreasing appetite.

“There is substantial evidence that nicotine could be used by patients as a self-medication to improve deficits in attention, cognition, and information processing, and to reduce side effects of antipsychotic drugs,” the German researchers concluded. In addition to these things “sensory gating” is also impacted by smoking. Receptors for nicotine are involved in sensory gating, and several studies have shown sensory gating is markedly improved after smoking, therefore lowering auditory hallucinations common in schizophrenia.

Norman L Keltner, & Joan S Grant. (2006). Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 42(4), 256-61. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Health Module. (Document ID: 1182665371).
“Why Do Schizophrenics Smoke Cigarettes? Brain Blogger.” Brain Blogger Topics from Multidimensional Biopsychosocial Perspectives. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. .

Written for Seven Counties Services, Inc.

Are Suicide Rates Higher at Christmas?

Contrary to popular belief, suicide rates decline during the holiday season. A study was done on 188,000 recorded suicides in the U.S. and they found on average there were 102 fewer suicides during the holiday season. There was a noted dip in suicide rates leading up to, and following the Christmas holiday. One group of researchers found on average there were about 34 suicides per million people. They also found Holiday rates were lower with Christmas and New Year’s Eve at 30/million, and Thanksgiving at a surprisingly low 26/million. The New Years day rate was very high at 41/million people. This group of researchers believes the large number is due to the end of a holiday season when people get depressed at the thought of returning to work and everyday life.

The researchers have some reasons why suicide rates decline during the holidays.

~ Gathering of friends and relatives gives off a secure vibe and creates a comfortable atmosphere.

~Christmas celebrations evoke positive memories.

~There is an increase in awareness of resources available during this period.

Many assumptions are made about suicide and the holidays, but the holidays have a more relevant connection with depression. Loneliness, depression, feelings of loss, financial burdens, family conflicts, and alcohol abuse has shown to increase during the holidays. Some of these stresses can be dealt with before they hit with several simple steps. Planning ahead by identifying your feelings about Christmas is a good place to start. Second of all, being realistic about what can be afforded to give is a good guideline to your shopping adventures. Lastly, choosing to celebrate with the people who make you feel positive and hopeful as well as letting go of expectations about the holidays and just having fun. These are wonderful ways of dealing with the stresses of the holiday season.

“Are Suicide Rates Higher at Christmas?.” Centre for Suicide Prevention. Centre for Suicide Prevention, 16 Dec. 1995. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. . Ballas, Chris. “Depression – Suicide Rates and the Holidays.” Healthcentral.com – Trusted, Reliable and Up To Date Health Information. My Depression Connection, 7 Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/49/54818/suicide-holidays.
Snopes. “snopes.com: Christmas Suicides.” snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages. Snopes.com, 30 July 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .

Written for Seven Counties Services, Inc.