Psychiatry is the area in medical science and psychology to the people whose minds (as they say) and are disturbed not to accept their social behavior patterns correspond offer. Psychopathology and clinical psychology are part of the subdomains of this branch of medical psychology, the necessity to neurology, mental deficiency or retardation, forensic psychology, certain aspects of abnormal psychology, social psychology and psychotherapy.Mental disease recognized as such since the days of Aristotle and Hippocrates and a long modern history was described by some scientists.
Mental health disorder characterized by mental well-being and self-acceptance. Mental health in general term implies the ability to love and relationships with others, ability to work productively, and behavioral willingness, in a way that brings personal satisfaction, without violating the rights of others. In a clinical sense, mental health is the absence of mental illness.
The motion of Mental Health
The care of mentally ill people over the centuries swayed, but the development of modern approaches to the subject dates from the mid-18th Century, when reformers such as French physician Philippe Pinel and the American physician Benjamin Rush introduced humane “moral treatment” to replace the sometimes cruel treatment that prevailed then. Despite these reforms, most mentally ill people continue to live in prisons and asylums for the poor, a situation that continued until 1841, when the American reformer Dorothea Dix campaign to put mentally ill people in hospitals for special treatment.
The modern movement of mental health can access the publication in 1908 of a mind that is found, a report on the experiences of the author, Clifford Whittingham Beers, a mental patient to be returned. The book raised a storm of public interest for the mentally ill. In 1909 Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene.
Public awareness of the need for greater public attention to mental health services has led to the adoption of the National Mental Health in 1946. This law authorizes the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health under the U.S. Public Health Service are used. In 1950, the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, such as the National Association for Mental Health, better known as the Mental Health Association reorganized known.
In 1955, Congress created a Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health Survey mental health needs of the nation and new approaches to be recommended. Based on recommendations of the Commission in 1963 a law was passed authorizing funds for the construction of facilities for the centers to community-based treatment. A similar group, the Presidential Commission on Mental Health has its findings in 1978, relying on estimates of the costs of mental disorders in the United States alone to about $ 17,000,000,000 per year.
Scope of the Problem
Following a joint estimation, at one point 10 percent of the U.S. population has mental problems seriously enough to care and the latest data suggest that this figure could be closer 15 percent. Not all people who help him, however, in 1975 need, received only 3 percent of the U.S. public mental health services. A major reason for this is that people still ask you afraid of the stigma of mental illness and therefore often do not report or for help.
The analysis of the figures on mental illness shows that schizophrenia affects about 2 million Americans suffer from deep depression 2 million more, and turn to 1 million organic psychosis or other mental conditions permanently. As much as 25 percent of the population are estimated to suffer from mild to moderate depression, anxiety and other emotional problems. About 10 million Americans have problems with alcohol abuse, and millions more are considered drugs. Some are from 5 to 15 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 15 victims of the ongoing mental health problems, and at least 2 million are considered severe learning disabilities that may affect seriously have their mental health.
In addition, the Commission believes should apply to the President, the list of mental health problems on identifiable psychiatric conditions may be extended to avoid damage to the mental health with unrelenting poverty, unemployment and discrimination associated face are the basis of race, gender, social class , age, mental or physical disability.
Prevention
health authorities to distinguish generally between three forms of prevention. Primary prevention refers to attempts to prevent the emergence of mental disorders and promote positive mental health. Secondary prevention is early detection and treatment of disease, and tertiary prevention refers to rehabilitation efforts at the prevention of complications.
Two ways of approach to the prevention of mental disorders in adults proposed by the Presidential Commission. The first was to reduce the effects of stress crises such as unemployment, retirement, death, marriage breakdown and the second was the environments in which people can realize their full potential. The Commission has set the heavy accent, but to help children. He recommended the following measures:
can be 1) Adequate care during pregnancy and birth, so that initiate early treatment, if necessary;
2) early detection and correction of problems of physical, emotional and spiritual;
3) development programs, day care based on emotional and intellectual development;
4) support for families, unnecessary and inappropriate foster homes or other placements outside the home to prevent children.
Treatment
Care of the mentally ill has changed dramatically in recent decades. drug was introduced in the mid-1950s with several other methods of treatment, many patients who had once spent years in psychiatric outpatients are treated in community facilities instead. (A series of court decisions and legislation has been promoting community care, requiring patients will be treated in the least restrictive setting.) Between 1955 and 1980 reduced the number of people in psychiatric hospitals are over 550,000 to less than 125,000. This trend is partly explained by better care and save some of the cost of running hospitals in the interest of public money, closed several large psychiatric hospitals, making it necessary to find alternative solutions for patients. This is generally considered a progressive trend, because if patients spend longer time in hospitals, they tend to depend on and lose interest in caring for themselves. Furthermore, because hospitals are often long distances from homes of patients, families and friends are, they can rarely access, and patient roles at home and at work are likely to be taken by each other.
Psychiatric services in general hospitals, community took some responsibility for the care of the mentally ill during the acute phase of illness. Some of these clinics operate as a stationary to Community Mental Health Center. Most patients stay for a few days or weeks, until symptoms are gone, and they are usually a form of psychotropic drugs to alleviate their symptoms. Following the example of Britain, America now some psychiatric patients complete freedom of buildings and grounds, and in some cases free to visit the surrounding communities. This approach is based on the finding that behavior problems often is the result of moderation is based instead of disease.
Treatment of patients with less severe mental disorders is also changed in recent decades. So far, patients with mild depression, anxiety and other neurotic conditions are treated individually with psychotherapy. Although this form of treatment is still widespread, other approaches are available now. In some cases, a patient group meets to problems with the help of a therapist address, in other cases, families are treated as a unit. Another form of treatment that has proved particularly effective in the fight against the phobic disorders, behavior therapy, which focuses on the development of observable behaviors, rather than the causes of disease. As with severe mental illness, was the treatment of mild anxiety and depression, by introducing new drugs, strengthened help alleviate the symptoms.
Rehabilitation
The release of a large number of patients in psychiatric hospitals state has significant problems for patients and the communities that become their new home causes. appropriate community services are often not available for former psychiatric patients, a large percentage of them live in nursing homes and other facilities that are not equipped to meet their needs. Most of these patients were diagnosed as with schizophrenia, and only 15 to 40 percent of schizophrenics who live in the community to achieve an average level of adjustment. Those who receive care usually in a clinic at regular intervals, short-term counseling and drug monitoring visit.
In addition to these clinics, rehabilitation services, sheltered workshops, programs, day treatment and social clubs. Sheltered workshops provide vocational guidance and the opportunity to revive an old skill or learn a new one. In treatment programs, day patients’ homes at night and on weekends and during the week, the programs offer a range of rehabilitation services, such as vocational training, group activities, and help with the practical problems of life. Ex-patient clubs offer social contacts, group activities, and a chance for patients to develop confidence in normal situations.
Another important institution is rehabilitation for patients Halfway House to accept their families are not willing or able to them after discharge. It serves as temporary residence for ex-patients who are willing to forge community links to the outside. An alternative is the use of subsidized apartments for patients in psychiatric hospitals recently.
