NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems Part A
Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems Welcome to this Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems. We hope you find all of the information contained in this resource pack interesting and informative. This learning resource and the assessment questions have been approved by NCFE as a great way to meet the learning outcomes for this qualification. (A complete list of the learning outcomes can be found on the last page of this resource.) The course is made up of four parts (A, B, C and D). This is Part A which contains three units: UNIT 1: Understanding mental health UNIT 2: Understanding stress UNIT 3: Understanding anxiety As you start to read through each page you will be able to make notes and comments on things you have learnt or may want to revisit at a later stage. At the end of each section you will be asked to answer the relevant assessment questions. Once you have answered the questions, go to the next section and continue studying until all of the assessment questions have been completed. Please make sure that you set aside enough time to read each section carefully, making notes and completing all of the activities. This will allow you to gain a better understanding of the subject content, and will help you to answer all of the assessment questions accurately. Good luck with your study. Now let s begin! 1
Awareness of Mental Health Problems Unit 1: Understanding mental health Welcome to unit one. This unit is split into four sections. These are: Section 1: The meaning of mental health and mental ill-health Section 2: How mental health care has changed over time E L Section 3: The social context of mental illness Section 4: The legal context of mental illness P M Section 1: The meaning of mental health and mental ill-health A S This section will explore the following: Defining mental health and mental ill-health The components of mental well-being The risk factors associated with mental health problems Examples of mental health problems. 2
Defining mental health and mental ill-health Mental health: There is no single official definition of the term mental health. Here are some definitions that are currently used. Mental health is: The emotional and spiritual resilience which enables enjoyment of life, and the ability to survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own and others dignity and worth. Source: Department of Health: Making it happen. A guide to delivering mental health promotion. (2001) A state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Source: World Health Organisation (WHO) www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/index.html According to WHO, mental health is an essential part of a person s health in general, which they define as follows: Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Mental health is, therefore, more than simply the absence of mental disorders. It includes: How a person feels about themselves, their life and the world Their ability to solve problems Their ability to forge relationships with others Their ability to achieve their aims and goals. The problem with all definitions is that they over-simplify issues. In practice, there may be no clear dividing line between mental health and mental disorder or illness. Also, different societies may have different views about what is considered to be mental health and what types of treatment are appropriate in the event of mental health problems. Mental ill-health: The term mental ill-health is used when a person experiences significant changes in their thinking, feelings or behaviour. This is also referred to as mental disorder. These changes must be extreme enough to affect how the person functions or to cause distress to them or other people. 3
The following aspects can occur when someone experiences mental ill-health or disorder: Personal harm or suffering Abnormal ways of thinking, feeling or behaving Inability to carry out normal tasks Danger for others or the person concerned. Here is a definition of mental ill-health or disorder: A clinically significant behavioural or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress or disability, a significantly increased risk of suffering, death, pain or disability, or an important loss of freedom. Source: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000) Try the following quick quiz to see how much you know about mental health and ill-health. A Activity 1: Mental health quiz Look at the following statements and decide if you think the statement is true or false. Tick the appropriate box. 1. Mental health problems are not common. 2. People with mental health problems are often violent. 3. If you have a mental health problem you won t be able to work or study. 4. People with mental health problems are not subjected to discrimination by others. Check your answers at the end of this workbook. 4
The components of mental well-being Mental well-being describes an individual with good mental functioning and no problems in thinking, feelings or behaviour. A Activity 2: A sense of mental well-being What would you say were the main things that make people feel a sense of mental well-being? Write your ideas below. There is one already given to help you Having positive emotions and moods such as contentment and happiness. 5
Did your ideas about the components of mental well-being include any from the list below? Having feelings of calm, excitement, love or affection The absence of negative emotions such as anxiety or depression Feeling satisfied with life and being fulfilled by it Feeling physically healthy and energetic Feeling in control of events The ability to cope with stress The ability to manage feelings of anger Having a positive body image The ability to solve problems and be creative Maintaining positive relationships High self-esteem The ability to manage moods Social support from family and friends Sleeping well Healthy food and exercise Having a gender and cultural identity. Two important components of mental well-being are: Resilience The ability to develop positive and supportive relationships. Resilience Q. What is resilience? A. The ability to persevere in the face of adversity and bounce back after traumatic or stressful events. Even though disappointment, loss and change are normal events in life, they can cause feelings of stress, sadness and anxiety. People who lack mental well-being can be overwhelmed by these feelings. Resilience is a vital component of mental well-being that provides the coping mechanisms that people rely on to deal with difficult events. Resilience allows people to balance negative emotions with positive ones, preventing a slide into depression, anxiety or other mental health problems. Having balance in your life can improve resilience. 6
Positive and supportive relationships Supportive relationships are also important to mental well-being. People draw emotional strength from the support of other people. Developing an ability to forge positive relationships with others may take time and effort but these relationships are crucial for emotional health. Mental well-being is a dynamic state in which the individual is able to develop their potential, work productively and creatively, build strong and positive relationships with others and contribute to their community. It is enhanced when an individual is able to fulfil their personal and social goals and achieve a sense of purpose in society. Source: Foresight Mental Capital and Well-being Project (2008) Final project report. London: The Government Office for Science. Use the next activity to check your own level of mental well-being. A Activity 3: A sense of mental well-being Use the websites noted at the end of this workbook to check your own level of mental well-being. Use the NHS website to explore the five steps to improving mental well-being. Make notes in the space below. 7
Awareness of Mental Health Problems You should have found information about the following five steps to maximise mental well-being: Connecting with other people and developing supportive relationships Being physically active Learning new skills to give yourself a sense of achievement Giving to others, including volunteering in your community to improve mental outlook and develop social networks Being more aware of your thoughts, feelings and the world around you. E L Key Fact Having a sense of mental well-being does not mean that you never experience difficult situations; rather, when you do you are better able to cope with them. P M A S The risk factors associated with mental health problems Q. What is a risk factor? A. A risk factor is anything that increases the likelihood of developing mental health problems. Mental health problems, whilst common, do not affect everyone. Some people are more at risk than others. Complex social, psychological and biological factors determine a person s mental health at any one point in time. For example, constant social and economic pressures pose risks to people s mental health. In addition, there are personality factors, genetic factors and imbalances of chemicals in the brain that make some people more at risk than others. 8
Try the following quiz to see how much you know about the risk factors in developing mental ill-health. A Activity 4: Risk factor quiz Look at the following statements and tick if you think the statement is true or false. 1. Lack of basic amenities such as food, water or shelter will put people at risk of mental ill-health. 2. Unemployed people are twice as likely to experience depression as people in work. 3. Men are more at risk than women of experiencing depression, anxiety and phobias. 4. A person s genetic inheritance can make them more likely to develop mental health problems than others. 5. Negative experiences at school never affect the development of mental health problems. Check your answers at the end of this workbook. 9
The key risk factors in developing mental ill-health are: Lack of access to basic environmental resources Lack of strong social support networks Gender whether you are male or female Negative experiences at school and in the workplace Lack of emotional resilience Substance abuse Genetic inheritance, which can make some people more prone to problems than others. Key Fact The risk factors in developing mental health problems include social, psychological and biological factors. 10
Examples of mental health problems Study this table to see some of the most common mental health problems. Depression Anxiety Obsessive compulsive disorder Phobias Bipolar disorder formerly known as manic depression Personality disorders Depression lowers mood, and can make people feel hopeless, worthless, unmotivated and exhausted. It can affect sleep, appetite, libido and self-esteem. It can also interfere with daily activities and sometimes physical health. Depression can be mild or severe, and can be related to certain experiences for example, postnatal depression can occur after childbirth. Anxiety means constant worry about specific or general aspects of daily life. It may cause restlessness, sleeping problems and physical symptoms for example, an increased heart beat, stomach upset, muscle tension or feeling shaky. People may also experience panic attacks, phobias or obsessive compulsive disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has two main parts obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, ideas or urges that repeatedly appear in the mind for example, worrying that the door is unlocked when you have left the house. Compulsions are repetitive activities that people feel they have to do. This could be something like repeatedly checking that you have your purse or your wallet. A fear becomes a phobia when someone has an exaggerated sense of danger about a situation or an object for example, birds or snakes. The person will often begin to organise their life around avoiding the thing that they fear. The symptoms of phobias are similar to those of anxiety, and in severe forms the person may experience panic attacks. Eating disorders Someone with bipolar disorder will experience mood swings. During manic episodes, an individual experiencing bipolar disorder may display overexcited behaviour. At other times, they may go through long periods of being very depressed. People with a personality disorder find it difficult to change their patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, and have a more limited range of emotions, attitudes and behaviours with which to deal with and manage everyday life. Eating disorders can be characterised by eating too much, or by eating too little. A person may deny themselves anything to eat, even when they are very hungry, or they may eat constantly, or binge. The person thinks constantly about the subject of food, and how much they weigh. 11
Let s Summarise Take a few moments to answer the following questions to help you summarise what you have learnt in this section. This will help you answer your assessment questions. 1. Mental health does not include: A person s ability to solve problems A person s diet A person s ability to forge relationships How a person feels about themselves 2. What is resilience? (Tick two options.) The ability to persevere in the face of adversity The ability to bounce back after traumatic or stressful events The ignorance of any negativity whatsoever 3. Risk factors associated with mental health include: Social pressures Chemical imbalances in the brain Economic pressures Personality factors All of the above Check your answers by looking back over this section. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED SECTION 1. PLEASE NOW GO TO YOUR ASSESSMENT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS Q1 TO Q4. 12