Jazz R
Unit 20 – Assignment 1-
Introduction-
I am writing a report to show my understanding of the different views on the nature of
mental wellbeing and mental health and how the main forms of mental ill health are
classified.
Mental- ill health is mainly used as umbrella term for both mental illness and mental health
problems. Mental illness is something that is diagnosed, they will often interfere with an
individual’s cognitive, emotional, and/or, social abilities; whereas mental health problems,
while they can still affect these factors, they will usually not meet the criteria for a diagnosis
and will be less severe than a mental illness. These will commonly occur as a result of life
stressors.
Mental wellbeing is the state of being healthy and happy. This includes factors such as how
satisfied someone is with their life, how in control they feel, and their sense of purpose in
the world.
This report will be based on the following case studies.
Alexander - Alexander is a 24 year old male, he has recently been discharged from the Psychiatric
services based at Bodmin Hospital within the Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust, where he has been an
inpatient for the last 6 months. He will continue to receive care in the community to help him to
manage his condition. Alexander has been diagnosed with schizophrenia after having several
prolonged psychotic episodes since he was 17. Alexander reached crisis point and was admitted to
hospital under the Mental Health Act (1983, amended in 2007) as he was a danger to himself. He
was experiencing paranoia and delusional thoughts and visual and auditory hallucinations. He
believed that there was a governmental conspiracy to kill him as he believed he was born to save the
world from disease. He believed the government could read his mind when he was inside buildings
so he would run to woodland areas believing that there he was safe and his thoughts could not be
read, however several times he went missing for days at a time and was on the final occasion found
with hypothermia and was severely dehydrated. After he was admitted to hospital, he received a full
assessment and a diagnosis. He underwent treatment in the psychiatric ward which consisted of
drug treatment and support by the inpatient psychosis team. He has made a good recovery and has
an understanding of the nature of his condition which he is glad of now he knows what has been
wrong with him, however he does have some concerns about being discriminated against and
stereotyped because of his diagnosis. He is going to be receiving ongoing support as an outpatient
and has been attending art classes for clients in recovery. Alexander was curious about where his
condition has come from, he knew his grandfather had experienced episodes of psychosis but he
had also had a difficult start to his life as his parents lived in an isolated area and struggled to
financial make ends meet. He also regularly witnessed domestic violence and was verbally abused
by his father. He was bullied in school and felt more comfortable in his own company. He has had
several romantic relationships but none of these have lasted for longer than 8 months. He had a
very strong relationship with his uncle who has had a positive impact on him during his childhood
, and was always there for Alexander to talk to. He also has Sadie his best friend, but she finds it hard
to understand what he is going through. Alexander likes to write and would very much like to pursue
a career in journalism but is worried about how his diagnosis will impact his career and also his
future relationships.
Freya- Freya is a 21-year-old female who has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), after her and her family were involved in a break in
and aggravated robbery in their home 3 years ago. Freya and her family were held at knife point
while the robbers took belongings from their home. The family were unharmed although they were
told they were going to be killed which Freya believed would happen and admitted she was terrified.
The robbers ran away with their goods and were not caught after the crime was reported. Two
months after the robbery Freya began having terrifying flashbacks and nightmares and when people
would approach her in the street or in college, where she was studying happily at before the
robbery, she would have intense panic attacks and flee the situation. She stopped going to college
as she felt embarrassed and could not keep up with her work and did not take up her offer of a place
at university, she has since been working at a local café that her parents run, although she still found
it increasing hard to manage her anxiety levels. Freya began to repeatedly check all the locks in the
house, she has to check each lock 50 times before she moves to the next, which is extremely time
consuming. She also counts to 50 every time she opens a door, and this is having a huge impact on
her quality of life. She is finding any type of socialisation hard and is becoming more and more
isolated as she fears that the criminals are out to get her, and she sometimes experiences intense
paranoia. Her family are trying to support her, but they are also feeling hopeless and do not know
what to do now. Freya has visited her GP who has referred her to a local mental health service which
after rigorous assessment has diagnosed her condition. They have referred her for intense therapy
in order to help her to manage her condition and achieve a good quality of life once again. Her
family have also been offered some support to help her to manage the difficulties she is facing at
present.
20/A. P1 - Explain factors that influence mental wellbeing and mental health.
There are many factors that will influence and impact the state of mental wellbeing and
mental health including socio-economic factors, psychological factors, risk factors,
protective factors, biological factors, and environment, endowment and experience.
Socioeconomic status-
This is a term that scientists use to represent a range of factors, it refers to an individual’s
income level, education, and position in society. Usually when someone is at a lower socio-
economic level, they are much more likely to have a mental illness than someone at a higher
socioeconomic level. This is called a social determinant of health which means our health is
not only a healthy diet, good genes, or exercising, there are many factors that go into having
good health, including social ones.
Economic insecurity is also something that can affect health and wellbeing. Economic
insecurity refers to things like poverty, meaning an individual does not earn enough money
to survive comfortably. Unemployment is another big factor that can contribute to
increased mental illness.
