Understanding of mental health and mental illness

Anxiety disorder is the most prevalent health disorder that increases the morbidity rate and incidence of other health issues. Although anxiety disorder is less visible other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder, it is the equally disabling disorder that affects the quality of the life of the individual (Lader, 2015).  Anxiety disorder is present in approximately 13.3% of the individual in Australia and increases the other chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, obesity (Spain et al., 2017). Despite the widespread prevalence of anxiety disorder, it has not received enough recognition and received adequate clinical therapies. As a result, lack of management leads to the reduction of productivity, increased the morbidity or mortality rate.

The cases study represents anxiety disorder of 22-year-old university student who was unable to cope up with the stress of surroundings (Olthuis et al., 2016). She stated that she was experiencing the panics and usually found it difficult to concentrate on her study. Moreover, she also stated the feeling of tensed and anxious and she was experiencing the sleeping the problem.

The aim of the paper is to provide a clear understanding of the mental health and procedure to manage the anxiety of Georgia. Therefore, this paper will illustrate clear understanding g of mental health and mental illness, Relationship between mental health and physical health, comprehensive understanding of mental health needs of patients, treatment for managing the patients, implications for the practice of health professionals in following paragraphs.

Understanding of mental health and mental illness:

World health organization defined the mental health as the state of being where every individual recognizes his or her potential and ability to cope up with the normal stress of the life by working productively living a standard life (Silove et al., 2015). However, mental illness, on the other hand, mental health illness is defined as any other medical illness, which affects the mental well-being of individuals. A study by Baer (2015),  suggested that mental health illness is identified as the third leading cause of morbidity in Australia which affected the economic performance, health care expenditure. A study Hofmann and Otto (2017), reported that the only 4.5% of the individuals were treated with psychotic illness, most commonly schizophrenia and anxiety disorder.

A study stated that lack of awareness in population regarding mental illness and access to the health care services increases the prevalence of these psychological disorders that further contributed to the maximization of the morbidity rate. As observed in this case study, a 22-year-old university student, Georgia who was experiencing difficulties to cope up with the stress of her life. She was facing difficulties in the concentrating in her study. She described that she was feeling tensed and panicked frequently and had sleeping impaired.

According to the protocol of DSM-V, feeling of panicked lack of concentration and sleeping impairment considered as the mental illness that affected her mental wellbeing, and quality of life, which in turn affected her psychical health (Lissek et al., 2014). In order to manage her issues, immediate clinical assistance would be required.

The relationship between mental health and physical health

The relationship between mental health and physical health

According to Guzman et al. (2018), mental health and physical health of the individual is fundamentally linked where multiple associations between mental health and physical health influenced the quality of the individual. Baer (2015),  stated that poorer mental health is defined as the potential risk factor for chronic health conditions many epidemiological, psychological studies suggested that in Australia, the approximately, 14.3% individuals with the psychological disorders developed the health issues such as cardiovascular disease, mobility issues, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes (Liu et al., 2015). Therefore, in order to reduce the physical health issues, which further have long-term consequences; it is crucial to resolving the issues that affect the mental health of an individual.

As observed in this cases study, a 22-year-old university student, Georgia who was having trouble to cope up with the stress of her life. She was facing difficulties in the concentrating in her study. She described that she was feeling tensed and panicked frequently and had sleeping impaired. In the context of cases study, an interconnection observed between physical health and mental health since she was experiencing anxiety, which in turn causes the shortness of breath, heart pounding and feeling fatigued. Moreover, she had difficulty in sleeping and she was lying awake for hours and felt exhausted for hours. Moreover, she had no relationship for more than 2 years and she lived alone in the flat, away from her parents since she did not have the car.

She had friends but she usually met them in three weeks of interval and talk to her mother over the phone. Thus, the life of isolation, away from most of the friends and family members strongly affected the mental health of George, which further influenced physical health. She thought that she will become like her other since her mother had anxiety, this personal belief also, Therefore,   in order manage her physical issues such as sleep impairment fatigue, management of her anxiety disorder is crucial which will enhance her quality of life and relationship with surroundings.

Comprehensive understanding of personal recovery:

For the individual with mental health illness or psychotic orders, personal recovery has become important for the mental health services around the globe. According to Mennin et al. (2018), personal recovery is strongly influenced by the patient’s perspective, personal values and relationship between the surroundings. Nielsen et al. (2017), stated that personal recovery as a deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitude, values, perception, goals, and skills. Often contrasted with the traditional treatment target for the mental health services for the anxiety disorder, the concept of the personal recovery is crucial, to integrate into the health care services for providing the standard lifestyle to the individual with the mental health diseases.

Personal health recovery plays a massive role in the wellbeing of patients with mental health illness. According to Shepherd et al. (2016), personal recovery promotes the well-being of individuals’ mental and physical health, which involves the setting of an accurate goal of living quality life, building, and confidence, resilience, ability to maintain an appropriate relationship with surrounds and having a sense of purpose.  Another study by Shepherd et al. (2016), suggested that although the clinical recovery and personal recovery are not mutually exclusive, adequate cooperation between clinical recovery and personal recovery enhances the wellbeing of the individual. A study by Liu et al. (2015), the participation of the family members along with it the peer works facilitates personal recovery.

Comprehensive understanding of personal recovery

As observed in this case study, Georgia was experiencing anxiety and facing difficulties in the concentrating on her study. Furthermore, it affected her physical wellbeing and quality of life.  She was living in a flat, away from her most of the friends and family members’ that in turn act as a risk factor of developing anxiety. Therefore, mitigating these contributing factors through personal recovery process will reduce the anxiety of Georgia, which in turn reduce the physical health issues and improve her personal recovery.

Since she had good relations with her family, personal recovery must involve the incorporation participations of the family members in the recovery process (Guzman et al., 2018). The involvement of the family members will empower Georgia along with her mother since she had anxiety and strengthen the relationship with the family members of Georgia (Guzman et al., 2018). Moreover empowering her through motivational therapies which will boost self-esteem, liberate the feeling of tensed and provide her achievable goal to live quality lives.

Recognizing and responding to the need of Georgia:

As observed in the cases study, Georgia was experiencing severe anxiety; she had a hard time concentrating on her study. She was also experiencing the feeling of tensed, sleeping impairment which affected her physical health. Since she lived along, away from the family, the feeling of loneliness contributed to her development of anxiety. Therefore, in order to manage the anxiety, it is crucial to identify the needs of Georgia and responding to the need with the participation of the family members is crucial. In the present context, the prime requirement of Georgia is to the liberation of the feeling of the anxiety, loneliness, fatigue and boosting self-estimate to cope up with the stress of the life. According to Giusti et al. (2015),

Health professional plays a crucial role in potential management of anxiety disorder and provides the meaning full life to the patient. Health professionals must monitor the cues of anxiety disorder of Georgia such as avoidance, psychosomatic issues and social isolation for addressing the issues of Georgia in order to come up with better interventions. Donald  et al. (2018), showed that ziprasidone and aripiprazole are proved to be effective for reducing the anxiety of the patients.

Therefore, these drugs should be given to Georgia for reduction of the anxiety issues. However, these antipsychotic drugs have side effects, which might worsen the health conditions. Moreover, cognitive behavioural therapy can be given to her in order to reduce anxiety and boost self-esteem by eliminating negative thoughts (Thomas et al., 2016). It will empower her and she will have a perspective of living standard life. In order to cope with the stress of life, the health professional must incorporate her in social activities such as the motivational speaker and meeting with her friends to liberating the feeling of loneliness (Liu et al., 2015).

The health care professional will assist her itself care such as having adequate sleep, consuming a healthy diet, mediations for healing faster which will enhance her personal recovery(Thomas et al., 2016). Moreover, health care professionals must incorporate her family members and peer workers to support the personal recovery of Georgia (Guzman et al., 2018). These interventions will assist her to gain self-esteem, strengthen the relationship with family reduce the fatigue increase the concentration of the study and in turn improve her academic performance in university.

Implications for the practice of the health professional:

With the growing prevalence of mental health illness, it is crucial for health professionals to prioritizing the needs of health care professionals in order to reduce the global burden of the issues.  The implications for the practice of health professionals while working someone having anxiety can be positive and negative. A study by Leamy et al. (2014), suggested that health professional while working with the patient’s health professionals may feel anxious, frustrated and professional burn out which affect the quality of life.

The prime reason behind it is that health professional practice is directly intertwined with the patient’s life and they experience these symptoms due to their lived experiences while a patient is going through the recovery. Hofmann and Otto (2017), suggested that they become socially distant and agitated for interacting with the patient. Consequently, it also affected the personal life of the health professional.  However, Liu et al. (2015), suggested that the positive expectations of working with the patient who is experiencing anxiety. While working with the patient with health care professionals involve themselves in the self-care such since they are able to address the major concern of them, which further boost the self-esteem of the health professionals, empower them and enhance their personal life (Hofmann & Otto, 2017).

Conclusion:

Thus, it can be concluded anxiety disorder are the most precedent health disorder that affected. Accumulated evidence suggested that lack of management leads to the reduction of productivity, increased the morbidity or mortality rate. The case study represents anxiety disorder of a 22-year-old university student who was unable to cope up with the stress of surroundings.  

The study showed that mental welling is an integrated part of the life and a mental health issue destabilizes these issues. The physical health is intertwined with mental health and poorer mental health is associated with physical health issues. Since she was experiencing anxiety, personal recovery plays a crucial role in managing the anxiety. Health care professionals play a crucial role in managing the issues of Georgia. Therefore, in order to reduce the anxiety health care professionals must provide care-involving therapies, which will enhance her quality of life.

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