Mental Health and Human Resilience

Human resilience is an intuitive response to extreme adversity and/or acute stress observed across the life course. It is now better understood than ever before because it manifests in children, adolescents, adults, senior citizens, and the elderly at the individual level. Resilience is typically defined as the capacity to recover from difficult life events. How do an individual deal with difficult events like death of loved ones, serious illness, losing a job or some other traumatic events? Where many people react with a flood of strong emotions and other generally adapt well to life changing situation and stressful conditions. It involves resilience. Resilience is the process of bouncing back through well adaptation from difficult experience like trauma, tragedy, threats or stress.

Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development. Central to its practice are psychological assessment, clinical formulation, and psychotherapy, although clinical psychologists also engage in research, teaching, consultation, forensic testimony, and program development and administration. In many countries, clinical psychology is a regulated mental health profession. Clinical psychology is the psychological specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive mental and behavioral health care for individuals, couples, families, and groups; consultation to agencies and communities; training, education and supervision; and research-based practice.

Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment. Psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioural intervention. Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment. Psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioural intervention

Child abuse or child maltreatment is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to act by a parent or a caregiver that results in actual or potential harm to a child and can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools, or communities the child interacts with. Abuses on child is not every time intentional but if their parents and caregivers are no longer caring for the child then this results into dysfunctional behaviour and abuse.

Mental disorders can affect women and men differently. Some disorders are more common in women such as depression and anxiety. There are also certain types of disorders that are unique to women. For example, some women may experience symptoms of mental disorders at times of hormone change, such as perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopause-related depression. When it comes to other mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, research has not found differences in the rates at which men and women experience these illnesses. But women may experience these illnesses differently – certain symptoms may be more common in women than in men, and the course of the illness can be affected by the sex of the individual. Researchers are only now beginning to tease apart the various biological and psychosocial factors that may impact the mental health of both women and men

Child and adolescent psychiatry (or pediatric psychiatry) is a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders in children, adolescents, and their families. It investigates the biopsychosocial factors that influence the development and course of psychiatric disorders and treatment responses to various interventions. Child and adolescent psychiatrists primarily use psychotherapy and/or medication to treat mental disorders in the pediatric population. Child and adolescent psychiatry deals in the treatment of mental health disorders of children aged up to 18 years. As many adult mental health disorders originate in childhood and these behavioural problems linked with difficulties throughout adulthood, so child and adolescent psychiatry is very crucial branch as it involves in detection and early treatment of mental health disorders.

Geriatric psychiatry, also known as geropsychiatry, psychogeriatrics or psychiatry of old age, is a branch of medicine and a subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative, cognitive impairment, and mental disorders in people of old age.  Geriatric psychiatry as a subspecialty has significant overlap with the specialties of geriatric medicine, behavioural neurology, neuropsychiatry, neurology, and general psychiatry. Geriatric psychiatry has become an official subspecialty of psychiatry with a defined curriculum of study and core competencies.

Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by persistent use of a drug despite substantial harm and adverse consequences. Repetitive drug use often alters brain function in ways that perpetuate craving and undermine (but do not negate) self-control. This phenomenon—drugs reshaping brain function—has led to an understanding of addiction as a brain disorder with a complex variety of neurobiological  and psychosocial factors that are implicated in its development. Mental health difficulties like depression, anxiety, PTSD, stress often leads an individual towards substance abuse and using these substances often worsen the mental health. Mental illness and substance abuse often occur together, and it is called Dual Diagnosis or Co-Occurring Disorder. Following are the mental health problems occur frequently with addiction. Anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Eating Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia and Personality Disorders

Neuropsychiatric disorders are organic brain diseases with psychiatric symptoms, as in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, that cause cognitive impairment, including dementia, amnesic syndrome, and personality–behavioral changes. As a clinical science, neuropsychiatry aims to explore the complex interrelationship between behavior and brain function from a variety of perspectives, including those of psychology, neurology, and psychiatry. This concise and updated monograph comprises the latest findings in the field and includes chapters on delusional symptoms, mood disorders and neurotic symptoms, cognitive impairment, behavioral and personality changes, and recently, cerebral alterations revealed in PTSD patients and in endogenous psychoses through neuroimaging and neuropathology. These findings will certainly widen the realm of neuropsychiatry going forward and will prove of great value to specialists as well as to academics and trainees in neurology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and clinical genetics. Ultimately, neuropsychiatry aims to prevent and reduce the suffering of individuals with the psychiatric symptoms of cerebral disorders.

Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. The term psychological disorder is more frequently known as mental disorders. Mental disorders are the pattern of psychological symptoms that impacts in multiple areas throughout the life span. Some of the psychological disorders are: Neurodevelopmental disorders, which includes intellectual disability, global developmental delay, communication disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Psychosomatic disorder is a psychological condition involving the occurrence of physical symptoms, usually lacking a medical explanation. People with this condition may have excessive thoughts, feelings or concerns about the symptoms — which affects their ability to function well.  Psychosomatic disorders resulting from stress may include hypertension, respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal disturbances, migraine and tension headaches, pelvic pain, impotence, frigidity, dermatitis, and ulcers. A psychosomatic illness originates from or is aggravated by emotional stress and manifests in the body as psychogenic pain or physical pain and other symptoms. Depression can also contribute to psychosomatic illness, especially when the body's immune system has been weakened by severe and/or chronic stress.

Stress is a physical response to a situation. When the brain receives a threatening signal, a flood of chemicals overwhelms the rational, more evolved part of the brain, called the prefrontal cortex. Neurotransmitters, including dopamine and norepinephrine, activate the amygdala, a more primitive part of the brain that evolved to prepare the body’s “fight or flight” response in the face of, say, a lion. Anxiety shares the same physical and biological elements as stress. Two differences are that stress-induced neurotransmitters and hormones stay ramped up and our minds get stuck in repetitive worry, or panic-driven thought loops. Physical symptoms of depression can include weight loss or gain, poor sleep, physical pain, and speaking or moving more slowly than normal. Its mental manifestations can include persistent sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, and mental paralysis.

Mental health awareness campaigns have yielded positive outcomes. Some of the strategies undertaken to target awareness and address stigma around mental illness include participation by family members, sensitization to treatment and social inclusion.  Lack of knowledge about the mental illnesses poses a challenge to the mental health care delivery system. Research has highlighted the role of community-based systems in low-income countries and has also yielded positive results in creating awareness, thereby impacting participation.

Psychiatric rehabilitation is an aspect of treatment that focuses on helping the person return to an optimal level of functioning and to achieve their life goals. This is brought about by providing medical, psychological and social input. There is no strict boundary between treatment and rehabilitation. The mental health disorder treatment has two aspects. One of it is rehabilitation. Mental disorder requires medication along with the other forms of treatment. The treatment type depends on their diagnosis, the severity of disorder and individual’s physical and emotional state. Psychiatric rehabilitation is an aspect of treatment which helps the person to return in the optimum level of functioning to lead a normal life. This can be brought by providing medical, psychological and social input though there are no strict boundary between treatment and rehabilitation.

Psychiatric nursing and mental health nursing is the appointed position of a nurse that specialises in mental health, and cares for people of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. These include: neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, mood disorders, addiction, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, paranoia, and self-harm. Nurses in this area receive specific training in psychological therapies, building a therapeutic alliance, dealing with challenging behaviour, and the administration of psychiatric medication. There are many factors involved behind experiencing this disorder. Biological factors, life experience such as abuse or trauma, family history having mental health problems. There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the common disorders are bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder and dementia.

Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment. Psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioural intervention. Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment. Psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioural intervention. Hypnotherapy,Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy, Interpersonal therapy,Acupuncture therapy,Psychotherapy.

Psychopharmacology refers to the use of medication in treating mental health conditions. Medications can play a role in improving most mental health conditions. Some patients are treated with medication alone, while others are treated in combination with therapy or other treatments. Researchers believe that the symptoms of mental illness come from chemical imbalances in a person's brain. A medication works on these imbalances to reduce your symptoms, or sometimes, to relieve them completely.

Mindfullness yoga is a type of yoga most often practiced before meditation. Just as there are certain poses that stretch and/or strengthen your body, and poses that give you energy, there are also poses that prepare your body for meditation. Mindfulness is an important aspect of the physical practice of yoga. Both mindfulness and yoga practices can support one another and enhance one another. So, in a sense, yoga can be considered as a practice of mindfulness and vice-versa.

Psychopathology, also called abnormal psychology, the study of mental disorders and unusual or maladaptive behaviours. An understanding of the genesis of mental disorders is critical to mental health professionals in psychiatry, psychology, and social work. The developmental psychopathology perspective represents an integration of several distinct scientific disciplines, including genetics, neuroscience, and psychiatry, as well as experimental, clinical, and developmental psychology. Developmental psychopathology has emerged as a leading scientific framework for identifying the dynamic exchange processes that influence both adaptive and maladaptive behavior.

Adolescence is a crucial period for developing social and emotional habits important for mental well-being. These include adopting healthy sleep patterns; exercising regularly; developing coping, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills; and learning to manage emotions. Protective and supportive environments in the family, at school and in the wider community are important. Multiple factors affect mental health. The more risk factors adolescents are exposed to, the greater the potential impact on their mental health. Factors that can contribute to stress during adolescence include exposure to adversity, pressure to conform with peers and exploration of identity. Media influence and gender norms can exacerbate the disparity between an adolescent’s lived reality and their perceptions or aspirations for the future. Other important determinants include the quality of their home life and relationships with peers. Violence (especially sexual violence and bullying), harsh parenting and severe and socioeconomic problems are recognized risks to mental health

Mental health technologies used by professionals as an adjunct to mainstream clinical practices include email, SMS, virtual reality, computer programs, blogs, social networks, the telephone, video conferencing, computer games, instant messaging and podcasts. Similarly, although digital mental health technologies hold potential for increasing the autonomy and sense of empowerment of young adults, they also raise the risk of diminishing patient autonomy by increasing the risk of digital addiction and manipulation. This recovery management involves numerous aspects, including further education, record-keeping, medication reminders, progress monitoring, and more. Technology provides tools that help many manage important daily tasks that help improve and maintain their mental health