Question

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Choose a mental health condition of interest to you and answer the following questions.

(1) Why did you choose this condition?

(2) Do you know someone who has been diagnosed with this condition?

(3) What percentage of the population has been diagnosed with this condition?

(4) Are there any stigmas pertaining to this condition?

(5) What education can be provided to remove the stigma(s)?

(6) What words of encouragement or type of support would you give to an individual with this condition?

Answer 1

Mood disorder- Depression

(1) Mood disorders are quite common. Depression is a clinical condition that needs active management. These patients need tremendous support and with proper care can become productive members of the society

(2) Yes

(3) Acoording to Kaplan and Saddock's synopsis of psychiatry, the lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder is 5- 17% or an average of 12%

(4) Yes. Psychiatric disorders in general frowned upon by the society. Patients with mood disorders are often stigmatized in the society. They are often seen as people who are incapable of managing their emotions. Even friends and family have a hard time understanding that the persistence of sadness disproportionate to the circumstances is not the choice of the patient,s but rather a consequence of complex interaction of neurotransmitters and biochemical processes

(5) Depression is a condition that needs tremendous support from friends and family. Hence these groups should be educated that the prevailing sadness is not a willful choice of the patient. They should be educated regarding the prevalence of the illness and how effectively it can be managed with the right medication and support. They should be made aware of the people who have fought the illness to become productive members of the society.

(6) I would listen to the individual. I would let the person know that she is not alone. I would remind her of the supporting members of her family and friends and how much all of them love and appreciate the individual. I would remend the person of past achievements. I would share examples of great individuals who have fought the condition. I would encourage the patient to discuss her mood with a supportive member.

References:

Kaplan & Sadock's synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (10th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolter Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.