Task 2- Apply research methods

Teenage Mental Health

 

There are so many mental health problems. The ones I'm going to talk about and explain are : Anxiety, Depression, Eating disorders, O.C.D, Self harm and Paranoia. These kinds of mental health issues doesn't just effect teenagers, they affect people of different ages.

Anxiety is when you are anxious you feel fearful and tense. In addition you may also have one or more unpleasant physical symptoms. For example, you might have a fast heart rate, a thumping heart (palpitations), feeling sick, shaking (tremor), sweating, dry mouth, chest pain, headaches, fast breathing.

 

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and sense of well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, hurt, or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions, and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains, or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may also be present.

 

There are two types of eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is  is a serious medical condition, not just a phase or a fad. If you have anorexia, you worry a lot about how your body looks and how much you weigh. You go to a lot of effort to avoid putting on weight, even though you weigh less than you should for your height. Doing this can damage your health and put your life in danger.

    Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging, or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed (purging), typically by vomiting, taking a laxative, diuretic, or stimulant, and/or excessive exercise, because of an extensive concern for body weight.

 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviours aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning; repeated checking; extreme hoarding; preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts; relationship-related obsessions; aversion to particular numbers; and nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. These symptoms can be alienating and time-consuming, and often cause severe emotional and financial distress. The acts of those who have OCD may appear paranoid and potentially psychotic. However, OCD sufferers generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational and may become further distressed by this realization.

 

Self-harm (SH) or deliberate self-harm (DSH) includes self-injury (SI) and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology. The older literature, especially that which predates the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders almost exclusively refers to self-mutilation. The term is synonymous with "self-injury

Paranoia is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself. (e.g. "Everyone is out to get me.") This contrasts with phobias, which also involve irrational fear, but usually no blame. Making false accusations and the general distrust of others also frequently accompany paranoia. For example, an incident most people would view as an accident or coincidence, a paranoid person might believe was intentional.

The facts and figures around Mental Health in the UK are alarming.

• 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year

• Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain

• Women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men

• About 10% of children have a mental health problem at any one time

• Depression affects 1 in 5 older people

• Suicides rates show that British men are three times as likely to die by suicide than British women

• Self-harm statistics for the UK show one of the highest rates in Europe: 400 per 100,000 population

• Only 1 in 10 prisoners has no mental disorder

 

 Questionnaire
 

1.       Are you   male    female

 

2.       How old are you?   13- 16        17-19       20+

 

3.       Do you know what mental health is?  Yes  No   Not sure

 

4.       Do you know anyone who has mental health issues or someone who has suffered it? Yes   No

 

5.      What kind of mental health issues did they have?  
       Anxiety,  Depression,  Eating disorders,    O.C.D , Self-harm,  Paranoia,   other   (if so,
 please write what it is) ________________________

 

6.       How old are they or was they?  Under 20?   21-30     31-40     41-50     51+

 

7.  What would you say is the most common mental health issues (circle as many as you think)?   Anxiety,  Depression,  Eating disorders, O.C.D , Self-harm,  Paranoia   other( if so, please write what it is) __________________________

 
 

8. what age would you say is the most likely age that someone will suffer from a mental health issue?

____________________