Outline The Influence Of Biological Influences On Mental Illness

This article helps support my research because it not only explains mental health and illnesses clearly, it also discusses strategies that can be used in the future to prevent and treat such occurrences. Instead of simply talking about problems, this article actually attempts to propose solutions for the betterment of all people. It also doesn’t shy away from the truth; expressing his passion for this topic, the author clearly knows what he is talking about and understands how to go about helping those

As defined by experts, a mental illness is a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and involves changes in thinking, emotion, behavior, interpersonal interactions, daily functioning, or a combination. The causes of mental illness are complex and vary depending on the theories associated to the different biological, psychological, and environmental factors. The etiology of mental illness is based on five broad models: biological, psychological, behavioral, cognitive, and social.

For many centuries there has been multiple arguments about what causes mental illness. Hebrews believed that mental illness was a punishment from god for those who sinned. The way they cured one another was spiritually and through health. They believed that if you had a healthy diet that it would prevent you from any diseases. The physicians were also priests who had “special ways” to heal with higher powers. The biggest theory was that whoever had a mental illness was caused from supernatural forces. There had been many different treatments to help cure ones suffering. Dating back to 5000 BCE was the first treatment preformed on record, showing that one would chip a hole into the human skull to release evil spirits. Later on, the Ancient Egyptians

The research I have uncovered from talking with people who cope with a mental illness have had an either traumatic or rough childhood. They have faced hardships such as death in the family, parental substance abuse, or molestation. Some hardships have been the cause of their substance abuse and/or depression while others have always had the illness (such as bi polar disorder) but lacked others understanding and medical intervention.

The biological approach asserts that something in our biology is the fundamental cause of dysfunctional behaviour which could be a genetic cause or a malfunction of brain structures. Although it is seen as the most common explanation for schizophrenia due to the use of drug therapy, it would be deterministic and reductionist to explain schizophrenia only with the biological approach since there are other numerous factors such as the ones related to the cognitive explanation or other environmental causes. Also, even within the biological approach, there are various different biological factors that cause conflict with each other, e.g. genetic tendency, the dopamine hypothesis (a chemical issue), innate brain structures, and diathesis-stress

Naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play a role in some mental illnesses. Even hormonal imbalances affect mental health. Even though these things can be a factor so can just everyday life. A stressful job or home life can make ones mental illness worse. Some people are more susceptible when traumatic life events such as being the victim of a crime can play a factor. An additional part that plays in with worsening a mental illness is one who goes without treatment. The consequences of going untreated with a mental illness for an individual can lead to unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicide. These types of situations can be depressing in themselves so this can lead to a decline in

The Canadian mental health association classifies three factors that lead to mental illness. “Physical factors”, for example a person’s genetic makeup can be predisposed for a mental illness due to hereditary reasons such as inheriting a certain transcript from one’s parents that can lead to an ailment. This can also be a predisposition for Bipolar disorder, a brain injury, or the misuse of substances like fentanyl which causes severe psychological and physical withdrawal systems, enough to render one unable to function normally without it. There are also “environmental factors” which could be psychological trauma from a car crash, or war or abuse of any kind especially sexual. Finally, “social factors” such as one’s community, their social network, and their workplace and whether there is harassment or abuse happening within it.

Mental illnesses include disorders such as, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, etc. These disorders can affect a person at any age. Many times the disorders start to show when a child hits puberty. Depending on when your child starts to go through puberty, they are starting high school. High school is one of the hardest

Ask any psychiatrist or doctor what causes mental illness and they will tell you the same thing – no one knows exactly. There does appear to be a strong genetic factor in illnesses such as bipolar disorder, clinical depression and schizophrenia. Even though the gene location was recently discovered, the way the illnesses happen is still a mystery. Yet some intriguing possibilities are now coming to light.

The biological processes that influence our psychological processes can consist of chemical imbalances, better known as mental illnesses, such as an oversupply or undersupply of a specific neurotransmitter. For example, The overproduction of the neurotransmitter Dopamine can result in Schizophrenia;a disorder in which one perceives reality abnormally.

Our current mental health systems has many faults, but we are making progress identifying those afflicted with mental illness. More and more research is being done to help identify causes of these disorders. There have been advancements in new prescription medications and better treatment options too. Many mentally ill patients fall through the cracks - they end up homeless or in prison. We still have a long way to go because prisons can't be used as a form of treatment for the mentally ill.

As Mooney states, “This perspective points to how failures in the health care system affect not only the well-being of individuals but also the health of other social institutions, such as the economy and the family.” (Mooney, 2015) Basically, this theory highlights the interconnectedness of society and how one portion can influence the other, which can be utilized to see how both environmental and societal factors affect the number of people that develop mental health issues. For example, as Mooney states, “Social and environmental influences that can trigger mental illness include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; poverty and homelessness; job loss; divorce; the death of a loved one; devastation from a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake; the onset of illness or disabling injury; and the trauma of war.” (Mooney,

Schizophrenia is classified as a severe disorder of thought and emotion associated with a loss of contact with reality. Individuals with schizophrenia can have difficulties with attention, thinking, language, emotion, and relationships. For a while, researchers have been wondering what causes schizophrenia and if the cause has more to do with psychological issues or genetics.

Equally important, a person may experience disorders pertinent to their illness; mental or substance, depression, abusive relationships, violent sexual acts, illness, abusive environment, or bullying.

One of the frequent reasons is that no one quite understands what causes this disorder among people. There have been countless claims that mental illnesses may be inherited, but various scientists believe that it is caused by the environment. According to Ezra Susser, a psychiatrist and department chair in epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, scientists fail to have any biological measures on which to rest their diagnoses (Schmidt, 1). This alone leads to the reasoning that mental illness can not be proven biologically. While mental illness fails to be proved biologically, it could most likely be caused mainly by the environment that one lives in. Nevertheless, environmental threats to mental health include these traditional parameters—along with pharmaceutical and illicit drugs, injuries, and nutritional deficiencies—but also consist of psychosocial conditions that relate to the individual’s perceptions of the social and physical world. All of these factors can take huge tolls on someone’s ability to be programmed correctly mentally. Sexual abuse, falling victim to a crime, or the breakup of a relationship can cause mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, or even suicidal thoughts. The childhood experiences of one, or the people they surround themselves with also greatly affect the chances of a mental illness developing. As for when mental illnesses may develop in a person, it varies by age depending on the psychological and mental health of that