What is Mental Illness
'
Mental Health' means emotional and mental wellbeing
The terms 'mental illness', 'mental health' and 'mental disorder' are often used interchangeably. 'Mental Illness' or 'Mental Disorder' refers to a medically diagnosable range of disorders that result in a significant impairment of a person's thinking, emotional or relationship abilities and which may require treatment and rehabilitation to manage the symptoms.
For simplicity, the term mental illness is used in this brochure to refer to the full range of psychiatric diagnoses. Some of the major types of mental illness are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and eating disorders.
'Mental Health' on the other hand means emotional and mental well being. Mental health is much more than the absence of mental illness. It is the realisation of a person's potential and the sense of wellbeing and functioning unique to each person. Mental health includes all those things that assist people to live fulfilling lives.
It is estimated that mental health problems and mental illness will affect more than 20 per cent of the adult population in their lifetime and between 10-15 per cent of young people in any one year.
Many will recover spontaneously and, of the remainder, the vast majority can be treated and will fully recover. However, a smaller number will experience longer periods of distress and disability.
Mental illnesses are just like any other illness, such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Yet the traditions of flowers, sympathy and support provided to those with a physical illness are denied to those with mental illness.
In the past, the more severely affected people were isolated and treated in psychiatric institutions, and had little opportunity to decide how and where they wished to live their lives. Others received no treatment or support at all.
Treatments have improved and although some people with severe mental illness will still require hospitalisation, the emphasis is on treating and supporting people in their own communities.
About Australian Rotary Health
Australian Rotary Health is Rotary's major community service programme, established in 1981 to provide financial support to health research projects in Australia, by Australians and for Australians.
Australian Rotary Health has pledged to continue to invest funds into research into mental illness with the aim of funding research projects that will result in better treatment and services. It also aims to promote greater understanding in the community through education, which will reduce stigma and improve the lives of Australians affected by mental illness.
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