Mental Health

                                                                 Mental Health

Mental health is essential to health. Five of the ten leading causes of disability and premature death worldwide are psychiatric conditions. Nearly 900,000 people die by suicide each year.

Everyone periodically experiences emotional stress, and most people develop ways to cope successfully with these episodes. Some people, however, cannot control their own thoughts, moods, fears, or emotional reactions to stressful life experiences. These people suffer from a variety of mental health disorders, each of which is distinguished by unique symptoms.

Mental health and illness have multiple social, psychological and biological determinants. As research shows mental health and physical health and illness are closely linked. Mental illness can be caused by, and be an effect of, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

This section discusses causes of, and holistic treatments for, the most common of these disorders, including anxiety, depression, panic disorders and phobias, schizophrenia, compulsive disor­ders, and insomnia.

Early diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders can help many people return to fulfilling and productive lives.

References

-->

1. O'Donovan, D. (2008). The state of health atlas : mapping the challenges and causes of disease . Berkeley : University of California Press.
2. Servan-Schreiber, D. (2006). The Duke encyclopedia of new medicine : conventional and alternative medicine for all ages. London : Rodale