Jessee 1

Sydney Jessee

ENG 1201

Professor Helmers

17 March 2021

What are the causes and ways to treat mental health?

Mental health affects the person who copes with it and their close friends or relatives. A

terrible memory that I will never forget happened this year. I was hanging out with my friends

when I started receiving constant messages. They just kept coming. I looked at my phone and I

had hundreds of messages from my sister’s boyfriend and friends. All asking “Are you home?”,

“Please check on your sister!”, “Madi needs help”. I saw these messages and was immediately

flooded with emotions of confusion and shock. Trying to remain calm while my hands were

shaking I texted back to my sister’s boyfriend saying “What is happening” and he instantly

responded saying “I think your sister is going to harm herself.” Emotions of worry, anger, and

disbelief were in my head. My heart was pumping as I called her. The only thing I was worried

about was her answering. After each ring, I got more afraid of her not answering. Finally, she

answered and I sighed with a little relief. She was hysterically sobbing and unsure of what was

happening in her head. I kept asking her “What is wrong” and she replied “I don’t know” every

time. To this day I don’t understand what she was going through and how she claimed to have

nothing wrong. That is the scary thing about mental health issues; they come out of nowhere

even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person’s life. Then, I helped my sister get

through the night and it was that day she realized it was time for her to get help from a therapist.

This story has changed my life and reminds me to keep an eye on my friends and family.
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Mental health concerns our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. So, what

causes humans to have them? Although mental health is not talked about a lot it is something

that affects more people than you would think. So, what are the ways to treat someone with

anxiety and/or depression? How can people relate to someone with these problems even if you

don’t have them? Informing people on mental health issues that they struggle with and how to

treat them is an important issue. There is not one key factor that causes mental health problems

because it can come from trauma or a chemical imbalance. Additionally, there is no one simple

way to treat mental health and there is no guarantee that anything will work but there are

methods to help such as medicine and therapy. Seeking help and striving to have better mental

health will improve people's quality of life. My goal in this paper is to provide information and

background around mental health so that everyone around the world can gain an understanding

behind the science and the unknown. Mental health is a global issue and raising awareness helps

both the one afflicted by it and those supporting them. Although some people believe mental

health conditions are not real disorders, in reality, they come from a combination of biological,

psychological, and environmental factors that cause major hardships in a person's life.

So, what are some mental health disorders? There is a wide range of them but some

examples are depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and

schizophrenia. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “anxiety

disorders are the most common type of mental illness” (“Mental Health: Definition, Common

Disorders, Early Signs, and More”). Anxiety mostly comes from social interactions and

environmental factors. If a person is socially awkward then they usually get anxious around big

crowds or people they don’t know. Another type of anxiety comes from stress. These are just

some of the mental health disorders that people around the world have been struggling with for
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many years. Depression is another common mental health disorder. It comes from being sad for

more than two weeks at a time. There are many things that cause depression but just like anxiety

they all depend on a person's upbringing and personal situations. Those are the two main types of

mental health disorders that this paper will inform people about. But, there are many other kinds

of mental health disorders that people struggle with.

To start off, it is proven that mental health is a global issue that affects a lot of people's

lives. They are something that most people struggle with because of the pressure and uncertainty

of life. In the United States, the National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that “almost 1 in 5

adults experience mental health problems each year” (“Mental Health: Definition, Common

Disorders, Early Signs, and More”). This statistic is very worrisome. These are adults who are

supposed to have themselves together for themselves and their kids. Although it is very known

that most teeenager’s struggle with mental health issues because of trauma and high school it is

very surprising that adults are just as likely if not more to have the same issues. Parents might be

better at hiding their emotions or bottling things up but in reality, we need to understand others'

situations and be sensitive because we never know what someone is going through.

Anxiety and depression can affect anyone around the world. It doesn’t matter the age,

sex, race, or socioeconomic status. But, with stress being a huge factor of mental health people

who go to school or work could be more prone to them. A study by Eve Kornfeld stated that “the

2017 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment survey of

26,139 undergraduates at fifty-two U.S. institutions of higher education found that 61.4%

reported suffering from “overwhelming anxiety” over the preceding twelve months, 22.9%

experienced difficulty in sleeping, 40.1 % “felt so depressed that it was difficult to function,” and

12.9% had “seriously considered suicide.””(Komfeld) This is a shocking statistic from the
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students of San Diego State University. These students are under so much pressure from school

and personal life that they are thinking about taking their lives. This is an example of the

environmental factors that cause anxiety and depression. The surroundings of college and not

being home with family and friends cause a major decline in a student's mental health.

Psychological factors that cause mental health problems usually stem from trauma as a

child or adult. This includes “abuse or neglect as a child, childhood problems with temperament,

family or personal history of mental illness or substance abuse, intelligence below normal, low

birth weight, lower socioeconomic status, parental absence, criminal activity, or substance abuse,

prenatal exposures, such as to alcohol or drugs, significant medical conditions, such as cancer,

chronic pain, and hypothyroidism, social disadvantage, stressful or traumatic life events, and

substance abuse.” (Staff) These traumas that can occur in a person's life usually cause behavior

problems that lead to mental health disorders. Psychological factors are a huge portion of mental

illnesses because they are broad issues that a lot of people in the world go through. Although, not

everyone who has a mental health disorder goes through any of these.

An example of an environmental factor that contributes to mental health problems arose

in 2020 which was the COVID 19 virus. This pandemic has caused many people's mental health

to decline because of confinement. Everyone around the world was locked in their houses for a

long period of time and depending on where someone lived conditions were worse and no one

was able to see anyone for almost a year. According to Achraf Ammar from the Multicentre

Study, “as a result, anxiety, frustration, panic attacks, loss or sudden increase of appetite,

insomnia, depression, mood swings, delusions, fear, sleep disorders, and suicidal/domestic

violence cases have become quite common during lockdowns with helpline numbers being

overloaded during the early months of the COVID-19 spread.” (Ammar) This is the reality that
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environmental factors have on humans' mental health. No one could imagine this pandemic a

year before it happened and it was a shock to everyone. With no time to prepare and the chaos

,every business and store went through. This is what led to the downfall in human’s mental

health recently.

FIG 1. “Response to the psychological support key question and total score of the mental

wellbeing, mood, and feelings, and short life satisfaction questionnaires before and during home

confinement” (Ammar).
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On the other hand, some people believe that mental health issues are not real because it is

a flip you can switch to turn your emotions on and off. According to The Myth of Mental Illness:

Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct by Thomas Szasz states only physical illnesses are

real and that mental diseases are ‘counterfeit and metaphorical illnesses’. “Illnesses are

understood, according to Szasz, with respect to deviation from a norm, and in the case of

physical illness the norm, refers to the structural or functional integrity of the body or some

aspect of it. But the norm – deviation from which results in so-called mental illness – is

altogether more problematic for Szasz; this norm is a ‘psychosocial and ethical one’” (Benning).

Thomas Szasz believes that there are only physical illnesses and there is no such thing as mental

illnesses because they cannot be proven. They are only what we suspect because of the

symptoms patients tell their doctors. He believes that mental issues are simply “problems at

living”(Benning). All in all, Thomas Szasz believes mental illnesses are a joke and people should

just be able to deal with their feelings by themselves and without medicine and therapy.

Thomas Szasz’s thinking is far from the truth. Mental health disorders are scientifically

proven to be real. They are a chemical imbalance in the brain and stem from a malfunction in the

connection between nerve cells along a path. These are biological factors that are not a

coincidence. It is very common for mental illnesses to run in the family. Smitha Bhandari on

June 30, 2020, states that “experts believe many mental illnesses are linked to abnormalities in

many genes rather than just one or a few and that how these genes interact with the environment

is unique for every person (even identical twins). That is why a person inherits a susceptibility to

a mental illness and doesn't necessarily develop the illness. Mental illness itself occurs from the

interaction of multiple genes and other factors -- such as stress, abuse, or a traumatic event --

which can influence, or trigger, an illness in a person who has an inherited susceptibility to it.”
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(Bhandari) So, genes have a lot to do with the chance of mental health disorders. There is a big

misconception that they only come from personal experiences and traumas, but in reality genes

have a big factor. Because some people have perfect lives and still have mental health problems,

and some people have upsetting experiences happen to them but do not have mental health

problems. Overall, biological factors are a big contributor to mental health problems.

So, what can we do to prevent or help mental health issues? That is a very simple answer.

Everyone needs to do the things they love in life. Whether that is sports, art, music, etc. Finding

the things in life that give someone pure happiness will improve their quality of life and mental

health. For example, PhD student Aaron Kandola and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute

(Australia) reviewed data from 11,341 adolescents who are part of the Millennium Cohort Study,

a nationally representative sample of young people who have been involved in research since

they were born in the UK in 2000-2002. “They found that sedentary behaviour (sitting still)

appeared to increase the risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents” (University College

London). This proves that playing sports or being active growing up will help to prevent mental

health disorder later down the road. Playing any sport or running around with friends helps

people take their mind off of the stressful things in life. It gives the brain a break from feeling

overwhelmed and when it is over it gives people motivation to go get their stuff they have been

putting off for awhile. Another way people can let out stress is video games and TV. Although

there is a stigma that video games and TV are bad for everyone because of screen time or cyber

bullying. They are a great reliever of stress. The same researchers found that “boys who played

video games most days had 24% fewer depressive symptoms, three years later, than boys who

played video games less than once a month” (University College London). This is a huge

percentage of boys that had their mental health benefitted from video games. Again, this shows
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how important it is for everyone to find something or someone that boosts their mental health

and overall happiness. The environment someone puts themselves in will help prevent mental

health disorders in the future.

The hardest part about a mental health disorder is realizing you need help and acting on

it. It is so easy to simply shrug off the feelings of anxiety and depression and think of them as

just normal. But, it is not normal to always be stressed about the smallest things or being sad for

long periods of time and questioning life. Whether someone is six or seventy everyone can deal

with mental health problems. They are so common and are nothing to be ashamed of. But, the

reality is that “Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S.

population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment” (Facts & Statistics: Anxiety and Depression

Association of America, ADAA). That is the severity of how many people in this world are

scared or are denying the fact that they are struggling. This paper is uplifting people to no longer

bear the stress and uplift people who ask for help. There are many treatments for people that are

brave enough to speak up such as therapy and medicine. Therapy is a great way to simply talk to

a professional about how they are feeling. It is a great resource that lets a person get their

emotions out with no judgement towards a person. Going to therapy helps people talk with no

repercussions and it is as simple as making an appointment and showing up. There is also

medicine that helps balance out the chemical imbalance that connects your nerve cells to your

brain. For this option a person would have to go to a doctor first in order to set up the

prescription but it very common for doctors to hear your feelings and help. These are just a few

of the ways to help treat mental health problems.

In conclusion, mental health is an ongoing topic. A lot of people around the world deal

with anxiety, depression, etc. every day. So it’s time to join together and inform people of this
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global issue so we can help the one afflicted by it and those supporting them. Mental health is a

combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors that cause major hardships

in a person's life. With the help of friends/family support and therapy/medicine from

professionals no one has to go through it alone. All in all, I don’t know what it's like to have a

mental health problem but I do know what it’s like having a sister struggle everyday with her

mind. So, reach out for help and spread awareness so the world can improve their quality of life.
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Works Cited

Ammar, Achraf, et al. “Effects of Home Confinement on Mental Health and Lifestyle

Behaviours

during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Insights from the ECLB-COVID19 Multicentre Study.”

Biology of Sport, vol. 38, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 9–21. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/

login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=147860109&site=eds-live. Accessed 23 March

2021

Benning, Tony B. “No Such Thing as Mental Illness? Critical Reflections on the Major Ideas and

Legacy of Thomas Szasz.” BJPsych Bulletin, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dec. 2016,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5353517/. Accessed 23 March 2021

Bhandari, Smitha, “Causes of Mental Illness.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/mental-

health

/mental-health-causes-mental-illness. Accessed 15 March 2021

“Facts & Statistics: Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA.” Facts & Statistics

Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/

facts-statistics. Accessed 23 March 2021

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Komfeld, Eve. “History and the Mental Health Crisis: Preparing University Students to Live

with

Uncertainty through Authentic Research and Metacognition.” History Teacher, vol. 53,

no.

3, May 2020, pp. 561–585. EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=

a9h&AN=145299669&site=ehost-live. Accessed 23 March 2021

“Mental Health: Definition, Common Disorders, Early Signs, and More.” Medical News Today,

MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543#treatment.

Accessed 23 March 2021

Staff, Healthgrades Editorial. “Psychological Disorders.” Healthgrades, 24 Nov. 2020,

www.healthgrades.com/right-care/mental-health-and-behavior/psychological-disorders.

Accessed 23 March 2021

University College London. "Boys who play video games have lower depression risk." Science

Daily. ScienceDaily, 18 February 2021. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/

210218201158.htm>. Accessed 23 March 2021