Mental Health

A look into of the field of Psychiatry and Psychology

What is Mental Health?

• Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
• Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
• Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
• Family history of mental health problems

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Myth vs. Fact

• Myth: Mental health problems don't affect me.

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Fact: Mental health problems are actually very common. In 2020:

• 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with a mental health issue or substance abuse
• 1 in 6 youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
• Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
• The most common mental illnesses in the U.S. are anxiety disorders, which affect more than 40 million adults (18.1% of the population)

• Myth: Children don’t experience mental health problems.

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• Myth: People with mental health problems are violent and unpredictable.

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Fact: Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years old, and three quarters of mental health disorders begin before age 24.

• Unfortunately, less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need. 

Fact: Most with mental illness are not violent and only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness.

Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental illness, cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.

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Fact: Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focuses on addressing known risk factors such as exposure to trauma that can affect the chances that children, youth, and young adults will develop mental health problems. Promoting the social-emotional well-being of children and youth leads to:

Myth: Prevention doesn't work. It’s impossible to prevent mental illnesses.

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Fact: People with mental health problems are just as productive as other employees. When employees with mental health problems receive effective treatment, it can result in:

• Lower total medical costs
• Increased productivity
• Lower absenteeism
• Decreased disability costs

Professionals That Work in Mental Health:

• Psychiatry- A branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. They are a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems.

• Psychology- the study of mind and behavior. It encompasses the biological influences, social pressures, and environmental factors that affect how people think, act, and feel. Gaining a richer and deeper understanding of psychology can help people achieve insights into their own actions as well as a better understanding of other people.

Common Disorders Treated

Anxiety Disorders

Behavioral Disorders

Eating Disorders

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorder

Mood Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Personality Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Suicidal Behavior

Trauma and Stress Related Disorders (PTSD)

Psychiatry

Description:

Psychiatrists are physicians who diagnose and treat people for mental illnesses. They use a variety of modalities to provide treatment including psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication. Psychiatrists see patients who come to their offices or are hospitalized.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Referring a patient for psychological testing to determine a diagnosis and its severity
• Recommending and designing a treatment plan
• Talking to the patients about their problems to try to resolve them (psychotherapy or talk therapy)
• Exploring patients’ past experiences to learn how they affect their current state of mind & behavior (psychoanalysis)
• Helping patients change their thought processes and behavior (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT)
• Prescribing medication that can alter chemical imbalances affecting the patient’s state of mind and behavior

Education & Training:

• Bachelor's degree followed by 4 years of medical school
• Following medical school, 4 years of residency
• Board Certification and State licensing

Salary: As of June 2023:

Average salary in California = $273K/year, and on the high end they can earn over $334K/year.

Average salary in Fresno = $248K/year.

Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

Psychology

Description:

Psychologists study the human mind from a scientific viewpoint to help people understand and change their behavior. Types of psychologists include clinical, counseling, school, and industrial-organizational.

Clinical or counseling psychologists assess individuals to diagnose their mental, emotional and behavioral disorders and then treat them using a variety of techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). School psychologists focus on education-related issues, and industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychological principles to workplace problems.

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Duties & Responsibilities: information on the following slides

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Psychology: Duties & Responsibilities

Psychology: Duties & Responsibilities

Psychology: Duties & Responsibilities

Psychology

Education & Training:

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Salary Averages as of June 2023:

M.A. salary in California = $106K / In Fresno = $96K

Ph.D. salary in California is $124K / In Fresno = $112K

Salary ranges can vary depending several factors, including location, education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have spent in your profession.

Penn State PRO Wellness: Teen Health

2:45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i9OktVsTWo&t=7s

Evaluation

Link: https://tiny.ucsf.edu/DASpeaker2324

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Health Pathway Workshop (HPW)

Topic: Mental Health

Speaker: Mrs. Banuelos

Date: 02/22/2024

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Activity #1:

Work individually or in groups:

Research a mental health disorder and provide a presentation addressing the following:

• Define the disorder
• What causes the disorder?
• What are the symptoms?
• Is there a specific age or gender that is affects more?
• Is there a cure? Can the disorder be treated?
• How is it treated and who treats it? (Psychiatrist or Psychologist)
• Add any additional facts or interesting information that you may discover

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Provide images and be creative in your presentation. Engage the audience by asking questions causing the audience to think about the disorder. You become the teacher so learn all that you can about your chosen disorder so that you can answer questions and be knowledgeable when presenting.

https://allpsych.com/disorders/alphaindex/

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https://www.psy-ed.com/wpblog/mental-disorders/

• Break into 5 groups. Each group will be assigned a color/question
• Discuss for 3 minutes. Everyone should contribute to the conversation.
• Pick 1 spokesperson to summarize your discussion

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THINGS TO CONSIDER:

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• Culture
• Relationship to the person
• Lived Experience
• Outside Factors
• Mental Health affects how think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Activity #2:

Videos about Mental Health

• How to spot the signs of mental illness Video (5:07): https://youtu.be/FB49AezFJxs
• Various TV episodes dealing with mental health disorders. Range in times but are generally about 30 minutes in length - http://mentalhealthchannel.tv/episodes
• What is the Mental Health Channel? We’re a channel like you’d see on cable, but on the web. Our mission = to create the world’s best mental health and wellness programming, free to view, free to share and commercial free, for anyone with an internet connection. MHC has already been seen in 140 countries.
• Why Documentaries? Because personal stories have great power -- to enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate. Pretty much every family has a mental health story. It’s time to start sharing them.

Mental Health Collaborative:

2:58

Psychiatrist vs Psychologist (Mental Health Guru)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq5F2XRt6QM

References:

• https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health
• https://moderntherapy.online/blog-2/2019/4/16/how-does-psychiatry-differ-from-psychology
• https://www.thebalancecareers.com/psychologist
• https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-4014660
• Salary.com
• https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-psychiatry-menu
• https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/external/2020/11/10-surprising-mental-health-statistics-from-2020/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmOS_uxFBQI

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