▎WuXi AppTec Content Team Editor
In recent years, with the improvement of living standards, people pay more and more attention to mental health in addition to physical health. But it has also found that some people’s mental health is turning red.
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Many people think that “without mental illness, you have mental health”, but this is not the case.
Mental health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is: mentally sound, able to cope appropriately with the many stresses of life, to achieve one’s potential, to perform well in school and work, and to be able to Contribute to society. It is an integral part of our overall health and vital to personal and social development.
How to let more people understand and value mental health knowledge and help more people suffering from mental problems? This depends on the popularization and voice of professionals, and also needs your support.
2022October 15th, 10:00-12:00 am, WuXi AppTec’s “Let Science Lead” Public Welfare Forum in the Field of Mental Illness In the special R&D theme session, more than a dozen heavyweight guests are waiting for you to attend the conference online!
In addition, the WuXi AppTec content team recently conducted a cognitive survey with nearly 1,500 students in more than 260 universities and research institutions in China, and collected more than 500 people’s concerns It is found that most people’s understanding of mental health knowledge needs to be improved.
Today, we have selected a few representative questions and prepared to test everyone in the form of case questions and answers. Come and see, how much do you know about mental health?
The “what”: how to know if you are mentally healthy
Case 1
Kang Xiaomei is 20 years old this year. One month after the breakup, she often had insomnia and crying all night. She didn’t eat much, lost a lot of weight, didn’t want to go to class, and was not interested in anything. . The best friend thought she was a little serious and suggested to see a doctor, but she said that she wanted to travel, “it will be fine in a while”.
How to judge the severity of psychological problems?
What needs professional psychological assistance?
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Poor mental health is not the same as “mental illness.”
A person may experience poorer mental health without necessarily being diagnosed with a mental illness. Likewise, people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness may experience periods of good physical, mental and social health.
(1) If you have mild symptoms lasting less than 2 weeks, such as: a little depressed; depressed but still able to complete work, school, housework, Or can still take care of yourself or others; sleep is a little difficult, etc. Try to self-regulate in these situations first, For example:
Exercise (cardio, yoga);
Online or offline social contact;
Ensure regular and adequate sleep;
Eat healthy;
Talk to a trusted friend or family member;
Practice meditation, relaxation, and mindfulness for stress reduction.
If symptoms persist or worsen after self-regulation, seek medical attention.
(2)If the following severe symptoms persist for 2 weeks or more, it means that the psychological problem is serious.
Severe symptoms include: Difficulty falling asleep; Unwanted weight changes due to changes in appetite; Difficulty waking up from a bad mood in the morning; Difficulty concentrating; ; inability to perform daily functions and duties; thoughts of death or self-harm.
So Kang Xiaomei’s situation belongs to the second category. My girlfriend is right. Seek professional help in time.For example:
Online or offline psychotherapy (also called talk therapy, which can be done individually, in groups, or as a family);
drug therapy;
Brain stimulation therapy.
Case 2
Xiaoqiang and Xiaoli in the class have recently dropped out of school due to mental illness.
Xiaoqiang always locks himself in the house and draws things that others can’t understand. His family asked him to come out, but he thought he was going to be taken away by the bad guys, so he resisted and even violently acted.
Xiao Li also always stays indoors, but she thinks it’s too dirty outside, so she repeatedly washes her hands, mopping the floor, and her hands are peeling and cracked, and she strictly assigns her home The way the items are placed, if the family makes a mistake, it will be very broken. She also thinks this is not good, but she can’t change it…
How are their questions different?
What are the common mental illnesses?
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Xiaoqiang’s symptoms are consistent with schizophrenia, where people with schizophrenia interpret reality in unusual ways, possibly with hallucinations, delusions, and some kind of extreme confusion. Thinking and behavior that affect the patient’s daily life and can lead to disability.
Xiao Li’s symptoms are consistent with OCD. People with OCD will have harmful thoughts and fears (obsessions) that they cannot control, resulting in repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that interfere with daily activities and cause a lot of distress.
In addition to these 2, there are depression, anxiety, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder (bipolar disorder) , bulimia, etc., are common mental illnesses.
Here reminds everyone that the diagnosis of a disease is not only based on symptoms, but also requires professional doctors to make judgments based on comprehensive information.
Our survey data shows that although 74.31% of people believe that “mental health is as important as physical health”, and more than 90% of people think that they can find the mental health information they need, but On the question of “do you understand the specific concept of mental health”, most people (63.57%) are still at the stage of “somewhat, but not very clear”, and nearly 13% This has almost no concept. In the active question section, how to identify psychological problems is also a problem that everyone is concerned about.
Graphic results of this survey
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‘Why’: Reasons for Psychological Problems
In the part of active questioning, the inducement of psychological problems is also a common cognitive blank area. For example, do you understand the influence of personality factors and environmental factors?
Next, please read the title:
Case 3
Xiao Fang grew up smoothly, with a good personality, no bad habits, and no family history of mental illness. Surely she won’t suffer from mental illness, right?
What causes mental illness?
Without these reasons, wouldn’t there be mental illness?
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Not true.
(1) Many mental illnesses are caused by biological, environmental, psychological and genetic factors, and there is no single cause. Many factors may increase the risk of developing a mental illness, such as:
Early childhood adversity such as trauma or history of abuse (including witnessing violence, etc.);
Experiences related to other chronic diseases, such as cancer or diabetes;
A biological or chemical imbalance in the brain;
Alcohol or drug or drug abuse;
Feeling alone or isolated.
(2) A person’s mental health is not static,changes over time, depending on many factors.
When a person experiences something beyond their ability to cope (such as working long hours, caring for a seriously ill loved one, or experiencing financial hardship), mental health conditions may be affected and may even develop disease.
“What to do”:How to prevent and intervene in psychological problems
In this survey, “what to do” is the question that everyone is most concerned about, and nearly 60% of them take the initiative to ask questions. From our survey data, it can be seen that the vast majority of people (over 85%) have little understanding of effective intervention and treatment methods for mental illness.
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Next, please read the title:
Case 4
Amin started to suffer from migraine headaches, stomach pains, and insomnia every year during the performance appraisal period at the end of the year, but after the appraisal period passed, he was fine again.
Is it just stress or anxiety?
How to relieve stress?
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(1) Both stress and anxiety disorders can cause symptoms such as excessive worrying, restlessness, tension, headaches or body aches, high blood pressure, lack of sleep, but they also vary widely.
There is a reason for stress, usually a reaction to an external stressor (such as an important exam, a fight with a friend), which may There are positive effects (such as motivating people to complete tasks on time), and they can also have negative effects (such as causing insomnia). Once the stressor is addressed, the symptoms go away. So, Amin is just stressed.
While anxiety disorders are unprovoked, a reaction to inner stress, no immediate threat, but inexplicable worry, anxiety, or fear of something that hasn’t happened yet . This feeling is persistent and irreversible and interferes with normal life.
(2) First, you must understand the reasons for your stress, and then find a way to relieve stress that suits you. For example:
Keep a diary;
Learn proper relaxation (such as deep breathing) or mindfulness practice techniques to remind yourself to be active in the present moment.
Exercise, eat healthy and regularly, and get enough and regular sleep.
Avoid excessive caffeine intake (eg, avoid cola, milk tea, and coffee).
Identify negative, bad thoughts and ask yourself why and how you should be thinking.
Connect with friends or family members to help them cope with stress in a positive way.
If symptoms of stress or anxiety persist after these attempts, it may be time to seek professional help.
Case 5
Xiaoxin was diagnosed with depression and the doctor prescribed medication. But he heard that he could not get rid of the medicine after taking the medicine, so he decided not to take the medicine first.
How effective are medications for mental illness?
Is drug dependence possible?
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(1) Medications can play a role in the treatment of mental illness, and are often used in conjunction with other therapies such as psychotherapy and brain stimulation.
With the same disease, different patients, or different stages of the same patient, the response to the drug is different, and the drug should not be shared between patients. Patients will need to work with their physicians and it may take several attempts to find the drug that works best for a particular patient.
Medications take a certain amount of time to work, so it is very important to stick to the treatment plan and to take the medicine as directed by the doctor.
(2) Long-term use of certain drugs (such as anti-anxiety benzodiazepines) may lead to drug tolerance or even dependence. For these drugs, doctors typically prescribe short-duration regimens with slow, tapering doses to reduce the risk of a patient experiencing withdrawal symptoms or recurrence of anxiety symptoms.
Even if your condition improves or you feel more uncomfortable, do not stop taking the medicine on your own accord. Stopping it too soon can lead to harmful side effects ( withdrawal reaction). A doctor should be consulted to evaluate, adjust the treatment plan, reduce the dose slowly and safely, and give the body time to adjust to the changes.
October 10 is World Mental Health Day. In response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) call for “Mental Health and Well-Being for All,” Saturday, October 15 at 10 a.m.WuXi AppTec will host ” “Let Science Lead” Public Welfare Series Forums Special Session on R&D in the Field of Mental Illness. At that time, more than a dozen distinguished guests from the global industry and top academic institutions will discuss urgently needed mental health issues, the latest scientific research progress and future directions of mental illness therapy.
We expect that with the advancement of medicine, there will be more transformative new drugs and new treatments, allowing more patients to regain a healthy body and mind and a happy life.
References
[1] Mental health: scaling up prevention and treatment (who.int).Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact -sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
[2] About Mental Health. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
[3] My Mental Health: Do INeed Help?. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/my-mental- health-do-i-need-help
[4] National Mental Health Assessment and Development Center – Inventory of ten common mental illnesses, you should be literate! https:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wGo3NiguBmWbfyLGNkWzrQ
[5]Schizophrenia. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.mayoclinic.org/zh-hans/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc -20354443
[6] Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.mayoclinic.org/en-hans/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder /symptoms-causes/syc-20354432
[7] Looking at My Genes: What Can They Tell Me About My Mental Health? . Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health /publications/looking-at-my-genes
[8] I’m So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed -out-fact-sheet
[9] Mental Health Medications. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 from https:https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/mental-health-medications
Disclaimer: The WuXi AppTec content team focuses on global biomedical health research progress. This article is for information exchange purposes only, and the views expressed in this article do not represent WuXi AppTec’s position, nor do they represent WuXi AppTec’s support or opposition to the views expressed in this article. This article is also not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options,Please go to a regular hospital for treatment.
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