PMH1011 Lecture 4: WEEK 4 - COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY
29 May 2018
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WEEK 4 – COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY
LECTURE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
➢ Recognise the characterisitics of and symptoms present in depression and bipolar
disorder.
➢ Appreciate the possible supports/community-based organisations that exist for the
treatment/management of affective (mood) disorders.
➢ Recognise the characteristics of and symptoms present in GAD; panic disorder, specific
phobia; social anxiety disorder; PTSD; OCD
➢ Appreciate the possible supports/community-based organisations that exist for the
treatment/management of anxiety disorder.
➢ Understand what comorbidity is and appreciate its existence among affective and anxiety
disorder.
Specific Phobia
➢ Specific Phobia: Phobias are irrational fears that are out of proportion to the actual
threat posed to the individual and are classified as follows.
➢ Approximately 11% of Australians will experience a specific phobia (lifetime)
➢ First symptoms usually arise in childhood or early adolescence:
o Children experience a number of common fears
o Learning to manage these is a normal part of growing up.
➢ Irrational exaggeration of the danger involved
➢ React with feelings of panic, fear, or terror.
➢ Person aware that the fear is irrational, but unable to overcome it.
➢ First symptoms usually arise in childhood or early adolescence
o Children experience a number of common fears
o Learning to manage these is a normal part of growing up.
➢ Common Phobias:
o Animals (e.g. spiders, dogs)
o Natural environment (e.g. heights, water)
o Blood-injection-injury (e.g. needles, medical procedures)
o Situations (e.g. airplanes, elevators, enclosed spaces)
o Other (e.g. situations that may lead to choking or vomiting)
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➢ MINDSPOT: Funded by the Australian government
o Provide online assessment and treatment for adults and older adults
experiencing anxiety and depression.
➢ Phobias – specific phobias, agoraphobia & social phobia.
➢ Agoraphobia: Characterized by avoidance of specific places or situations,
triggered by the belief that the person will experience an overwhelming
sense of anxiety and panic.
o Person feel escaped from the situations would be difficult or that it would be
difficult to gain assistance.
o Agoraphobia is usually preceded by panic attack.
o Treatment: CBT and other non-pharmacological interventions.
➢ Social Phobia: Characterized by excessive performance anxiety regarding
situations such as talking in front of others, public speaking and ordering
food in restaurants.
o Bumping into people in the supermarket can cause significant discomfort.
o Concerned that their behaviour may cause them some humiliation or
embarrassment.
o Likely to be aware that their level of anxiety in these situations is excessive.
o CBT and social skills training can be of use to many people who experience social
phobia.
o More internal than actually realistic
o Common symptoms that can be particularly distressing include:
▪ Blushing and stammering when trying to speak.
▪ Excessive perspiration
▪ Nausea
▪ Trembling
o These are perceived as being very obvious by the person, but they are u=usually
barely noticeable to those around them.
o Approx. 10% of Australians will experience social phobia in their lifetime
▪ More women than men affected.
➢ Specific Phobia: Involve marked anxiety and feelings of panic triggered by
discrete situations.
o E.g. Phobia of certain animals or creatures such as spiders, rodents or snakes;
fear of heights; fear of enclosed spaces; fear of flying; fear of attending the
dentist; and fear of needles and injections.
➢ Phobias are also treated with antidepressants, in particular paroxetine, sertraline and
venlafaxine.
➢ Phobias are the result of an imbalance in serotonin.
o Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that has a hypnotic and sedative action; they
are used mainly as tranquilizers to control symptoms of anxiety they are also
addictive.
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
➢ People with OCD experience intrusive thoughts or feelings.
➢ Thoughts or feelings induce a degree of anxiety or distress.
➢ Person will try to manage the intrusive thought by carrying out a behaviour or ritual.
➢ Person tries to resist carrying out the behaviour, their level of anxiety will increase.
➢ Person experience intrusive thoughts about germs.
➢ The cleaning rituals may not always allay the anxiety, although they may be repeated
frequently.
➢ Characterised by the presence of:
o Obsessions: recurring, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses
(viewed as inappropriate)
o Compulsions: Repetitive behavioral and mental rituals.
➢ Common obsessions include:
o Fear or contamination form germs, dirt; fears of harm to self or others;
intrusive sexual thoughts or images; concerns with symmetry, illness or
religious issues.
➢ Common compulsions include:
o Washing; cleaning; checking; hoarding; touching; counting; repeating
routine activities and actions.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Week 4 common mental health issues in the community. Recognise the characterisitics of and symptoms present in depression and bipolar disorder. Appreciate the possible supports/community-based organisations that exist for the treatment/management of affective (mood) disorders. Recognise the characteristics of and symptoms present in gad; panic disorder, specific phobia; social anxiety disorder; ptsd; ocd. Appreciate the possible supports/community-based organisations that exist for the treatment/management of anxiety disorder. Understand what comorbidity is and appreciate its existence among affective and anxiety disorder. Specific phobia: phobias are irrational fears that are out of proportion to the actual threat posed to the individual and are classified as follows. Approximately 11% of australians will experience a specific phobia (lifetime) React with feelings of panic, fear, or terror. Person aware that the fear is irrational, but unable to overcome it. First symptoms usually arise in childhood or early adolescence: children experience a number of common fears, learning to manage these is a normal part of growing up.
