This presentation guides on the various causes of mental illness

1. CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Owondo Thomas
Bwindi Community Hospital
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

2. Introduction
• The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known
however, research has it that most of these conditions are
caused by a combination of biological, psychological and
environmental factors.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

3. CLASSIFICATION OF CAUSES OF
MENTAL ILLNESS
A. According to nature;
1. Biological factors.
2. Environmental factors.
3. Psychological factors.
B. According to the effect (4Ps);
1. Predisposing factors.
2. Precipitating factors.
3. Perpetuating (maintaining) factors.
4. Protecting factors.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

4. 1. Biological factors
 Biochemical changes.
• Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal balance of special
chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.
• Neurotransmitters are the brain chemicals that communicate information throughout
our brain and body. They relay signals between nerve cells, called “neurons.”
• Examples include; Dopamine, Noradrenalin, Serotonin, Gama Amino Butyric Acid
(GABA).
• Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If
these chemicals are out of balance or are not working properly, messages may not
make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms of mental illness.
• It is thought that when these transmitters are reduced or too much in the synaptic
cleft, a mental illness results.
• This may also result from a quick destruction of the transmitter or impaired
reabsorption of the same.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

5. Biological factors cont..
 Genetic (heredity).
• Mental illnesses sometimes run in families, suggesting
that people who have a family member with a mental
illness may be somewhat more likely to develop one
themselves. Susceptibility is passed on in families through
genes.
• This factor alone does not lead to someone developing a
mental illness. It has to be in combination with other
causal factors for some one to break down with mental
illness. © 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

6. Biological factors cont….
 Change in structure of the brain and diseases of the brain:
• Defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain have also been
linked to some mental conditions. This is caused by the following:
 Infections e.g. Encephalitis, cerebral malaria.
 Poor blood supply
 Tumors
 Nutritional deficiencies
 Head injury
 Prenatal damage e.g. trauma at birth.
 Substance abuse e.g. alcohol, marijuana etc.
 Exposure to toxins e.g. lead.

7. 2. Psychological factors(Your
Psychological state).
 Coping with past or current traumatic experiences such as
abuse, bereavement or divorce will strongly influence an
individual’s mental and emotional state which can in turn have
an influence on mental health.
These may include;
• Severe psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as
emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.
• Witnessing a traumatic event e.g accident, rape.
• Learning that a traumatic event occurred to person close to you
• An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent
• Neglect © 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

8. 3. Environmental factors(Factors around us).
 Where someone lives and their living conditions along with family and
community support networks can play a part along with employment status
and work stresses. Factors such as socioeconomic status, culture,
technology, and religion can predispose one to mental illness.
 Certain stressors can trigger an illness in a person who is susceptible to
mental illness. These stressors include:
• Death or divorce or ending a romantic relationship.
• A dysfunctional family life.
• Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anger, or loneliness.
• Changing jobs or schools.
• Social or cultural expectations (E.g. a society that associates beauty with
thinness can be a factor in the development of eating disorders.)
• Substance abuse by the person or the person's parents.

9. 4. General medical conditions.
 Mental illness can be caused by other physical
conditions;
Chronic Medical illness Depression
High fever Acute confusion
Thyroid disease Anxiety
Hepatitis Depression
HIV/ AIDS Depression
Psychosis
Dementia
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

10. 5. Medications
 Certain drugs used for treatment of illness may cause
mental illness as a side effect.
 HAART e.g. nevirapine can cause psychosis.
Certain anti hypertensive drugs can cause depression.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

11. 6. Idiopathic
 In most cases the cause of the mental illness may not be
established and remains unknown.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

12. B. According to the effect (4Ps)
• Predisposing factors; Factors operating from early life, that
determine a person’s vulnerability to causes acting close to the
time of illness.e.g. genetic, personality, Social & psychological
factors in infancy & early childhood, Trauma at birth, Environment
in utero.
• Precipitating (triggering) factors; Events that occur shortly
before the onset of a disorder and appear to have induced it. e.g.
defaulting Rx, Physical disease, Loss of job, Alcohol and drug
abuse.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

13. B. According to the effect (4Ps)
• Perpetuating (maintaining) factors; These factors
prolong the course of a disorder after it has been
provoked.e.g. no home, no relative, being a street kid,
difficult spouse, boss or children, Highly expressed
emotion (HEE) by parents, no medication.
• Protective factors; These factors prevent the person
from breaking down or relapsing. They include religion,
marriage, loving family members, job, etc.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

14. Note
The person may be affected by some of the above causal factors
during uterine life.
Mental illness is caused by a variety of factors.
Both biological and environmental factors together play a
significant role in causing a mental illness.
More than one factor is necessary for some one to develop a
mental illness.
© 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.

15. © 2018 Thomas Owondo. All rights reserved.
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