Hard-hitting presentation about what is mental health with statistics that will open your eyes that this issue might be closer to home thank you think!   By Alison Roberts

1. What is Mental Health?
MH is a persons’ condition with regards to their psychological,
social and emotional wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and
behave. It helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others
and make choice. It is equally as important from childhood to
adulthood.
By Alison
Roberts

2. What is MH Disorder?
• It is a condition which affects our ability to be make
rational decisions. It is called MH Illness or Psychiatric
disorder and hampers our mental or behavioural
pattern and causes suffering and distress. It restricts
our ability to function in ordinary life. Most disorders
are describe as conditions which differ from our social
norms.
• (Psychology Today 2013 ) term it as a syndrome
characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an
individual cognition emotional regulation or behaviour
that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological
biological or development processes underlying
mental functioning.

3. Various types of Mental Health
illnesses
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health
Disorders (DSM-IV) listed over 250 mental
disorders. However, this evening I will focus on a
few of the common ones that is treated on a daily
basis in Primary and Secondary care .
• This includes Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety ,
Panic, Agoraphobia, Claustrophobia, Body
Dysmorphia Disorder(BDD), Schizophrenia,
Psychosis, Post traumatic Disorder (PTSD),
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Personality
Disorder(PD), Anorexia, Bulimia

4. Disorders and Symptoms
• Depression: feeling of failure, loss of appetite, lack of confidence, low self esteem,
lack of motivation, feeling of hopelessness, difficulty concentration, fatigue and lack
of energy, pessimism, loss of libido.
• Bipolar Disorder: Dramatic and unpredictable mood swings. Highs: Mania symptoms
can cause excessive happiness and excitement, Irritability restlessness, increased
energy, lack of sleep (insomnia)racing thoughts, high sex drive and tendency to
make grand and unattainable plans. Low: range from extreme flat depressed feeling,
lack of interest in life, sleep long hours, isolation, suicidal thoughts (nhs.uk)
• Anxiety: Fear, Feeling of terror and uneasiness, worry, negative thoughts, difficulty
sleeping, dry mouth, heart palpitations, restless, cold sweaty hands and feet, blurred
vison, headaches, stomach problems either frequent urination or opening bowels
more than usual,
• Panic: shortness of breath, hyperventilating choking, Chest pains, sweating,
trembling and shaking, accelerated heart rate, dizziness . Fainting, feeling unsteady.
Feeling of going crazy and disconnected.
• Agoraphobia: Fear of leaving the house, fear of outside world, severe anxiety to the

5. Disorders and Symptoms (Dsm-V)
• Claustrophobia: symptoms very similar to agoraphobia but
mainly intense fear of confined spaces. Lifts, planes buses, trains
or very small rooms.
• BDD: Belief that one has an abnormality or defect in their
appearance that makes one think they are ugly.
• Frequent looking in the mirror/ or refusing to look in the mirror.
Preoccupation with physical appearance, very similar symptoms
to anorexia and bulimia.
• Schizophrenia: There are five types of symptoms which are
delusions, hallucination , disorganised speech, disorganised
behaviour and so call negative symptoms.
• Psychosis: Difficulty concentration, depressed mood,
suspiciousness, withdrawal from family and friends, delusions,

6. ● OCD: Fear of being contaminated by germs, dirt or
fear of contaminating others. Fear of the worst
happening like accidents, switch lights off, check
windows , doors cookers excessively
● Fear of losing control and harming self or others
● Fear of losing things or not having things you might
need.
● Personality Disorder: Unstable relationship, unclear
or unstable self image issues, self harm, extreme
emotional swings, chronic feelings of emptiness,
explosive anger.
● Borderline personality: affective dysregulation,
disturbed patterns of thinking or perception, cognitive
distortions, or perceptual distortions, impulsive

7. • Anorexia Nervosa: Distorted thoughts of being
overweight yet extreme underweight, loss of appetite,
weight loss, abnormal blood counts, elevated liver
enzymes, seizures, brittle nails, fatigue, menstrual
ceases.
• Bulimia : binge eats and then purges. vomits, takes
laxatives cant stand the thought off putting weight on.

8. Mental Health in the Black
Community
• Research shows that Afro Caribbean people are six
times more likely than whites to be diagnosed with
severe and enduring Mental Health Disorder such
as Bipolar, Psychosis or Schizophrenia. (study by
Institute of Psychiatry 2000)
• Recent research done in Lambeth said Black men
are 17 times more likely to be diagnosed with
Psychotic disorder.(2015)
• What does this mean and why is these
• statistics so high?

9. Factors and causes associated with the rise MH in the
Black Community
• Psychological: Trauma suffered as child or even in adulthood, this incudes
emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Loss is also another factor and neglect
can affect our ability to communicate and relate to others.
• Biological: Abnormal functioning of nerve cells pathways that connect to
particular brain regions. In addition defects in or injury to the brain can cause
MH disorder. They also found links to certain infections called paediatric
autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder(PANDA) which is called streptococcus
bacteria and is linked to OCD and other illnesses in children. There is also
prenatal damage if a child brain is starved of oxygen during childbirth, this
suggest links to autism
• Genetic/ heredity: It can run in families as research suggest that if you have a
family member with MH illness the chances are more likely that you can be
predisposed to MH
• Environmental: Death or divorce, a dysfunctional family life, feelings of being
criticised or inadequacy, low self esteem or isolation, changing schools home
jobs unemployment, poverty, displacement, social or cultural expectations,

10. Black people are more likely to be
diagnosed with MH
• Research done by Institute of Psychiatric tried to investigate if black
people were more prone to schizophrenia than white counterparts?
• They look for biological reasons such as brain damage/ head injury
or drug abuse. The evidence indicated that black people were no
more as likely than white people to be affected by MH illness,
surprisingly, it showed that 75% of white patients with
schizophrenia had a biological reason in relation to 25% of the black
They did brain scans which showed that white people were three
times more likely to have a mental disorder than black people.
• Being Black in Britain 2000 and the National Director of Mental
Health in Britain did research to understand why despite these
statistics that black people where disproportionately admitted to

11. • Mental Hospital and sectioned during Mental Act with
schizophrenia. A Prominent black Professor Robing
Murray at the institute of Psychiatry reported his
findings that showed that if has nothing to do with
biological factors but rather poor social conditions. “
the experiences of black people living in Britain is
enough to drive them mad” Myelal Czar 2010 accused
the Mental Health system of being institutionally
racist. (Does this sound familiar, Police, now MH
System, employment less opportunities/ housing in
squalor deprived areas. )

12. • On BBC 2 Newnight the National director of Mental
Health professor Louis Appleby said “that he have no
doubt that the system operates to the disadvantage of
specific racial group”…he went on to say that people
are very concern that we do not provide a satisfactory
service for Ethnic group as there are hugely
disproportionate numbers of black men are in hostels,
secure units such as prisons and mental hospitals. ”

13. Why are Black people more likely
to be diagnosed with serious MH
issue?
• In my research Dr Kuame Mackenzie of Haringey Healthcare Trust said
that part of the problem might be linked to fact that the diagnosing of
schizophrenia has been based entirely on experiences of white people.
He said the concept of schizophrenia was generalised out of European
tradition and culture. He added that we are in some cases misguided,
misinterpreted and mis diagnosed. He noted that no one has ever
bothered to find out whether the diagnoses of Schizophrenia is as valid in
the afro Caribbean community as it is in the white community. This
indicates that black people could be misunderstood and misdiagnosed as
Mackenzie (99) quoted that black men are less likely to attend GP until
he is crisis point.

14. • This suggest he will be in distress and overly agitated and anger in some
cases. Presentations in this manner could lead to GP referring him to
secondary services as he is not familiar with his personal trait and
assume he is having a ‘ breakdown’ which might simple be a ‘ meltdown’
as a result of accumulation of life stresses. These stresses could be a
combination of loss, bereavement, martial difficulties , financial issues
,racism , stress at work, feeling judged, not living up to expectations,
identity crisis, drink drug abuse. These are real majors issues which affect
us on a day to day basis. Example of being miss interpretations and mis
diagnosed:

15. • Formulation: history of dysfunctional family (could be
decided by GP as dysfunctional based on growing up
in a single parent family.(missing father) and cause
for concern that if you got lashes(abused) you could
turn out to be abuser
• Past history of disclosing that mum smacked us:
parent trying to instil discipline in her household by
distributing lashes and shouting to ensure children
behave) label: verbal and physical abused.
• Disclosing of weed smoking and have a few drinks:
could led to referral to drug and alcohol service or
substance patient could be visibly upset after
relationship ends. This could be misunderstood by GP
as :shouting/ aggressive: anger problem : anger
management.

16. • People could get these Labels and sectioned in secure
units : paranoid, delusional, aggravated , aggressive,
irrational and referred to MH problems where if you
resist you could be section against your will and
given strong antipsychotic medication. In some cases
the side effects are worse that helping patient with
symptoms.
• P.S:I am not by any mean saying that some people are
nor genuinely affected by MH issues but it is fair to say
that some people have been misdiagnosed due to
lack of understanding black Caribbean culture

17. Statistics, Preventatives and
accessibility to services
• The poor and disadvantaged are more likely to be diagnosed with a serious MH
issue.
• Statistic indicated that 10% of the people will get a common mental health
issue in their lifetime.
• The highest diagnoses of common MH issues is depression and anxiety. 1 in 5
teens experience MH problems in a given year.
• Suicide is the most common cause of man between age 20-49 in UK.
• World Heath Organisation indicated
• that by 2030 depression will be the leading illness globally

18. • 10% of new mothers are prone to get post natal depression.
• To prevent us being a statistic we need to look at life style and find things of
interest to stimulate us. This includes seeking help early and not suppress our
emotions.(declutter of mind)
• Mindfulness/ Mediation/ Yoga/ regular Exercises/ talk to release pinned up
emotions
• Psychological support: self care, boundaries, Time management, relaxation,
deep breathing, sleep well. Take regular breaks holidays, find time to relax,
counselling, stress control courses, anger management, access substance abuse
and alcohol services if it is affecting your quality of life. set realistic goals,,
volunteering. Distraction techniques, thought challenging, behavioural
activation.
• Go to GP for stress and ask for referral to psychological services as mental
health is equally as important as physical health

19. ● Appleby, L.(2010) Home office, Prison statistics, England and Wales.
● Czar, M. (2010) National Director of Mental Health
● Diagnostic Statistical Manual 1V. Definitions of Mental health
disorders(2000)England and Wales
● Kwame, M. Dr (2007) Being Black in Britain is bad for your Mental
Health Foundation
● Murray, R. (2002) why black people are over diagnosed Institute of
Psychiatry
● Young, J. (2014) Factors that affect our Mental Health. Psychology
Today, Wedmd
REFERENCES