Understanding Common Mental Health Problems

The prevalence of mental health problems is pretty staggering – currently, around one in five Australians will experience a mental health problem in any given year, and one in two Australians will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime.

As a society, we are becoming increasingly accepting of talking about mental health problems. We regularly hear stories about family, friends and public figures struggling with their mental health – but sometimes this coverage doesn’t actually give us the low down on what specific mental health problems are, and what they look like.

We’ve put together some of the key information to help you learn to recognise common mental health problems in yourself and others.

Depression

Depression is more than just feeling sad or down, or going through a stressful or difficult time. Depression refers to feelings of sadness or low mood that lasts longer than two weeks, and gets in the way of everyday life. Signs and symptoms of depression include: feeling down or numb, losing interest in and not getting pleasure from things you used to, difficulty concentrating, negative self talk, lack of energy, worthlessness, guilt, thoughts of suicide or self harming, problems sleeping or changes to eating. Around 16% of Australian adults will experience depression throughout their lives.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders occur when anxiety starts to severely impact a person’s life. Someone with an anxiety disorder feels afraid even when they are in situations that aren’t necessarily dangerous. There are different types of anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and specific phobias. Signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders include: excessive worry, racing thoughts, thinking about the same things over and over, trouble focusing or concentration, difficulty sleeping, and physical symptoms like panic attacks. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in Australian adults – around 14% of the population experiences an anxiety disorder.

Bipolar Disorders

Bipolar disorders can involve extreme highs and lows in mood, with mood swings making day to day life difficult. Sometimes, these moods can last for weeks or even months, and are extremely disruptive to normal functioning. Signs and symptoms to look out for include: increased energy, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, irritability, agitation, risk taking behaviours (like drug or alcohol use, or increased sexual activity), as well as symptoms of depression. Bipolar Disorders are experienced by around 6% of Australians.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age or weight. Eating disorders impact people’s eating behaviours, as well as the way they think about themselves, food, weight and shape, and can have significant impacts on physical health. Signs and symptoms include: changes in diet, including restricted diet, purging or binging, excessive exercise, use of laxatives, diuretics or appetite suppressants, negative self talk, feeling out of control, excessive focus on appearance, being secretive about food or diet, and health problems. Around 4% of the Australian population has an eating disorder at any given time, and around 15% of women will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives.

Trauma, abuse and violence

Abuse and violence includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and neglect. Trauma reactions can occur from exposure to abuse and violence, whether it happened to you, or you witnessed it or heard about it happening to someone close to you. They can also occur from exposure to neglect. Trauma reactions become a problem when they last for a long time and turn into Acute Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or more complex trauma reactions. Signs and symptoms include: intrusive memories (flashbacks or nightmares) of the event, low mood, changes in beliefs about yourself, others and the world, dissociation (feeling ‘detached’), difficulty sleeping, and avoiding thoughts and feelings about the event.  Around 12% of Australians will experience PTSD at some point in their lifetime, and around 25% of Australians have experienced childhood trauma associated with complex trauma reactions.

Substance abuse

Substance abuse involves using too much of a substance – whether that is alcohol, prescription medication, illicit drugs or another substance. The most commonly abused substances in Australia are alcohol and tobacco. Substance abuse occurs when someone loses control of their substance use and it begins to cause dependence and tolerance to the substance. When the substance wears off, they might experience cravings or withdrawal symptoms. Some of the signs of substance abuse include regularly using more than intended, trying to cut down or stop using but not succeeding, spending a lot of time getting, using or recovering from substances, cravings, failing to meet responsibilities, giving up social, work, leisure activities, and relationship problems. Around 5% of Australians have an addiction or substance abuse problem. 

Despite how common mental health problems are, only around 46% of people who struggle with a mental health problem will access professional support – even though there are evidence based, effective treatments available. You can help improve this by understanding the signs and symptoms of these common mental health problems, and helping yourself and those around you to get help.

If you, or someone you know, are struggling with a mental health problem or starting to show some of the signs above, it is worth reaching out for help. If you’d like to make an appointment, or just want to get some information or ask questions, feel free to give us a call on (07) 3482 3466 or submit an enquiry at www.involvepsychology.com; this is confidential for you.