MENTAL
HEALTH
AWARENESS
P R E S E N T AT I O N
Workshop Aims :
Define mental health – mental ill health How to support/signpost staff to various
organization.
Describe what is stress and the impact it may
have How to promote mental wellbeing in the
workplace and look after your own wellbeing
Describe the impact that anxiety/depression is
having on people going back to work
Prevalence in Malta
The overall cost of mental health problems in
Malta is an estimated $5.2 billion a year.
52% of women suffer from low level mental
health problems
Self harm a significant problem in Malta, as a
result there are 6,000 emergency admission to
hospital per year.
Defining Mental Health Defining Mental Ill
Health
Mental health is a state of well being in which Mental illnesses are health conditions
involving
the individual realises his or her own abilities, changes in emotion, thinking or behavior.
can cope with the normal stresses of life, Mental illnesses are associated with distress
can work productively and fruitfully and is and/ or problems functioning in social ,
work
able to contribute to his or her own or family activities.
community.
Definition of Mental Health
‘‘ Mental health influences how we think and feel about ourselves and others,
and how we interpret events. It affect our capacity to learn, to communicate
and to form, sustain and end relationships. It also influences our ability to
cope with change , transition and life events. Such as; having a baby,
moving to a new house, experience bereavement.’’
MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM
HEALTHY REACTING INJURED ILL
-Calm and steady -Easily Agitated - persistent anxiety and sadness -Excessive anxiety, fatigue
-Normal fluctuations in mood -Angered -Angry reaction and sadness.
-Fit -frustrated and tired -Noticeable fatigue -Regular panic attack
-Fed -difficulty focusing -Poor concentration -Angry outbursts
-Rested -decreased interest in activity -excessive distrust and resentment -Sever memory lapses
-In control physically, -nervous -inability to enjoy activities -Cannot concentrate
mentally, emotionally -impatient -sleep disturbance -Cannot perform daily
-Performing well -unusual sadness -hyper vigilance routine.
-Behaving ethically and morally -difficulty sleeping -persistent physical symptoms -significant sleep
disturbance
-Socially active -vigilance - sever deterioration in daily loss of control.
-Sense of Humor -problems with the daily functioning in home, work -Avoiding withdrawal
-Relaxing and recreating functioning at home, work or school. significant change in
-Confident in self and others or school Behavior
Mental Health is Too Often Ignored
Right now :
1 in 4 people will experience mental
health problems.
1 I 6 workers are experiencing
depression , anxiety or stress.
STRESS
Stress is not a psychiatric diagnosis, but its closely
related to your mental health as :
Stress can be the cause of mental health problems and make
existing problems worse. For example, if you often struggle to
manage feelings of stress, you might develop a mental health
problem like anxiety or depression.
Mental health problems can cause stress. You might find coping
with the day to day symptoms of your mental health problem, as
well as potentially needing to manage medication, health care
appointments or treatments, can become extra sources of stress.
Stress can impact on how you feel physically.
ANXIETY
The term anxiety refers to feeling or worry, nervousness,
apprehension, of fear commonly experienced by people when
faced with something they view as challenging.
Anxiety disorders can happen at any stage of life, but they usually
begin by middle age.
Anxiety is something that we all experience from time to time. The
experience of anxiety is our body’s way of preparing us to manage
those difficult situations. Sometimes anxiety can help us perform
better by helping us feel alert and motivated.
DEPRESSION
Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by
persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you
normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily
activities
Depression is a common mental health problem that causes people to
experience low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low
self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration.
Depression symptoms can vary in severity, from mild to moderate to
severe depression. If you experience symptoms of depression for most of
the day – every day – for more than two weeks, you should seek help from
your GP.
DEPRESSION
Dysthymia
Some common Depressive Episode
types of Bipolar Disorder
Postnatal Depression
Depression Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
STATISTICS
Depression affects 1 in 10 people during their
lifetime
3 million people are diagnosed in Malta
Women are twice as likely as men to develop
depression
A depressive episode last about 6-8 months on
average
Working days lost in the Malta due to depression is
approximately 9.7 million
RECOVERY
Recovery is about building a meaningful and satisfying life,
whether there are recurring or ongoing symptoms or mental
health problems. The key themes of recovery are: agency-
gaining
a sense of control over one's life and one’s illness.
