Anxiety, mood disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are some of the most common mental illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in eight individuals lives with a mental disorder, accounting for more than 900 million people globally. These conditions impact not only adults but also children. Approximately 60 million children and adolescents have anxiety disorders.
Help is available. However, recognizing the symptoms is not always easy. Behavioral health conditions are not like a broken bone. They are challenging to identify and assess during a short office visit. This article briefly overviews common mental disorders and provides ways to foster conversation.
Depression, or depressive disorder, is different from short-term mood fluctuations. A person experiencing depression feels overwhelming sadness, loss of pleasure, hopelessness or irritability every day for at least two weeks. Some physical signs of depression are the following:
Cancer diagnosis, loss of a loved one, and employment changes arouse extreme emotions. These troubling situations cause temporary sadness that can lead to long-term depression. People with depression are at higher risk for suicide.
Family or friends are often the first to notice symptoms of bipolar disorder. Significant shifts in a person’s mood, energy and concentration can cause relational strain. These regular mood changes make it difficult for people to perform daily activities. Patients with bipolar disorder often experience other conditions like:
Mood disorders place people at risk for self-harm or suicide. By taking time to care and conversate, clinicians can slow the downward spiral of mood disorders.
Nerves are a natural part of life. However, excessive worry, fear or dread can significantly impact a person’s behavior or ability to function. Anxiety disorder often results and can cause one of the following conditions:
Though the inducing situations vary, symptoms of anxiety disorders are similar:
Many people with anxiety disorder feel embarrassed. They often recognize that the fear is unmerited but feel like the emotions are out of their control.
People often associate post-traumatic stress disorder with soldiers who have fought in combat. Though PTSD affects many in the military, it can also impact anyone who has experienced or observed a traumatic event. These events may or may not be life-threatening. Some examples of a traumatic event are a natural disaster, accident, sexual assault or sudden loss.
Traumatic stress and fear trigger a person’s natural fight-or-flight response. Hormone changes cause elevated blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and alertness. Typically, the body returns to normal over time. However, people with PTSD experience symptoms long after the event passes:
Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, trains people to recognize triggers and respond to symptoms. Patients can walk the road to recovery with self-care, authentic conversations, and a provider’s help.
“Are you ever depressed or anxious?” This is a standard question used to screen patients at risk for mental disorders. However, without a relational touch, the question falls short.
What patient is going to report overwhelming anxiety to a healthcare provider typing at the computer? What patient is going to talk about debilitating sadness to a clinician who does not make eye contact? What patient is going to accept therapy recommendations from a provider who does not ask questions about mental health? Not many.
Physicians can quickly communicate empathy and compassion with a few easy-to-use techniques.
Experts claim that more than 90% of communication is nonverbal or tonal. Posture and tone matter when talking about sensitive subjects like mental health. Sitting down, making eye contact, and speaking calmly foster trust and help build patient-provider relationships.
Doctors can be intimidating, so look for common ground. Bridge the gap by acknowledging the patient’s difficulty and normalizing emotions. Physical needs are often apparent, overshadowing mental health concerns. Therefore, take the time to ask mental health questions. “How are you feeling today?” “I know that you recently lost your mom; how are you doing with that?” Ask questions not only to check a box but to understand the patient. Starting the conversation is often the most difficult part. However, conversations like these foster authentic communication.
Screening is a valuable mental health tool. Physicians should remind patients that there is no right or wrong answer. The initial evaluation is a starting point for later conversations. The questionnaire helps providers better understand their patients. Clinicians demonstrate care by commenting, “Help me understand your response to this question?”
One out of eight people have a mental disorder, but eight out of eight individuals experience challenging times that impact mental health. Empathetic and compassionate conversations pave the way to improving everyone’s mental wellness.
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“Mental disorders.” World Health Organization (WHO), 2022, Mental disorders.
“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” MedlinePlus, 2023, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: MedlinePlus.
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