Mental Health Information

Mental vs. Medical Classifications:
There is always a question of whether a given disorder or issue would be better classified as a "mental" or a "medical-biological" disorder. To some degree or another, there is no really firm distinction between mental and medical disorders. Many so called 'mental' disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are now known to be primarily biologically based, while other 'medical' disorders have been shown to have a large 'psychological' component. In making classification decisions, we have followed the lead set out by the authors of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the standard reference used by psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers in classifying and describing mental disorders.

 

Mental Health Tips & Questions

What are mental health problems?
Mental health problems range from the worries and grief we all experience as part of everyday life, to the most bleak, suicidal depression or complete loss of touch with every day reality.

On average one in four of us will experience a mental health problem in the course of a year. These problems can cause real and lasting damage, both to the individual and to the community. Fortunately the majority of people who experience mental health problems can get over them or learn to live with them especially if they get help early on.

Unfortunately many people experiencing a mental health problem don't receive the right kind of help and some don't receive any help at all. In fact many people with mental health problems are shunned or discriminated against by their families, friends and the professionals who are supposed to be caring for them.