Mental health and mental illness sound like they mean the same thing but they are different. The two have some key similarities and differences. The similarities between mental health and mental illness are that both of them can hinder a person from performing their duties well. For instance, when a person is stressed or is a bit down they have poor mental health and that can hinder their performance just the same way that a person who has personality disorders cannot be able to perform their duties as expected of them. Another similarity between the two is that both of them +affect the way we operate. Mental health keeps a person down and affects their ability to perform on the job just like mental illness affects a person’s ability to work. For example, when a person is sad as a result of losing a loved one they may not be in a position to carry out their duties effectively likewise a person with mood disorders may not be in a position to work when under attack. Another similarity is that both mental health and mental illness can be caused by stress .
The case is of Vince Li who was found not criminally responsible for the killing of Timothy McLean. Li had beheaded McLean under an unprovoked attack inside a Greyhound bus and even ate some body parts. Evidence showed that he was schizophrenic and at the time of the attack he suffered a major psychotic episode. Initially, he was composed and even greeted McLean before taking a seat beside him at the back of the bus. Suddenly he pulled a knife and started stabbing McLean several times without any provocation making other passengers run away from the bus. He was heard saying that he had heard the voice of God telling him that McLean was an evil threat and needed to be eliminated. Some of the stressors that may have triggered the defendant to commit the crime are illusions because when arrested he said that he had heard the voice of God telling him that McLean was an evil threat and needed to be eliminated. The defendant could have been a good candidate for the treatment of his mental illness. He seemed to be hearing non-existent voices that he referred to as the voice of God telling him to eliminate McLean because he was an evil threat.
There are various actions that psychologists would have suggested to help the defendant before he committed the crime. The psychologists would have prescribed medication for the defendant such as antipsychotic medications that control the symptoms by affecting the brain neurotransmitter. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs could also help in the treatment of the defendant. Other second-generation antipsychotics could also be used because they pose a low risk of serious side effects than first-generation antipsychotics. Another intervention that could have helped the defendant is the use of psychosocial interventions such as individual therapy, family therapy, social skills training, vocational rehabilitation, and supported employment. In cases of crisis and time of severe attacks then hospitalization would have been useful in ensuring the safety of the patient and other members of the society, receiving proper nutrition, getting adequate sleep, and basic hygiene requirements. The interventions would have made sure that the defendant is either put under proper care or is under medication; therefore, he would not have had the opportunity to commit the crime.
Some of the differences are that mental health deals with the emotional and psychological state of mind including social well-being and how people interact with one another. On the other hand, mental illness touches on a range of disorders that affects the mood, behavior, and thinking of a person. Another difference is that not everyone will be diagnosed with mental illness in their entire lifetime at one point in life a person has some mental health issues. For example, a parent that is worried about her sick child in the hospital may be affected in such a way that she may not be settled to perform her duties well. Still another difference is that a person can have poor mental health but no mental illness and equally they can have good mental health even when they are diagnosed with mental illness since mental illness is usually episodic as there are times of ill health and times of good health.
Finally. The major characteristics associated with functional mental disorders are anxiety disorders, attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, eating disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. On the other hand, manic-depressive behavior is associated with increased activity, energy or agitation, unusual talkativeness, distractibility, racing thoughts, abnormally upbeat or jumpy, decreased need for sleep, an exaggerated sense of self-confidence, and poor decision-making. Manic depressive disorders are a form of a major affective disorder mood disorder that is severe. It may involve sleeplessness sometimes for days accompanied by hallucinations, psychosis, paranoid rage, and grandiose delusions. A manic depressive disorder is less severe than a functional mental disorder because a person can be affected and go without sleep for a couple of days and it can trigger a brfrom realitylity requiring hospitalization. In most cases, it can be treated with medication and counseling. Some functional mental and personality disorders don’t have a cure-all that can be done is to managethemt for the rest of the life of the affected person.
