Hi all…this is Dr.

Samar's first lecture about Mental health

Mental health
Chronic (non-communicable) disease

:Mental illness is classified to

Neurotic illness (neurosis): like Alzheimer.1 .
the patient knows he has a problem-
more suffering-
less serious-
(less duration of treatment(usually-

Psychotic illness: like depression .2

the patient is detached from the surrounding world-
doesn't know he is sick-
Hallucination-
less suffering bcz he's not aware in the first place-
more serious-
longer treatment duration-

: Features of these chronic non-communicable diseases

degenerative .1
non contagious .2
life-long .3

They have unknown etiology (cause) , however it is important to study

.risk factors as to prevent chronic illness

:Golden age
Its the age when psychic problems emerge to the doctors ... its said to be
20-30 years although psychic illness can start earlier but the cases rise to
doctors and reported mostly within this age

.In Jordan its underestimated because its socially not accepted

Epidemiology of psychological disorders is important in the diagnosis of

any case i depressed patients usually complain of many symptoms that
.are unrelated and connot be ought to any disease except depression

So it is important for patients to inform their doctors regardless of any

. social stigma
Note: that help given by psychiatrist is not necessarily in the form of
.anti-depressant medication

:Steps dealing with chronic diseases

:Primordial prevention
This requires accurate knowledge about the pathology of the disease .
.most chronic disease are of unknown etiology and are life-long
Primordial prevention is requires for the whole population , whether
people are at risk or not. It deals with changing life-style into a healthier
one, for example , low-fat diet to avoid hypertension and normal body
.weight is to avoid diabetes
On the other hand , some factors are not subject for modifying, such as:
.age and genetics ; though premarital regulation is now possible
. Immunization is also a form of primordial management

: Primary prevention
.This deals with people with risk factors
. Example: family history and breast cancer
. Diabetes obesity
.Smoking :obstructive airway disease
.All are of a high risk factor

Primary prevention is done by avoiding risk factors, this is accompanied

by continuous screening; people at an age 725 in the usa are constantly
.screened for breast cancer frequently

Some cases are of low risk factors, such as smoking and peptic ulcer

Secondary prevention
It is defined by the process of modifying risk factors (life-style) in the
.presence of the disease

e.g: secondary prevention in the case of a diabetic patient involves

management of the diet into a healthier one, however body weight and
improving personal hygiene as diabetic patients are more susceptible to
.an infection from skin origin

: Tertiary prevention
Here, we are to reduce complications more than preventing the
.occurrence of a disease

e.g: if a patient is suffering from blurred vision, tertiary managements

.(aim would be to prevent blindness (limit the disability

Out of the whole group of chronic disease, the most common cause of
death is cardiovascular disease , then come other such as cancer and
.pulmonary diseases

:Cigarette smoke
.major cancer of cardiovascular disease -
.elevates risk of heart attack twice-
.times higher risk of sudden death from cardiovascular disease 2-4-
.times higher risk of cardiovascular disease 3-4-
.Passive smoking also elevates risk of cardiovascular disease -

.Most severe effects of smoking are on the respiratory system

Neurological disorders
cerebral palsy-
mental retardation-
epilepsy and other seizure disorders-
headache and migraine-
Alzheimer and dementia-
multiple sclerosis-
.Parkinson disease-

.Cerebral palsy: life expectancy=25-30 years

.Mental retardation: normal life expectancy
Epilepsy may be idiopathic
.…unknown cause) or accompanying tumors, trauma, hyperthalemia )

We will consider idiopathic epilepsy which is an inborn disorder. It

occurs in 1-3 % of the population, patients have absolute dependence on
.drugs which limit abilities of the brain

Headache and migraine: interferes directly with the life-style of patients.

.Paracitamol only treats symptoms not the disease
Multiple sclerosis: today it is diagnosed at a low age (25 years ),
showing who will have ms when they are old. M.s. causes degeneration
.of myelin, mostly those at the optic never

Alzheimer is one of the causes of dementia, it is caused by a defecting

.gene. patients are disoriented, family is the greatest victim

Parkinson : causes spasms and limitations in motion

Psychiatric disorders
depression: mentioned earlier-
obsessive compulsive disorders: common among youth-
‫الوسواس القاهر‬
.schizophrenia-

Good luck
Asma
alamr