Understanding Mental Health

What is mental health?

True or False: Talking about your mental health is a sign that you have a mental illness.

• True

• False

What is the difference between mental health and mental illness?

Which of the following is true of mental ill health?

• Mental illnesses are not disorders of brain function

• Mental illnesses result from complex interactions between a person's genes, their environment and social factors

• Mental illness is a sign of weakness

• Mental illness only affects certain races/ethnicities

Which of the following is correct about the causes of mental illness?

• It can be due to stressful or traumatic events

• It can be due to chemical imbalance in the body

• It is possible to have no identifiable cause

• All of the above

Tyler was diagnosed with a mental health problem. He has been seeing a mental health professional and following a treatment plan which has been so successful he's thinking of recommending the same treatment plan to anyone who has a mental health problem. Is this advisable?

Which of the following is true about mental illnesses in young people?

• They only show up after the age of 18 years

• They do not affect young people

• Children with family history of mental health problems have a higher risk of developing it

• Mental illnesses are a form of communicable disease

Can mental illnesses be prevented?

Health professionals usually diagnose mental illness through a combination of:

• Taking medical history

• Performing a physical exam and possibly lab tests

• Conducting a psychological evaluation where you will be required to answer questions about your emotions, thoughts and behaviours

• (a) + (c) only

• (a) + (b) + (c)

Can mental health problems be treated?

• Yes, there are various treatments available, depending on the type of mental health problem

• No, there is no treatment for mental health problems

• Yes, but only for adults since they know how to talk about mental health

• No, they eventually go away on their own

• Yes, but seeking treatment only makes the problem worse