Mental Illness: Theoretical Considerations and Assessments - Essay Example

Mental Illness: Theoretical Considerations and Assessments February 4, 2006 Mental Illness: Theoretical Considerations and AssessmentsMental illness is not a new disorder plaguing society today. For over a century, scientists and theorists have been contemplating the human brain and studying the forces that cause certain tendencies. A new science was developed in the early 19th century call "phrenology" (Timimi, 2005); the practitioners of this science, called phrenologists, believed that the human brain was composed of several distinct areas, or organs, with separate functions (Timimi, 2005).

Phrenologists argued that the size of the organ would not only determine the shape or unevenness of a human head, but also the power of the organ (Timimi, 2005, 1). Through the logic of the time, measuring the surface area of a skull could give the phrenologist an idea of the patient's psychological tendencies and abilities (Timimi, 2005).As with many other older techniques and sciences, phrenology gave way to new ideas and theories and slowly became the work of zealous extremists. I believe that there are links in existence and research today that will lead to a new form of phrenology, through which different parts of the human brain can be scanned and measured: these new technologies are opening doors to the earlier theories that perhaps the shape and form of the human brain is connected with a person's psychiatric tendencies and susceptibility to mental illness.

For example, some doctors claim that a brain scan of children diagnosed with Attention Deficiency and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) shows that these children have a noticeably smaller frontal lobe (Timimi, 2005, 6); brain scans of people with schizophrenia shows ventricular enlargement. This ventricular enlargement has been claimed to be one of several causes of schizophrenia (Timimi, 2005).Theoretically, through education of care-givers and managed care, mental health services will be able to provide services based on more evidence with an immense increase in effectiveness (Mowbray & Holter, 2002).

By using evidence-based practice, I will allow practice standards to be translated from research results. A variety of interventions are crucial to patients with mental illness; intervention beginning within the family and being supported through treatments by myself as a health care professional. Family education programs were developed and implemented with the hopes of including family members (often the primary care givers) in the intervention process (Mowbray & Holter, 2002); this inclusion was intended to help patients with serious mental illness from relapsing.

Community acceptance of a patient with mental illness is also mediated by primary care givers and family members (Mowbray & Holter, 2002).I do not know the exact cause of mental illness. I am not alone in this as there are still many professionals debating; whether that cause is genetic, natural, or even environmental is still being argued and studied. In contrast to other medical practices, no matter the exact cause of each type of illness or with each patient suffering, mental illness is not going to be treated through finding the cause from the past; rather, mental illness must be treated by looking towards the future well-being of each patient.

Mental illness is a subject that has been studied for centuries, and will continue to be studied for a long time to come. My first step for intervention of a patient will be with education and inclusion of those closest to the patient: such as family members and educators.Hi, please cut this out when you read the paper. I was not given very many details about this project, so I hope I have covered what was needed. If there were specifics, such as autistic spectrum disorders, or schizophrenia, or another mental illness that you had wanted to cover, please let me know and I will be happy to revise this for you. Thanks!NaomiReferencesTimimi, S. (2005) Outside the Box.

Mental Health Today. July/August 2005, pg.21. Retrieved February 3, 2005 ProQuest Database.Mowbray, C.T., & Holter, M.C. (2002) Mental Health and Mental Illness: Out of the closet The Social Service Review, Chicago. March 2002. Vol. 76, Iss. 1, p135-180. Retrieved February 4, 2006 from ProQuest Database.