This document discusses mental health and mental illness among youth. It defines mental health and mental illness, explores common mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, eating disorders and ADHD. It examines the causes of mental illness including genetics, environment, neurotransmitters and more. It also discusses stigma, prevention, recovery pathways, and where to seek help.

1. Mental Health
Youth
Supporting Mental Health And Resiliency Together
©2017 by Canadian Mental Health Association - Calgary Region
Reproduction prohibited in whole or part without express written permission

2. • What is Mental Health
• What is Mental Illness
• Stigma and How to End It
• Causes of Mental Illness
• Categories of Mental Illnesses
• Prevention Strategies
• Pathways to Recovery
• Where To Get Help

3. What do these people all
have in common?

6. They have all experienced a
Mental Illness

7. Celebrities and Mental Illness
Dwayne Johnson “The Rock”
Depression
Selena Gomez
Depression/Panic Disorder
Oprah Winfrey
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Adam Levine
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Kristin Bell
Depression
Lady Gaga
Depression/Bulimia Nervosa
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Channing Tatum
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Demi Lovato
Eating Disorder/Bipolar
Leonardo Dicaprio
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Johnny Depp
Panic Disorder/Social Anxiety Disorder
David Beckham
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Justin Timberlake
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder

8. What is Mental Health?

9. What is Mental Health?
Mental Health involves positive functioning in daily activities
resulting in:
• Productive efforts (work, school, caregiving)
• Sustaining healthy relationships
• Ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity
It is not merely the absence of mental illness.

10. What is Mental Illness?

11. What is Mental Illness?
https://vimeo.com/118151833
• Significant changes in thinking, emotion and/or behavior over
an extended period of time
• Distress and/or problems functioning in social, school, work,
leisure, or family activities

12. Continuum of Mental Health

13. Adolescent Mental Illness
20% of children and adolescents experience mental illnesses
Half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three-
quarters by mid-20s
The most common types of adolescent mental illnesses are
depression, and anxiety disorders. They are more common than
ADD and autism spectrum disorders
Approximately only 20% of youth receive treatment

14. What is Stigma?

15. What is Stigma?
A sign of social unacceptability (negative judgments, stereotypes)
Labeling, discrediting, or showing prejudice towards someone
because of a characteristic they have
1/5 people will experience a mental illness
It jumps to 1/3 if you include
substance related disorders

16. Effects of Stigma on Mental Illness
Increases hesitation for individuals living with a mental illness to
seek help because they may fear being blamed, talked down to,
or seen as weak
Increases self-stigma: internalized negative stereotypes that lead
people with mental illness to adopt attitudes of self-loathing and
self-blame, increasing a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.

17. How to Stomp out Stigma?

18. How to Stomp out Stigma?
Language matters: words can help…but they can also hurt. Pay attention to the
words you use.
Educate yourself: learn the facts and myths about mental illness. Be
knowledgeable and help fight stigma with facts.
Be Kind: treat a person who has a mental illness with the kindness and care
you give to people with other illnesses through a friendly smile, a helping hand,
a phone call or visit.
Educate others: talk about mental illness with friends, family, peers, teammates
Know that recovery is possible.

19. What are the causes of
Mental Illness?

20. Causes of Mental Illness
Neurotransmitter Theory
• Brain consists of billions of neurons
• Neurons communicate with each other through chemicals called
neurotransmitters
• Mental Illness can occur when there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters
• Medication can be given to balance and regulate the neurotransmitters

21. Causes of Mental Illness
Genetic Predisposition
• Every person has genes that are passed on to them by their parents
• Genes determine many things like our hair color and our height
• If a family member has a mental illness they may pass on the susceptibility
of the disease through our genes

22. Causes of Mental Illness
Environmental Factors
• Some events or experiences can trigger mental illness
• Environmental factors alone may not cause a mental illness but they can
make them worse
Alcohol Stress
Drugs Car Accident
Abuse/Neglect War
Fear Trauma
Loss Natural Disaster
Death Extreme Poverty
Bullying Social Expectations

23. What are Types of Mental
Illnesses?

24. Mood Disorders
• Everyone has “moods”, high and low. A person’s mood can change from day
to day or multiple times in a day, and be affected by any number of things
• If someone has a mood disorder, they might find it hard to maintain a higher
mood for any length of time and/or not be able to pinpoint or explain why their
mood is low, as it seems to be out of their control.
• It can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life, and affect relationships,
employment, school, family, goals etc.

25. Mood Disorders
• Mood Disorders include:
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Bipolar Affective Disorder
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
• Substance/Medication-Induced Depressive Disorder
• Depression Related to Medical Illness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc
https://vimeo.com/118151925

26. Anxiety Disorders
• Everyone feels anxious or nervous at times.
• Challenges such as family pressures, public speaking, highly demanding
schedules or writing an exam can lead to a sense of worry, even fear.
• These sensations, however uncomfortable, are different from the ones
associated with an anxiety disorder.
• People suffering from an anxiety disorder are subject to intense, prolonged
feelings of fright and distress for no obvious reason

27. Anxiety Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders Include:
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Specific Phobia
• Panic Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Substance/Medication-Induced Disorder
https://vimeo.com/128611697
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaPN9KQoYbs

28. Eating Disorders
• Eating disorders usually have very little to do with food, eating, or
appearance. They are symptoms of the disorder and how a person’s distress
is hown, but the root of the problem is often much deeper.
• Involves a pattern of disturbed eating habits and behaviours that are
significant enough to get in the way of good physical health and ability to live
a comfortable life.
• Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening and have the highest
mortality rate of any other group of mental illnesses.
• Eating disorders effect both males and females.

29. Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorders include:
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge Eating Disorder
• Pica
• Rumination Disorder
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbMi_ygqRYU

30. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by an
ongoing pattern of behaviour that interferes with functioning or development.
• Some people with ADHD only have problems with one of the behaviors,
while others have both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyOdenFEwnQ

31. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Inattention means a person wanders off task, lacks persistence, has
difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized
• Hyperactivity means a person may move about constantly, including
situations where it is not appropriate, or excessively fidgets, taps, or talks.
• Impulsivity means a person makes hasty decisions that occur in the
moment and that may have high potential for harm, or a desire for immediate
rewards or inability to delay gratification.

32. Substance Related Disorders

33. Substance Related Disorders
• Addiction is a complicated mental illness that has a profound impact on a
person’s life. It occurs when a person is enslaved to something that is
psychologically and/or physically habit-forming.
• One way people try and identify whether something is an addiction or not is
to look for the “Four Cs”:
– Craving
– Loss of Control of amount or frequency of use
– Compulsion to use
– Use continues despite Consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUngLgGRJpo

34. Substance Related Disorders
• Substance Related Disorders include:
• Alcohol-Related Disorders
• Caffeine-Related Disorders
• Cannabis-Related Disorders
• Hallucinogen-Related Disorders
• Inhalant-Related Disorders
• Opioid-Related Disorders
• Sedative or Hypnotic-Related Disorders
• Stimulant-Related Disorders
• Tobacco-Related Disorders

35. Prevention Strategies
Focus Time: closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, taking on
challenges that make deep connections in the brain.
Play Time: allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully
enjoying novel experiences, which helps make new connections in the brain.
Connecting Time: when we connect with other people, ideally in person,
or take time to appreciate our connection to the natural world around us, richly
activating the brain's relational circuitry.
Physical Time: when we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which
strengthens the brain in many ways.

36. Prevention Strategies
Time In: when we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images,
feelings and thoughts, helping to better integrate the brain.
Down Time: when we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let
our mind wander or simply relax, which helps our brain recharge.
Sleep Time: when we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate
learning and recover from the experiences of the day

37. What are Pathways to
Recovery?

38. What are the Pathways to Recovery?
Seek help from a medical professional
 Allow a doctor to listen to your concerns and provide you with a diagnosis
 The sooner you see a doctor, the sooner you can start to recover
 A doctor can link you to other key mental health supports
Medication
 Work with your doctor to find what medication options work best for you
Learn about your mental illness
 Consider how the illness impacts you as an individual
 Educate those around you about mental illness
 Be aware that having a mental illness does not mean you cannot achieve your
goals

39. What are the Pathways to Recovery?
Explore therapeutic techniques
 Be open to new recovery strategies
Build a strong support team
 Who is on your team? Doctors, counselors, teachers, family and friends
 Stay honest with yourself and your support team
Practice Personal Wellness
 Physical exercise, diet, sleep, healthy routines
 Stress management and relaxation techniques
 Goal setting
 Clubs, groups and teams
 Hobbies and interests
 Mindfulness

40. Where to Get Help
• www.calgaryconnecteen.com
• www.kidshelpphone.ca
• www.brotalk.ca
• www.youthsmart.ca
• www.cmha.calgary.ab.ca
• www.teenmentalhealth.org
Distress Center: 403-266-1605
Connecteen: 403-264-TEEN (8336) Talk
Connecteen: 587-333-2727 Text
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
Bro Talk: 1-866-393-5933
Access Mental Health: 403-943-1500