Psychosocial Disorders Health Article

Alternative treatment

Therapeutic approaches such as art therapy that encourage self-discovery and empowerment may be useful in treating psychosocial disorders. Art therapy, the use of the creative process to express and understand emotion, encompasses a broad range of humanistic disciplines, including visual arts, dance, drama, music, film, writing, literature, and other artistic genres. This use of the creative process is believed to provide the patient/artist with a means to gain insight to emotions and thoughts they might otherwise have difficulty expressing. After the artwork is created, the patient/artist continues the therapeutic journey by interpreting its meaning under the guidance of a trained therapist.

Prognosis

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 90% of Americans who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder, so swift and appropriate treatment is important. Because of the diversity of types of mental disorders influenced by psychosocial factors, and the complexity of diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis for psychosocial disorders is highly variable. In some cases, they can be effectively managed with therapy and/or medication. In others, mental illness can cause long-term disability.

Prevention

Patient education (i.e., therapy or self-help groups) can encourage patients to take an active part in their treatment program and to recognize symptoms of a relapse of their condition. In addition, educating friends and family members on the nature of the psychosocial disorder can assist them in knowing how and when to provide support to the patient.

BOOKS

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1994.

PERIODICALS

Epperly, Ted D., and Kevin E. Moore. "Health Issues in Men: Part II. Common Psychosocial Disorders." American Family Physician. 62 (July 2000): 117-24.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Psychiatric Association (APA). Office of Public Affairs. 1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. (202) 682-6119. <http://www.psych.org/>.

American Psychological Association (APA). Office of Public Affairs. 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242.(202) 336-5700. <http://www.apa.org/>.

National Institute of Mental Health. 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rm. 8184, MSC 9663, Bethesda, MD 20892-9663. (301) 443-4513.

OTHER

Satcher, David. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1999. <http://www.surgeongeneral.gov>.

Paula Anne Ford-Martin

KEY TERMS

Affective disorder—An emotional disorder involving abnormal highs and/or lows in mood.

Bipolar disorder—An affective mental illness that causes radical emotional changes and mood swings, from manic highs to depressive lows. The majority of bipolar individuals experience alternating episodes of mania and depression.

Bulimia—An eating disorder characterized by binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behavior such as vomiting, misusing laxatives, or excessive exercise.

Cognitive processes—Thought processes (i.e., reasoning, perception, judgment, memory).

Learning disorders—Academic difficulties experienced by children and adults of average to above average intelligence that involve reading, writing, and/or mathematics, and which significantly interfere with academic achievement or daily living.

Schizophrenia—A debilitating mental illness characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, and flattened affect (i.e., a lack of emotions) that seriously hampers normal functioning.