Some Background Information

MENTAL ILLNESSES COMMON AMONGST TEENAGERS

The most common problems adolescents face revolve around three issues:
1. appearance
• body image issues
• over-influence by the popular idea of the “perfect body”
• low self-esteem
• unhappiness that they are not allowed/do not have the ability to spend large sums of money to improve their appearance

2. attitude/ personal worth
• search for adult identity
• finding limits independence
• start of separation from parents
• comparison to peers

3. social life
• boy-girl relationships (BGR)
• exploration of sexuality
• split between friends and parents

MANIFESTATIONS OF PROBLEMS

1. Adjustment Reactions
• short-term reactions that happen because of traumatic or stressful events
• e.g. relationship problems, death of loved one or even academic failure

2. Emotional Disorders


• especially depression and anxiety disorders
• happens more often in late adolescence
• tend to persist and are accompanied by considerable emotional suffering which can affect many areas of daily life
• characterised by tensions, doubts and uncertainties that handicap ability to cope

3. Suicidal Thoughts & Acts


• can be the result of adjustment reactions or depressive illness
• the wish to die as a solution to the immediate problems can end up in an impulsive and irrevocable suicide

FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION

1. Verbal abuse

locally the terms “woodbridge [patient]”, “xiao”, “nuts” etc. are commonly used as derogatory terms to refer to mentally ill patients
the dangerous thing is that such terms are accepted and not taboo in society

2. Social discrimination

often mentally ill patients (even those who have recovered) do not dare to reveal their past to bosses and fellow colleagues
many have encountered discrimination in the form of social ostracization when finding work or in the workplace
those who are guilty often include neighbours, friends, and even relatives

3. Physical abuse

cases where those who have more serious illnesses and cannot defend themselves are abused through physical means or through neglect, sometimes by their own caretakers
also incidents where mentally ill people were beaten up when left alone by caretakers

Mental health workers said that discrimination was actually a factor in worsening mental illnesses “because it lowered self-esteem, increased their patients' feelings of social isolation and caused depression. Around half said it led their patients to misuse drugs or alcohol and caused suicidal feelings.”