MENTAL HEALTH, ALCOHOLISM, DRUG ADDICTION AND SOCIETY

AND PREVENTION

A Written Report
Presented To
The Faculty of the Division of Biological Sciences
University of the Philippines - Visayas

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements in
PH 125

Presented by:
Aton, Pamela B.
Briones, Maria Avena A.
Lopez, John Christian S.
Serisola, Reeza Shane S.

Public Health II

September 16, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction
 A. Health, Mental Health, and Mental Illness
B. Forms of Mental Illness
1. Mood Disorder
a. Major Depression
b. Bipolar Disorder
2. Anxiety Disorder
3. Personality Disorder
4. Psychotic Disorder
5. Substance-induced Disorder
C. Effects of Mental Illness
1. Effect on the Patient
2. Effect on the Family/Caregiver
3. Effect on Society
II. Global Burden of Mental Illness
A. Statistics
1. Suicides
B .Risk Factor for Morbidity and Mortality
C. Stigma and Discrimination
III. Alcoholism
A. Alcoholism as a Form of Mental Illness
B. Warning Signs of Alcoholism
C. Effects of Alcohol
D. Factors Affecting Alcohol Consumption And Alcohol-related Harm
E. Burden of Alcoholism
F. Treatment for Alcoholism
IV. Drug addiction and society
A. Drug Addiction
B. Drug Addiction vs. Drug Abuse
C. Signs of Addiction
D. Reasons for Drug Use
E. Consequences of Drug Abuse

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 F. Treatment
V. Prevention
A. Risk and Protective Factors
B. Macro-strategies to Reduce Risks

I. Introduction

Health is the state where an individual is not only free from diseases but also healthy
physically, mentally, and socially and it is also regarded as one of the most basic human
rights (WHO, 2017). Ensuring the health of every individual in all aspects in a given
community is a must for every government, since the state of health of a certain population

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is correlated with the productivity of society. Also, the mental, physical, and social aspects
of health are deeply connected with one another that probing into the relationship of the
three (3) would show that mental health is a huge factor in ensuring the overall well-being
of individuals, societies, and countries (World Health Report, 2001).

A. Mental Health and Mental Illness

According to Jahoda (1958), mental health encompasses broad concepts

such as the subjective perception of well-being and self-efficacy, independence,
competence, intergenerational dependence, and one’s realization of his potential in
both mental and emotional aspects and is not merely the absence of mental
disorders. It also includes the maintenance of productive daily activities, the
fulfillment of relationship with others, and the ability to adapt to sudden changes
and to cope with stress. However, there are numerous factors that lead to an
unhealthy state of mind or the abnormal functioning of a portion or the entire brain
which can ultimately lead to the development of mental illnesses.

Mental illness (MI) is defined as the patterns of behavior or state of mind

that result to stress and the impairment of personal functioning of an individual
(Bolton, 2008).

According to the Department of Health of Australia (2018), the root cause

of MI is still unknown, although interconnected factors such as genetics, substance
abuse, early life environment, trauma and stress, personality, and other biological
factors contribute to the development of various MI.

1. Genetics

Lancet (2013) reported that there is a possible increase in the risk

for a person to develop mental disorders if a close family member has been
diagnosed with a mental illness.

2. Substance abuse

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 Due to the substances present, the abuse in drug and alcohol abuse
can trigger manic or psychotic episodes and paranoia (Health Direct, 2018).

3. Early life and the Environment

According to Syed and Nemeroff (2017), early life stress such as

physical and mental abuse, neglect, and abandonment greatly increase the
risk for a child to develop MI as he transitions into adulthood. National
policies, social protection, standards of living, working conditions, and
community support also contribute to the development of MI.

4. Trauma and stress

For adults, traumatic life events or ongoing stress such as social

isolation, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, financial or work
problems can increase the risk of mental illness. Traumatic experiences
such as living in a war zone can increase the risk of post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) (Syed and Nemeroff, 2017).

5. Personality

For some MI such as depression and anxiety, perfectionism and low

self-esteem can increase the risk of acquiring them (SANE, 2018).

B. Forms of Mental Illness

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (1952), mental disorders can be classified into five (5) types:
Mood, Anxiety, Personality, Psychotic, and Substance-Induced.

1. Mood Disorders (MD)

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 Mood disorders encompass and describe all types of
depression and bipolar disorder.

Table 1: Types of Mood Disorders (DSM, 1954)

2. Anxiety Disorders (AD)

Unlike the typical anxiety a person feels, AD’s anxiety does

not disappear and worsens over time. This interferes with the
occupation of the person, academics, and relatioships.

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 Table 2: Types of Anxiety Disorders (DSM, 1954)

3. Personality Disorders

A range of mental disorders that involves a rigid and

unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning, and behaving.

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 Table 3: Types of Personality Disorders (DSM, 1954)

4. Psychotic Disorders

Severe mental disorders which includes people who loses touch with
reality and have an abnormal thinking and perception which causes
delusions and hallucinations.

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 Table 4: Common Psychotic Disorders (DSM, 1954)

5. Substance-Induced Disorders (SID)

SID or also known as Drug addiction is a mental illness that

affects not only the brain but also the behavior of an individual
causing them to have the inability to control the use of both legal
and illegal drugs or medications.

C. Effects of Mental Illness on Individuals and Populations

1. Effect on the Patient

People who are diagnosed with MI was found to have decreased

quality of life, increased difficulty in the academics, lowered productivity
and increase in poverty, social problems, vulnerability to abuse, and
additional health problems. According to Kessler et al. (1995), mentally ill
individuals often compromise their studies leading to a difficulty in
finishing it, ultimately making it difficult for them to find a stable career. A
study conducted by Margot (2001) showed that around 16 Million of U.S.
workers with ages 16-54 have a difficulty in finding and sustaining
livelihood due to MI. Finally, Lund et al. (2011) described that around 20-
25% of the people living below the poverty line, especially the homeless,
are suffering from severe mental illness.

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 2. Effect on the Families/Caregivers

In most cases where a family has a member who is mentally ill, the
responsibility of taking care of patient falls on the family. Baronett (1999)
reported that families are unable to work at full capacity due to the demands
of taking care of a mentally ill leading to a decrease in output and income,
ultimately leading to an increase in poverty. Some extreme cases observed
that families were terrified for their safety due outbursts of their mentally ill
relative, to which isolation of the patient is carried out to reduce the damage
that can he or she can inflict (Mavundla et al., 2009).

3. Effect on Society

The specific effects of MI in society is different per country, nation,

and culture, but the common downside to untreated MI is the significant
cost it can bring along with the loss of labor and productivity. A report of
WHO (2003) stated that around three (3) to four (4) percent of the Gross
National Product of developed countries, goes to MI. Aside from this, MI
can worsen public health issues such as in the case in 2001 where an
increase of five (5) to 10% was seen in the number of new HIV cases due
to intravenous drug use. Patek (2007) also observed that maternal
depression lead to an increase in child mortality.

According to the Lancet Commission (2018), the mental health

crisis would cost the world around $16 Trillion if it is not addressed by
2030. Despite the effects of MI, it is still one of the most neglected and
highly stigmatized diseases globally.

II. Global Burden of Mental Illness

Mental health problems affect society as a whole, and not just a small, isolated
segment. They are therefore a major challenge to global development. No group is immune

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 to mental disorders, but the risk is higher among the poor, homeless, the unemployed,
persons with low education, victims of violence, migrants and refugees, indigenous
populations, children and adolescents, abused women and the neglected elderly (WHO,
2018).

A. Statistics

According to the National Institute for Mental Health (2018), around 300 million
people alone suffer from depression, 60 million suffer from bipolar affective disorder, 23
million for schizophrenia and other psychoses, and around 50 million for dementia.
However, WHO (2018) reported that around one (1) out of four (4) adults and around 20%
of the world’s youth population have a mental disorder. One (1) million people commit
suicide every year which makes it the second leading causes of mortality for people with
ages 15-29 years old.

In contrast with the Philippines, according to the Department of Health (2018),

around 3.3 million Filipinos suffer from depressive disorders, with suicide rates in 2.5
males and 1.7 males per 100,000. This number is expected to grow over the years as the
population ages and as social problems worsen along with civil unrest.

1. Suicides

Suicide is defined as the act where a one would intentionally take his or her
own life where mental illnesses are considered as the major factors that cause it
(Hawton et al., 2009).

In terms of suicide rates, the WHO (2018) reported that the global average
for suicide rate is around 10.1 while Europe had the highest rate of suicides per

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 Figure 1: Suicide Rates Per Region (WHO, 2018)

100,000 population followed by the Americas with the Eastern Mediterranean as

the region with the lowest.

In terms of suicide rates per sex per 100,000 population, an increase is observed for
the years 2000 to 2016 in both sexes. Data showed that males had a higher suicide rate
compared to females.

YEAR 2016 2015 2010 2005 2000

Both Sexes 9.8 9.9 9.0 8.5 8.3

Male 15.1 15.2 14.0 13.2 13.1

Female 4.6 4.6 4.1 3.9 3.6

Figure 2: Suicide Rates per Sex Globally (WHO, 2018)

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 According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) in the United
States, for females aged 10–7 and for males aged 15–74, suicide rates in 2016 were higher
than in 2000.

Figure 3: Suicide Rates For Females per Age Group (CDC, 2018)

Figure 4: Suicide Rates For Males per Age Group (CDC, 2018)

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 For the most common method for suicide, CDC (2018) listed that for both male and
female, the means of suicide varied by age group.

Figure 5: Number of suicides for females, by age group and means of suicide(CDC, 2018)

Figure 6: Number of suicides for males, by age group and means of suicide(CDC, 2018)

Overall, an increase in the rate of suicide increased 1% per year from the years 2000-2006
and changed to 2% from 2006-2016. The female age-adjusted suicide rate increased by 50% while

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the males’ increased by 21%. For the means of suicide, suffocation accounted for the highest
percentage of suicides in 2016 among females under age 25, while poisoning accounted for the
highest percentage among females aged 45 and over. Among females aged 25–44, the percentage
of deaths from firearms, suffocation, and poisoning were similar (32%, 31%, and 28%,
respectively). Suffocation and firearms each accounted for about one-half of all suicides among
males aged 10–14, while firearms accounted for the highest percentage of suicides among males
aged 15 and over.

B. Risk Factor for Morbidity and Mortality

The state of one’s mental health is interconnected with physical and social functioning and
health outcomes. For some diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, depression
is considered as one of the risk factors. Aside from this, if a patient has a MI such as anxiety
and depression, his adherence and compliance to treatment schedule is negatively affected
leading to the worsening of diseases. Furthermore, a number of behaviours such as smoking
and sexual activities have been linked to the development of physical disorders such as
carcinoma and HIV/AIDS. Lastly, the World Health Report (2002) listed that among the
top 10 leading risk factors for the global burden of disease, three (3) were
mental/behavioral (unsafe sex, tobacco use, alcohol use) and three (3) others were
significantly affected by mental/behavioural factors (overweight, blood pressure and
cholesterol).

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 Figure 6: Prevalence of Depression in Patients with Physical Illnesses (WHR, 2003)

C. Stigma and Discrimination

People with MI often experience a wide range of human rights violations and social
stigma (WHO, 2003). Due to the fact that in most countries there is a scarcity in mental
health facilities (MHF), people are left untreated. Some cases documented showed that
mentally ill people were cast away from society or were tied in secured places, such as
caged beds, or far places for long periods of time with little to no food.

In cases where there are MHF, the conditions are extremely unsatisfactory in terms
of service, cleanliness, and treatment. Some are forced to stay in MHFs against their own
will despite having the capacity to decide for themselves. There are also cases where people
are denied their right to vote, employment, educational opportunities, health insurances,
and other rights which affects the person’s ability to have access to the immediate care that
is needed in order for him to recover from the illness.

D. Economic Burden

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 MI is one of the main reasons for loss of work which is measured by
absenteeism, presenteeism, and sick-leave rates. For human capital and financial
loss, depression, anxiety, and alcohol leads the dil. On the other hand, a good work
atmosphere result to better and healthier worker performance. Job stress, bullying,
moral, sexual harassment, and violence in the workplace yields to loss of
productivity and degradation of mental health accompanied by burnout. Burnout is
another condition that depends on an individual’s vulnerability and on the
organization’s work dynamics (Pinheiro et al., 2017).

According to Davlasheridze (2018), a single miss in work due to poor

mental health resulted to a 1.84% drop in the per capita real income growth rate or
a loss of around $53 Billion loss in income each year.

Investments in treating and preventing mental disorders save money, reduce costs,
and increase productivity. Several strategies are available to promote workers’
mental health in the workplace and to deliver sustainable conditions for working.

III. ALCOHOLISM

Alcoholism is known to be the most severe form of alcohol abuse and involves the inability
to manage drinking habits. Another term used is alcohol use disorder. Those who struggle with
alcoholism often feel as though they cannot function normally without alcohol. This can lead to a
wide range of issues and impact professional goals, personal matters, relationships and overall
health. The serious side effects of consistent alcohol abuse can worsen and produce damaging
complications.

3.1 Alcoholism As A Form Of Mental Health Illness

According to Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation (2016), alcoholism is classified as a substance

abuse disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). Mental
and emotional symptoms of alcoholism exist long before the grave physical complications of the
disease appear. The mental symptoms consist of loss of control or taking in larger amounts of

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alcohol over a longer period of time, persistent desire to drink, continued drinking in spite of
adverse social, occupational, or legal consequences and frequent intoxication or withdrawal
symptoms when expected to fulfill major obligations at work, school, or home. These are all
behavioral or mental symptoms, which, unless interrupted permanently by treatment, will
inevitably lead to physical complications of alcoholism. Cirrhosis of the liver, chronic brain
deterioration, and other grave organic consequences occur as a result of long-term heavy drinking,
but the core of the disease is the cluster of behavioral symptoms that constitute the mental disorder
called alcoholism. Consequently, the treatment of alcoholism targets the mind rather than any
physical system. So alcoholism and all other substance abuse disorders are mental disorders, with
a high physical complication rate.

3.2 Warning Signs Of Alcoholism

Warning signs of alcohol abuse can be noticeable but there are also times that they take longer to
surface, (Alcohol Rehab Guide, 2019).

Here are some common signs of alcoholism:

• Being unable to control alcohol consumption

• Craving alcohol when you’re not drinking

• Putting alcohol above personal responsibilities

• Feeling the need to keep drinking more

• Spending a substantial amount of money on alcohol

• Behaving differently after drinking

3.3 Effects Of Alcohol

Every individual is different and the effects of alcohol vary for every person. While
some people may be able to limit their drinking, others have a difficult time controlling their
alcohol consumption. There are different risk factors that influence the effects of alcohol,

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 including the amount consumed, an individual's general health, level of tolerance to alcohol, as
well as other drugs may it be legal or illegal mixed with alcohol.

Alcohol abuse can affect your body both inside and out. It is important to pay attention to the
warning signs of alcoholism. You may not be able to see the damage drinking causes to your
internal organs, but some harmful effects aren’t discovered until much later in life, making it
difficult to reverse many health complications. While every organ in your body can feel the effects
from drinking, some are more at risk for extensive damage (Galbicsek, 2019).

While some people may experience multiple side effects, others may face fewer complications.
Unfortunately, the effects of heavy drinking affects more than the person struggling with alcohol
abuse – it affects the people around them. It can directly impact your friends, family and
colleagues. Even the short-term effects of drinking can cause extensive harm, ranging from driving
under the influence (DUI) and criminal activities to unintentional self-harm.

These long-term side effects of alcoholism can impact other areas of your life such as relationship
problems with family or friends, legal troubles, financial issues and poor performance at work or
in school.

3.4 Factors Affecting Alcohol Consumption And Alcohol-related Harm

According to World Health Organization (2018), a variety of factors have been identified at the
individual and societal level, which affect the levels and patterns of alcohol consumption and the
magnitude of alcohol-related problems in populations. Environmental factors include economic
development, culture, availability of alcohol, and the comprehensiveness and levels of
implementation and enforcement of alcohol policies. For a given level or pattern of drinking,
vulnerabilities within a society are likely to have similar differential effects as those between
societies. Although there is no single risk factor that is dominant, the more vulnerabilities a person
has, the more likely the person is to develop alcohol-related problems as a result of alcohol
consumption.

Table 1.1 Conceptual causal model of alcohol consumption and health outcomes

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The context of drinking plays an important role in occurrence of alcohol-related harm, particularly
associated with health effects of alcohol intoxication, and, on rare occasions, also the quality of
alcohol consumed. Alcohol consumption can have an impact not only on the incidence of
diseases, injuries and other health conditions, but also on the course of disorders and their
outcomes in individuals.

3.5 Burden Of Alcoholism

Key facts

● Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol, this represents
5.3 % of all deaths.
● Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life. In the age group
20–39 years approximately 13.5 % of the total deaths are alcohol-attributable.
● There is a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental and
behavioural disorders, other noncommunicable conditions as well as injuries.
● The latest causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and
incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis as well as the course of HIV/AIDS.
● Beyond health consequences, the harmful use of alcohol brings significant social and
economic losses to individuals and society at large.

3.6 Treatment For Alcoholism

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There are different forms of treatment available based on frequency and severity of alcohol abuse.
Recovering from alcohol addiction is a process that continues long after rehab. It takes
commitment to practice and apply the techniques you learn in rehab, counseling, support groups
and other types of therapy. Although every individual will have their own recovery plan that’s
tailored to their specific needs, treatment generally follows a structure.

Alcohol treatment is broken into three sections, consisting of:

Detoxification

The first stage in alcohol addiction recovery is detoxification. This phase should be completed
with the help of medical professionals due to the potential for serious, uncomfortable withdrawal
symptoms. Many times, individuals are given a medication to help alleviate the painful side effects
of withdrawal.

Rehabilitation

There are two types of rehabilitation that help treat alcoholism: inpatient rehab and outpatient
rehab. Inpatient rehabs are intensive treatment programs that require you to check into a facility
for a certain period of time, usually 30, 60 or 90 days. Outpatient rehab allows individuals to
participate in a recovery program while continuing with their daily life. Talk with your doctor
about treatment options to determine which form of recovery will best fit your needs.

Maintenance

The recovery process doesn’t end with the completion of rehab. Long-term sobriety requires on-
going therapy and may entail support groups, counseling and other recovery resources. These will
make sure you maintain sobriety and continue on a happy, healthy path for months and years to
come.

IV. Drug Addiction and Society

A. Drug Addiction

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 Drug addiction is the excessive and frequent use of legal or illegal substances and the
inability of the individual to stop taking substances, causing negative outcomes such as harming
his/her physical and mental health, and risking relationships with family, work and social groups
(Yigitoglu and Keskin, 2019).

In 2017, the prevalence of drug use disorder was around 0.9% of the population (71 million
people) globally, with the United States having the highest prevalence of 3.45% of the country’s
population. The age range which is most likely to have drug addiction, globally, is adults in their
twenties (25-29 years old) and in every country, it showed that men are more prone to drug
addiction than women (Ritchie and Roser, 2018).

B. Drug Addiction vs. Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is the usage of legal or illegal substances by taking more than the regular dose
of pills or of someone else’s prescription drugs. The individual abuse drugs for the “feel good”
effect and other sensations to avoid reality. However, these people are able to change their
unhealthy habits and stop doing so eventually.

Drug addiction is the result of drug abuse, but when the individual is not able to stop. In
this case, this puts the individual’s life in danger, causing harm to his/her relationships, work and
life. People under drug addiction always has the urge to acquire and use drugs at any time and
finds it difficult to quit (Drug Abuse &..., 2018).

C. Signs of Addiction

Table 4.1 Behavioral and Physical Symptoms of Drug Addiction (Tagliareni, 2018)

Behavioral Symptoms Physical Symptoms

Fluctuation in energy levels Drowsiness and nausea

Aggressive mood swings Slurred speech and memory trouble

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 Distance from family and Lack of awareness and coordination
friends

Questionable new friends Confusion, anxiety and depression

Chronic health issues that Red eyes with constricted or dilated

worsen with drug use pupils

Desire to continually use drugs High blood pressure and breathing

despite consequences issues

Violation of morals and values Chills, sweating and tremors

to acquire the drug

Negative effects on Hallucinations, delusions or

professional and personal life paranoia

Cravings and withdrawal Involuntary twitching of the eye

symptoms

D. Reasons for Drug Use

Some of the reasons/factors for drug use include: psychological, social & familial, and
biological or genetic.

Psychological

Most people who start drugs does not intend to become independent on them. The
first use is voluntary but physical changes in the brain results to the continual use. Drugs
target the reward system of our brain through the production of excess dopamine, chemical
responsible for pleasurable feelings. It provides the person temporary sensations of
accomplishment, euphoria, self-confidence and satisfaction. The brain will associate the
feeling of pleasure with drugs and with rewards. As the brain is wired to make us repeat

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rewarding activities, including drug use, it causes cravings and thus continual use. Over
time, drugs decrease the ability the control oneself, which makes it difficult for people to
stop drug use (Tagliareni, 2018).

Social and Familial

Factors at home or school can lead to an individual’s drug abuse and/or addiction.
The environment or the quality of life of a person can greatly influence the use of drugs.
In Turkey, negative factors led to high prevalence in 2014, which were rapid increase of
population, weakening of cultural and social ties; and open and free use of the Internet.
Specifically, the abuse of Internet can perpetuate negative lifestyles to children and adults,
leading to use of drugs. The lack of parental figures in an unstable family environment
results to misguided children. Some individuals start out young, as children and young
teenagers, of drug use since they have not completed their intellectual development, thus
not capable of refusing offered substance, which makes it for them to quit using them.
When these young individuals were exposed to dysfunctional beliefs and practices during
their childhood stage, it would affect them and will result to a negative lifestyle. One other
factor that influences people in drug use is the pressures they get from their environment.
Some individuals in their adolescent stage get social pressure from their drug-using peers.
As they spend most of their time with their peers, these peers influence them into using
drugs for experiment. In other individuals, they use drugs as stimulants to lessen their
worries due to stress and anxiety. Regular consumption of the substance allows them to
believe that they are self-medicating and alleviating their problems. There are also cases
wherein students and athletes use performance-enhancing drugs in order to play well due
to the pressure in them for their consistency (Yigitoglu and Keskin, 2019 ;Tagliareni,
2018).

Biological/ Genetic

Based from the data of NIDA, a person is more prone to drug addiction due to
genetic factors. A person’s vulnerability to drug addiction correlates to the history of a
relative who has undergone drug dependence or addiction. This also correlates to the
mental disorders and medical conditions in their family history (Tagliareni, 2018).

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E. Consequences of Drug Abuse

Most of the negative consequences affect not just the individual but also on a larger scale,
such as the crime-related costs, health costs and productivity lost in every year, in countries in
which drug addiction is prevalent.

Health

Health is the most affected sector by drug addiction. It results to decline in health
of the individual and eventually to death. In United States, there is a drug-induced death in
every 13 minutes, based on the 2014 data report of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy. In 2011, the emergency departments received at least 1.3 million patients of drug-
related incidents (Tagliareni, 2018).

The lack of hygienic practices is one of the major health concerns related to drug
use, which later develops to HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Other health-related issues include:
cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, lung disease, mental disorders and neonatal
abstinence syndrome (withdrawal symptoms in the babies of drug addicts).

Society

Both drug use and production has negative effects towards the society and the
environment. Drug labs are responsible for the chemical toxicity that affects both the
people and the environment and the risk of disasters such as, fire or explosions to the area.

The maintenance of laboratories is costly. Rehabilitation of children exposed to

chemicals from the labs need special training and resources, and time and labor for the
officials. Most of the drug users, oftentimes, improperly dispose drugs and drug-related
materials, and these contribute to environmental pollution. The long-time drug users also
need more extensive treatment, which affect costs of social services and the government,
putting the burden on the taxpayers (Tagliareni, 2018).

Relationships

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 Change in behaviors of drug users harms their relationships with other people. As
they are compelled to acquire drugs at any lengths, it becomes their primary concern. This
results to stealing from peers and family to procure more drugs, which ruins the trust in the
relationships they have.

The lifestyle of parents who are drug-users affects their children, as they are most
likely to neglect or abuse them. Poor family environment makes the children more
vulnerable to drug use. Teenage drug users often leave school due to poor academic
performance, which affects their academic and social skills, causing negative impact with
their family. They would distance from their friends and family and spend most of their
time with their drug-using peers (Tagliareni, 2018).

Legal

Drug users are prone to commit crimes, due to possessing illegal drugs and illegally
acquiring those drugs. Reports from the Office of National Drug Control Policy shows that
the most common arrests were due to drug use, compared to the general population. Also,
from a survey of 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics, it showed that 32% of state inmates and
26% of federal prisoners in correctional facilities revealed that they were under the
influence of drugs when they committed their offenses (Tagliareni, 2018).

F. Treatment

Treatment for drug addiction is difficult, as long-term use influences the brain that it makes
it almost impossible to determine how will it stop. This mental disorder needs a more specialized
treatment to break the cycle of drug abuse and the resulting behaviors that are dangerous.

The treatment needed for drug abuse concerns not just the halting of habit, but also the
withdrawal period of the drug user. Treatment differs for everyone as it is based on the type and
severity of drug addiction. It can take place in a variety of locations and for varying lengths of
time. There are five steps in the substance use disorder treatment: (1) Detoxification, (2)
Behavioral counseling, (3) Medication-assisted treatment, (4) Evaluation and treatment for co-
occurring disorders, and (5) Long-term plan for relapse prevention (Tagliareni, 2018).

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 As stated above, there are different types of treatment, depending on the most appropriate
for the individual.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapies help the patient in changing their perspectives in life through
promoting healthy and positive life practices and recommending medication, only when
necessary, in detox and treatment. There are two subcategories for behavioral therapy:
outpatient and inpatient. An outpatient behavioral treatment allows the patient to be around
friends and family during their medication and has daily appointments for monitoring. An
inpatient or residential treatment provides the patient a safe and secure health care setting
to be in during their medication and involves monitoring at all times.

Support Groups

Having support groups was the most successful treatment. In this treatment, some
groups plan procedures to follow and allows the individuals to have a platform for sharing
their experiences. Patients are able to meet other people who were in the same situations
and they guide each other until their recovery.

Other programs

Cognitive behavioral therapy: This therapy makes patients identify and react to
their drug addiction triggers positively.

Multidimensional family therapy: This therapy involves the patients’ family and
focuses on adolescents.

Motivational interviewing: This therapy allows patients to explore their inner

motivations in order to change their behavior and disregard for the dangers of substance
abuse.

Motivational incentives: This therapy uses positive reinforcement to encourage

patients to stay away from drugs.

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V. Prevention
Mental disorder prevention refers to “reducing incidence, prevalence, recurrence of mental
disorders, the time spent with symptoms, or the risk condition for a mental illness, preventing or
delaying recurrences and also decreasing the impact of illness in the affected person, their families
and the society” (Mrazek & Haggerty, 1994).

A. Risk and Protective Factors

Efforts on mental health prevention has a history of over 100 years. Mental illness/ disorder
prevention is very complex as anyone, regardless of age, sex, and socioeconomic status are
susceptible. The susceptibility of each individual or social group varies depending on the present
risk and protective factors they are exposed to. Hosman et al (2005) carefully defines risk factors
as conditions that, “increase the probability of onset, greater severity and longer duration of major
health problems” and protective factors as, “conditions that improve people’s resistance to risk
factors and disorders”. The interplay of these factors, especially the lack of protective conditions
and the presence of various risk factors, predisposes individuals to increased vulnerability to
mental problems.
The table presents a range of possible risk and protective factors:

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B. Macro-strategies to Reduce Risk
Improving nutrition is essential as it promotes healthy cognitive development, improve
educational performance, and reduce risks for mental ill-health, especially for those who are living
in socioeconomically disadvantaged regions.
Improving housing among communities serves as a protective factor by improving overall
“perceptions of safety, crime, and social and community participation” (Hosman et al, 2005).
Improving access to education Lack of education severely limits the ability of individuals
to access economic entitlements. Better education increases cognitive, emotional and intellectual

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competencies and job prospects, and might reduce social inequity and risks of certain mental
disorders such as depression.
Economic insecurity reinforces risk factors such as indebtedness, lack of access to basic
needs, education, and opportunities, among others, that make socioeconomically disadvantaged
individuals more susceptible to mental ill health. As such, comprehensive intervention policies
targeted to improve and protect the accessibility of health care, nutrition, education, and human
rights, must be implemented to alleviate their situation.
Lastly, to prevent substance use related disorders, reducing the harm induced by excessive
consumption of addictive substances by imposing increased taxes and restrictions towards the
production and availability, if not the total ban, of addictive substances is vital to promote overall
health of individuals.

C. The Interplay of Mental Health and Basic Human Rights

According to the World Health Organization, “mental disorders are inextricably linked to
human rights issues”. Human rights include the provision of adequate nutrition, ensuring access to
primary education as well as access to the labour market, ensuring basic economic security, and
nondiscrimination based on race and gender. The more restricted and inaccessible basic human
rights are to individuals, the more vulnerable they are to mental disorders. This explains how
effective preventive measures towards mental disorders are closely related to achieving social
equity, equal opportunity and care for the marginalized sectors in the society. These conditions
nurture optimum mental health.

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