chapter 7 Flashcards
Priorities for social workers
- improve access services and supports
- Reduce stigma
Mental health and substance
use cross multiple systems
that receive different levels of
funding and are administered
in different ways across
different levels of government,
including:
Health care
social services
criminal justice systems
dual diagnosis
people struggling simultaneously with both substance use and mental health issues Substance use Mental health
Mental health and substance use
have impacts in both
private and
public sphere
Mental health and substance: They do not impact just the person facing the issue but also…
others in
their social ecology
“The capacity of each and all of us to
feel, think, act in ways that enhance
our ability to enjoy life and deal with
the challenges we face. It is a positive
sense of emotional and spiritual well-
being that respects the importance of
culture, equity, social justice,
interconnections and personal dignity”
Mental health
“Characterized by changes in how we
think, feel, and behave that are
associated with significant distress and
interfere with our ability to function at
school, work, and home”
Diagnosed by mental health providers
Example: Depression and Anxiety
Mental illness
True or false : People may have a diagnosed mental illness but still have strong mental health and experience positive emotions and functioning
TRUE
someone who does not have a diagnosed
mental illness cannot be experiencing emotions that are distressful and/or that interfere with their
functioning
False: the can experience emotions that are distressful and/or that interfere with their
functioning.
Complicated because the use of substances that can alter a person’s mood, cognition, or behavior is _________ in our society
common
Substance use includes substances that are:
- Legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes)
- Illegal (e.g. heroin, meth)
- Misused legally prescribed medications (e.g. Adderall)
- Misused items outside of their designated use (e.g. “huffing gasoline”, whippets)
When the use of substances is chronic
and repetitive and begins to impair
one’s functioning, social relationships,
health, and life
substance misuse or abuse
are conditions that are diagnosed by
mental health professionals
substance use disorders
General considerations for substance abuse
- cravings
- Desiring to reduce or stop use but not being able to.
- Using larger amounts of substances or for a longer period of time than intended.
- using substances when it puts you in danger
- Continuing to use substance even when it causes problems in relationships.
- Neglecting responsibilities and other life activities
due to substance use. - Developing withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop.
- Developing a tolerance such that it requires more use to get desired effect
About 1 in 5 Canadians self-report that they are
flourishing and in excellent mental health
About 1 in 5 Canadians report a
mental illness or substance abuse disorder in any given year, most commonly mood and anxiety disorders
true or false: almost a third of people who experience mental illness or substance abuse issues experience them both
true
9 out of 10 Canadians who die by suicide have a
diagnosed mental illness or substance abuse disorder
Estimated that mental illness and substance abuse
cost Canadian society over $50 billion a year due to:
direct service costs
Economic impacts in the workplace
Decreased tax revenue
health care, income security, and social services for people facing these issues
direct service costs
decreased productivity (presenteeism), absenteeism, workplace injuries, etc. which resulted in
reduced revenue for employers
loss of tax revenue for the
government when people cannot work due to
mental illness or substance abuse issues
Decreased tax revenue
Caregiving costs:Due to the chronic and
unpredictable nature of mental
illness and substance abuse, family
members often have to
take time from work to care for family
members experiencing these
issues
Due to the criminalization of some substances as well as criminal justice system responses that focus on ______ rather than ______approaches to both mental illness and substance use (especially for racialized, poor, and Indigenous peoples) there are also significant criminal justice system costs
punitive rather than rehabilitative
Rather, the primary response for dealing with
excessive and public drunkenness was
incarceration
substance abuse was the result of
low moral character
Because it was believed that excessive substance use was the result of low moral character, it was
believed that the only way to address it was
to limit the source and deter use through punishment (jail time)
structural issues and injustices also contribute
to
trauma