Factors Affecting Mental Health - Childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect - Social isolation or loneliness - Experiencing discrimination and stigma - Social disadvantage, poverty, or debt - Bereavement (losing someone close to you) - Severe or long-term stress - Having a long-term physical health condition - Unemployment or losing your job - Homelessness or poor housing - Being a long-term caregiver for someone - Drug and alcohol misuse - Domestic violence, bullying, or other abuse as an adult - Significant trauma as an adult, such as military combat, being involved in a serious incident in which you feared for your life, or being the victim of a violent crime Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for Local Health Leaders Mental health problems can have a wide range of causes. There is likely a complicated combination of factors for many people, although different people may be more deeply affected by certain things than others. - Physical causes such as head injuries or neurological conditions (ex. Epilepsy) that can have an impact on your behavior and mood The Biopsychosocial model The biopsychosocial model is a needed model to explain psychiatric disorders. It explains the complex interplay of three major dimensions (biological, psychological, and social) in the development of psychiatric disorders. And thus programs and interventions should be integrative and holistic. Biological Dimension This dimension pertains to the physical body. Brain chemistry plays a major role in mental illnesses. Changes and imbalance in neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers within the brain, are often associated with mental disorders. Children exposed to certain substances in utero may be at higher risk of developing mental illness. For example, if a mother drank alcohol, used drugs, or was exposed to harmful chemicals or toxins when she was pregnant may be at increased risk. Experts have long recognized that many mental illnesses tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic component. People who have a relative with a mental illness—such as autism, bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia—may be at a higher risk of developing it. One’s family’s medical and psychiatric history is an important component of this dimension. It also looks at an individual’s present health condition, 8