FACULTY OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCE AND POLICY STUDIES

DIPLOMA IN PUBLIC AMINISTRATION ( AM110 )

CSC 134 – COMPUTER AND INFORMATION PROCESSING

TITLE : MENTAL HEALTH ARTICLE

PREPARED BY :

NO STUDENT’S NAME NO. MATRIC

1. MUHAMMAD HAIKAL SOLIHIN BIN AHMAD HARIS 2021491572

2. MUHAMMAD HAQIEM’I BIN RAMLI 2021638492

3. SITI RAUDHA BT IBRAHIM 2021293754

PREPARED FOR :

SIR MOHD HAFIFI BIN MOHD SUPIR

Mental health is all about how people think, feel, and behave. Mental health specialists can
help people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and other conditions that affect their
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and physical health.

However, this link also works in the other direction. Factors in people’s lives, interpersonal
connections, and physical factors can contribute to mental ill health.

Looking after mental health can preserve a person’s ability to enjoy life. Doing this involves
balancing life activities, responsibilities, and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

Stress, depression, and anxiety can all affect mental health and disrupt a person’s routine.

Although health professionals often use the term mental health, doctors recognize that many
psychological disorders have physical roots.

What causes mental health problems?

Mental health problems can have a wide range of causes. It's likely that for many people there
is a complicated combination of factors – although different people may be more deeply affected by
certain things than others.

For example, the following factors could potentially result in a period of poor mental health:

• childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect

• social isolation or loneliness

• experiencing discrimination and stigma, including racism

• 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 carer 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

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 • physical causes – for example, a head injury or a neurological condition such as epilepsy can
have an impact on your behaviour and mood. (It's important to rule out potential physical
causes before seeking further treatment for a mental health problem).

Although lifestyle factors including work, diet, drugs and lack of sleep can all affect your mental
health, if you experience a mental health problem there are usually other factors as well.

Symptoms of mental health

Signs and symptoms of mental health can vary, depending on the disorder, circumstances and
other factors. Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviors.

Examples of signs and symptoms include:

• Feeling sad or down

• Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate

• Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt

• Extreme mood changes of highs and lows

• Withdrawal from friends and activities

• Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping

• Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations

• Inability to cope with daily problems or stress

• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people

• Problems with alcohol or drug use

• Major changes in eating habits

• Sex drive changes

• Excessive anger, hostility or violence

• Suicidal thinking

Sometimes symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as stomach
pain, back pain, headaches, or other unexplained aches and pains.

What Is a Prognosis in Mental Health?

People often confuse the terms prognosis and diagnosis. The difference between the two is
that while a prognosis is a guess as to the outcome of treatment, a diagnosis is actually identifying the
problem and giving it a name. Simply put, a prognosis is a prediction, whereas a diagnosis states what's
already there.

When making a prognosis, healthcare professionals are trying to predict:

• How long symptoms will last

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 • The likely outcome

• How the condition will progress

• How symptoms might change over time

• Whether symptoms will improve, worsen, or stay the same

• How quickly symptoms will progress

• Possible complications a person might experience

Mental Health Outcomes

1. Improved mood and overall well-being: Good mental health can help to alleviate symptoms of
depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, leading to an overall improvement in our
mood and sense of well-being.

2. Increased ability to cope with stress and difficult situations: By taking care of our mental health, we
can develop healthy coping mechanisms, emotional regulation, and resilience that allow us to better
handle stressful situations and emotional challenges.

3. Improved relationships with others: Mental health and social connections are closely linked. When
we feel good about ourselves, we tend to be more open, confident, and empathetic with others, which
helps to build stronger, more positive relationships.

4. Increased self-esteem and self-confidence: Taking care of our mental health can improve our self-
esteem and self-confidence, making us feel better about ourselves and our abilities.

5. Increased productivity and performance in work or school: Good mental health is linked to better
focus, concentration, decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, which can result in
increased productivity and better performance in work or school.

6. Improved physical health: Mental and physical health are closely linked. When we are mentally
well, we are more likely to take care of our physical health, which in turn can improve our overall well-
being.

7. Better decision making and problem solving ability: Mental health plays an important role in
cognitive functions and decision making. When our mental health is good, we are able to think more
clearly, make better decisions, and solve problems more effectively.

8. A better quality of life overall: Good mental health allows us to enjoy life more fully and to find
meaning and purpose in our lives, resulting in an overall improvement in our quality of life.

It's important to note that mental health is a complex issue, and what works for one person
may not work for another. Seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor is often the best
course of action when dealing with mental health concerns.

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Mental Health Statistical Information

Before the pandemic, NHMS statistics in 2019 showed about 2.3 per cent of Malaysians or half a
million people suffer from depressive symptoms.

The majority of individuals affected were from the B40 group (2.7 per cent), followed by the M40
group (1.7 per cent) and T20 (0.6 per cent).

At the same time, the NHMS 2019 also found that 424,000 or 7.9 per cent of children have mental
health problems.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), half (50 per cent) of mental disorders start as
early as 14 years old and three-quarters of them began in their mid-20s.

Conclusion

The mind is one of the most powerful organs in the body, regulating the functioning of all
other organs. When our minds are unstable, they affect the whole functioning of our bodies. Being
both physically and emotionally fit is the key to success in all aspects of life. People should be aware
of the consequences of mental illness and must give utmost importance to keeping the mind healthy
like the way the physical body is kept healthy. Mental and physical health cannot be separated from
each other. And only when both are balanced can we call a person perfectly healthy and well. So, it is
crucial for everyone to work towards achieving a balance between mental and physical wellbeing and
get the necessary help when either of them falters.

References

https://www.sinardaily.my/article/175045/malaysia/national/malaysias-mental-health-concerning-
expert-says

https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/modules_resources/english/database_stores/96/337_451.pdf

https://www.verywellmind.com/prognosis-defined-2610393

https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/mental-health

https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1