Mental illnesses can affect people of all ages, gender, ethnic backgrounds, and income levels. According to the World Health Organisation (2006), around 400 million individuals are affected worldwide. Psychiatric disorders may be caused by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors; they encompass diverse risks to the self and others. The risks associated with mood disorders, dementia and schizophrenia will be examined below.

Mood disorders involve disturbances in emotions ranging from depression to mania. Of all mental illnesses, clinical depression is the most common. It is characterized by several symptoms among which tiredness, hopelessness, insomnia, but the most common is a profound feeling of sadness. The most distressing fact about depression is that cloak of darkness laid upon the mind. Hope seems beyond reach and the individual feels locked away from everything and everyone.

The individual is trapped in an unhealthy pattern of negative thinking. The future is perceived pessimistically and seems bleak and clouded by negativity.

Mental health risks are diverse. Profound sadness and shattered self-esteem become very disturbing and can eventually lead to deliberate self harm, violence, abuse and crimes in society. Depression is very common in individuals who self-injure. The latter pursue this activity to escape severe emotional pain. For people diagnosed with major depression, the lifetime risk of suicide may be as high as 35%. Those who are admitted to hospital for very severe post-natal depression can be up to 70 times as likely to commit suicide.

Studies have revealed that depression is associated with marital distress. Relatives may not understand what the sufferer is going through and may even blame him/her for being ?lazy?. Lifelong roles as mother/father, husband/wife, daughter/son may change. This may worsen they sufferer?s experience and pain and make the latter bitter and even more depressed. Thoughts, emotions and behaviour are in chaos and the sufferer loses track of his identity and self concept. The individual is trapped in an unhealthy pattern of negative thinking. The future is perceived pessimistically and seems bleak and clouded by negativity.

In contrast, bipolar disorder both includes episodes of mania and depression. Mania is a mood disorder with intense elation characterized by hyperactivity, increased volume of speech, talkativeness and grandiose notions (Davison & Neale, 2002). The individual?s abnormally elevated mood state may make them intrusive. Any attempt to restrain their drive may lead to anger. While the individual can feel exceedingly energetic and enthusiastic at one time, this feeling may suddenly switch to low mood and lethargy.

These individuals? lives and those of their families can be highly disruptive, unpredictable and chaotic. Those close to the sufferer may withdraw social contact to avoid embarrassment and arguments. The patient may feel stigmatized by society and even those close to him/her. Name calling and bullying are not uncommon and may exacerbate negative feelings and knock down the individual?s self esteem and self worth. Mania is often followed by depression, sometimes quite abruptly, and suicidal expression can be an important feature. Comorbidity, especially alcohol and drug abuse, increases the risk of suicide considerably.

Dementia - another mental condition - is a term used to describe the gradual deterioration of intellectual abilities, memory and personality to the extent that social and occupational functions are affected. Alzheimer?s disease, a form of dementia, is one of the mental illnesses with tremendous impact on the victims it claims. It is typically gradual in onset, so subtle that families and afflicted individuals may not recognize the disease until evident deficits have appeared. Families often assign early signs of dementia to forgetfulness, linked to old age.

Mental and personality changes contribute to the patient?s and family?s experience of loss of lifelong identity (Perel, 1998). Alzheimer?s disease disrupts the structure of everyday family life through major personality changes and unconventional behavior. The patient may be unable to care for himself/herself and require close supervision to prevent harm. They may be deprived of their autonomy whereby a child or spouse takes over their responsibilities. The patient, in turn, may exhibit frustration and anger, often directed at loved ones, a loss of self confidence and feelings of worthlessness.

Some family members may withdraw from interaction as the affected individual?s personality changes. Individuals with Alzheimer?s disease often blame others for their personal mistakes and may have delusions about being persecuted. They may assault strangers or those close to them without even being aware of it. Daily living is deeply affected. Individuals may lose control over their impulses and make inappropriate jokes, shoplift and make sexual advances to strangers (Gao, 1998). The person is trapped within the self, loses self-control and may not even recall his previous actions. Ultimately, the sufferer may become marginalized by society.

Schizophrenia is regarded as one of the most severe forms of psychopathologies and it affects men and women equally. It is a psychotic disorder with significant disturbances in thoughts, emotions and behaviour. The patient experiences disordered thinking with a lack of logical relation in ideas, wrong perceptions, inappropriate affect and disturbances in motor activity and day to day functioning (Davison & Neale, 2002). Sufferers tend to withdraw from reality and people and are locked in a life of delusion and hallucination. They may hold belief that are unreal and may also feel persecuted.

The life of an individual with schizophrenia often leads to considerable impairment in personal, family, occupational and social roles. The symptoms associated with schizophrenia can impinge on a person?s ability to work, study, enjoy relationships, or take care of the self. Schizophrenia has been associated with violence in society. Some individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are hospitalized to prevent them harming themselves or others.

The symptoms associated with schizophrenia can impinge on a person?s ability to work, study, enjoy relationships, or take care of the self.

Stigma and discrimination against people with schizophrenia is common. Stereotyping, abuse, prejudice and the use of words, such as ?psycho? can anger the sufferers, make them depressed and push them to withdraw further from social contact. This disorder can completely change a person. The latter may feel constantly persecuted, worried and locked in his own mind. He/she may be unable to make sense of his/her environment and of the intents of others. Consequently, this may lead to both physical and verbal violence towards others in an attempt to protect the self. Undeniably, the mental health risks are severe.

Mental health is as important as physical health to the overall well-being of individuals and societies. A better understanding of risks associated with mental illnesses should increase tolerance, respect the dignity and recognise the needs of people suffering from those disorders.

Doreyya MOHUNGOO Health psychologist