AN HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH SUFFERING By Phoebe In light of the recent mental health crisis affecting teenagers, especially due to the pandemic, I have become interested in looking at the ways in which Doctors and Psychiatrists diagnose or treat patients with mental illnesses, and whether there could be a better approach. There are two standard systems used worldwide (ICD-10 and DSM-5*), both of which treat mental health as an illness, with a focus on a diagnosis based on symptoms. But I would like to investigate alternative options for clinicians to use, based on a more holistic approach. PSYCHOLOGICAL FORMULATION
TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACH (TIA)
POWER THREAT MEANING FRAMEWORK (PTMF)
One option is called ‘Psychological Formulation’. This process involves creating a story that helps patients understand the root cause of their problems and the ongoing conditions that exacerbated them. At the beginning of treatment, or when new information comes to light, this story can be changed and developed. This method is useful because it helps people understand that they are not necessarily to blame and that their environment had a large impact.
Trauma Informed Approach (TIA) is another method that stems from the belief that we shouldn’t be treating ‘patients with illnesses’, but we should instead be viewing them as ‘people with problems’. This encourages caregivers to not just look at the obvious issues, but to dig deeper and look at the underlying factors. It shows that trauma, particularly in childhood, leads to many various forms of distress, including anxiety disorders, Bipolar disorder or Schizophrenia. This approach allows room for people to come to terms with their emotions and memories. “Don’t ask what’s wrong with me, ask what’s happened to me”, is a phrase that encompasses TIA’s values.
The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) is a nonmedical approach to why people struggle with their emotions and experiences. PTMF encourages clinicians to view mental distress as an inevitable result of our society and culture, rather than the individual’s actions. It doesn’t just focus on ‘mentally ill’ people, but instead everyone and, by doing this, the method helps people to realise that we need to change some of the terms we use, namely ‘illnesses or disorders’ to ‘emotional suffering or mental distress’.
*ICD-10 - International Classification of Diseases DSM-5 - The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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THE CHRONICLE
2021/2022
