1.2 Child Maltreatment and Mental Health Disorder as a Major Public Health Concern
Courtney Schumph
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To understand the importance of addressing mental health disorders and the factors that exacerbate them. By the end of this section, you should be able to:
- Understand the magnitude and severity of mental health conditions, both locally and globally
- Describe potential consequences of leaving mental illness unchecked
- Describe various factors that may lead to or worsen mental health disorders
Statistics & Rates of Mental Health Conditions
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental illness is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting approximately 450 million people (CAMH, 2021). Within Canada, approximately 1 in 5 residents are living with a mental illness each year, or approximately 6.7 million people (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013). Of this 6.7 million, approximately 1 million are between the ages of 9 and 19 years, and 4 million of these people are living with a mood or anxiety disorder (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013).
- 5.4% of Canadians are affected by Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
- 4.6% of Canadians are affected by anxiety disorder(s).
- 1% of Canadians experience Bipolar Disorder.
- 1% of Canadians experience schizophrenia.
- 0.3-1% of Canadians suffer from an eating disorder.
- 6% of Canadians struggle with substance abuse disorders.
(CMHA, 2021)
The peak age of onset for many mental health disorders is between 25-30 years of age. For mood disorders, such as MDD, onset often occurs within 29-43 years of life, while for anxiety disorders, the range is often between 24-50 years of life (Kisley et al., 2020). 28% of individuals aged 20-29 years in Canada currently experience mental illness. By age 40, approximately half of individuals living in Canada will have or have had a mental illness (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013).
Consequences of Untreated Mental Health
21.4% of Canada’s working population currently experiences mental health problems. These problems prevent approximately 500,000 Canadians from attending work each week (CAMH, 2021). This has an overall economic burden of approximately $51 billion per year, in the form of health care costs, lost productivity, and reduction in health-related quality of life (CAMH, 2021).
Untreated mental health issues, particularly in children, can have significant repercussions on brain development. This will be covered in-depth in a later section of this chapter. Consequences of developmental deficits may include impaired caregiving capabilities later in life, as well as an increased risk of drug/alcohol abuse (Kisley et al., 2020).
Another consequence of untreated mental illness is the increased risk of suicide. In Canada, approximately 4,000 people die by suicide annually (~11 people per day). One-third of suicide deaths are among individuals between 45-49 years old. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-34 years and rates are three times higher in men than women (Government of Canada, 2020).
Factors Causing/Exacerbating Mental Illness
Factors exacerbating psychiatric distress may fall into one of four separate categories: genetic, biological, personality, and environmental factors (CMHA, 2021). In this chapter, our primary focus will be on the impacts of environmental factors. This includes, but isn’t limited to, factors such as housing, education, community support, access to health care and mental health services, and freedom from violence.
Prior research in the form of both retrospective and prospective studies has established that individuals who have been maltreated are more likely to experience mental health problems (Kisley et al., 2020). This is particularly relevant if individuals haven’t received the necessary support required for recovery (CMHA, 2021). Unfortunately, 75% of children with mental disorders don’t have access to adequate treatment services for their needs, and only half of Canadians experiencing a major depressive episode receive “potentially adequate care” (CAMH, 2021). This could be in part due to a lack of adequate funding for healthcare services. In the province of Ontario, mental illness accounts for 10% of the burden of disease but is only allocated 7% of health care dollars (CAMH, 2021).
KEY TERMS
- Mood disorder: characterized by the elevation or lowering of a person’s mood; examples include major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder.
- Anxiety disorder: a type of mental health disorder; characterized by feelings of fear and dread in response to stimuli with fear and dread, as well as physical signs of anxiety.
- Age of onset: the age at which an individual experiences the onset of psychiatric symptoms; occurs after the initial prodromal period
- Environmental factors: any external factor, biotic or abiotic, that has an impact on an individual’s well-being