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1 in 5 adults are living with some variety of mental health issue which negatively affects their lives. Needing to locate facilities that offer different mental health treatments can be a complicated process. Like physical health issues, mental issues can get worse without appropriate treatment.
There are a variety of mental health treatments available. Often, an individual may receive more than one type of treatment while they are getting help with a mental health issue. For instance, a person may learn about their condition (education), talk to a counsellor or therapist, and make some lifestyle changes to support the positive things that they are making in their life.
The choice of which treatment or combination of treatments is best for a particular person depends on the type of mental health issue and the specific needs of that person.

Mental Health Treatments

Different types of treatments may include:
Short-term or brief therapy – Some mental health issues require only short-term, highly focused, solution based treatment by a trained professional to deal with the immediate issue. This is effective for dealing with issues like temporary extreme stressors, bereavement, life transitions and phobias.
Group therapy – Some types of mental health issues are helped by participating in a group of people who are living with similar issues. This provides social supports and a wealth of experience from which everyone in the group can benefit.
Family therapy – Some mental and emotional health issues are dealt with best in coordination with family. Families go through a lot of changes and challenges when a member has a mental health issue. They may need guidance to learn ways they can help their loved one. Sometimes issues arise in the family structure, and the family needs to learn healthier ways to interact and live together.
Individual therapy – There are a wide variety of methods of individual therapy available. Just as with finding a primary care physician, a person may need to meet and interview a few different therapists to find one with whom he or she can have an effective, healing relationship.
Medication – Some mental health issues have a strong physical component and medication in coordination with therapy is extremely effective in treating these. Examples of issues that often have a medication as part of treatment are depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and anxiety.
Medical Evaluations – Some conditions that present as mental health issues may in fact be symptoms of a physical issue. Examples of this include dementia, hormonal imbalances, or the side effects of a new medication. In these cases, the underlying physical cause needs to be diagnosed and treated to relieve symptoms.
Inpatient treatment – This is usually a short-term treatment while a patient who is having a severe crisis stabilises and is then released with a follow-up care plan. Standard practice is to use the least restrictive treatment possible for safety, so inpatient treatment is usually only used if a person is a danger to themselves and others.
Education – People living with a mental health issue can greatly benefit from having a better understanding of what is going on with them, what they can do about it, and what kinds of support are available. It is also very helpful when their families and communities have a better understanding of what is going on; this increases the support available to them and lessens the stigma of having a mental health need.
Family members can benefit from a short training course that asks what is mental health? The E-learning option of the course helps identify signs and symptoms and explains the process in referring a patient and offering support.
Lifestyle changes – Often there are some lifestyle changes that will help a person with a mental health or emotional issue come closer to a healthy balance. A classic example would be someone who is dealing with addiction and is trying to stop drinking, and therefore needs to avoid friends with whom they used to drink or situations in which they are accustomed to drinking.
Different clinicians and centres have different specialities, so when an individual is interviewing a potential provider, they need to feel free to ask questions. If the person feels like they can’t ask questions, that might not be the right provider for them. Sometimes, just as with physical issues, a person may need to try a few treatments to find the treatment or combination of treatments that is the most helpful.
At TutorCare we offer a number of courses relating to Mental Health care. These include;
Mental Care Awareness Course
Dementia Awareness
ADHD Awareness
Borderline Personality Disorder Training
Depression, Anxiety and Phobia Awareness
Schizophrenia Awareness
Self Harm Awareness
Understanding Eating Disorders
Further Reading;
Self Harming Article
Mental Capacity Act 2005