Throughout life, several factors intervene and modify the mental health of a person, which has serious consequences on the personal, professional and family level, not only for the sufferer, but also for those around him. It is therefore important to prevent mental disorders as much as possible in order to enjoy a better quality of life. Here are some tips on how to avoid or at least prevent mental disorders.
Recognise the warning signs of psychiatric illnesses
Psychiatric illnesses usually appear during adolescence and early adulthood. The warning signs, however, usually appear very early. That is, between childhood and late adolescence. And so being alert to warning symptoms would be of great benefit. Most of these symptoms are related to the risks associated with particular stages of the individual’s life, living conditions, violence, etc. The tendency to isolate, alterations in perception or cognition are all warning signs to be taken seriously in the child, which leads us to the second step.
Taking action
This involves assessing the risks linked to the individual’s living conditions, to the various particular stages of his or her life (bereavement, unemployment, parental divorce, illness of a close relative, etc.), to situations of vulnerability (the elderly, refugees, etc.), in order to initiate medicinal or psychotherapeutic treatments. These are specific mental health risks. Rape, harassment, discrimination, poverty, addictions, etc. are all risks that need to be tackled to avoid suffering and mental disorders. It is therefore necessary to act as soon as the first symptoms appear and above all to create a favourable and welcoming environment for “mentally vulnerable” people (aged 15 to 20).
It should be remembered that mental disorders can be prevented if the warning symptoms are taken seriously in order to start medicinal or psychotherapeutic treatment as soon as possible. Parents, researchers and psychiatrists in the field therefore have a major responsibility to create specialised centres and reception centres for better monitoring of people with warning signs of psychiatric illnesses and people suffering from psychological disorders.