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Mental Illness is a condition that affects a persons thinking, feeling, or mood; It affects a

persons ability to relate to others and function each day. The exact cause of most mental

illnesses is not known, Research claims that it is caused by a combination of genetic, biological,

psychological, and environmental factors. ( "Causes of Depression." Psych Central. N.p., 09

Jan. 2017. Web. 25 May 2017.) Mental Illness should be recognized as a disease to be cured

and not an abnormality to be ignored. In this essay, I will define what a mental illness is, and

its effect on the brain; Secondly, I will mention the physiological effects on the body; Then, I

will talk about mental illness effects on behavior.

Teens are more susceptible to mental health problems such as depression and insomnia.

The cause of mental issues is caused by health-related factors of stress, teenagers are in a

constant battle with life. Mental illness is associated with changes in the brains structure,

chemistry, and the brains function.("Physical Health and Mental Health." Mental Health

Foundation. N.p., 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.) Half of all mental health disorders show

first signs before a person turns 14 years old. In the brain there are neurotransmitters chemical

messengers that communicate information throughout the brain and the body. In relation to

mental illness, neurotransmitters have a huge impact mostly on a persons mood. Hormones also

have an impact on the body, such as serotonin. Serotonin, is a compound present in blood

platelets and serum that constricts the blood vessels and acts as a neurotransmitter.( "Physical

Health and Mental Health." Mental Health Foundation. N.p., 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.)

The communication with the neurotransmitter in the brain between the neuron malfunctions, due

to a decrease in serotonin.

Long-term effects of mental illness can lead to: Anxiety and disruptive behavior

disorders, stress, physical illness, mental, emotional and social problems. ("The Long-Term
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Consequences Of Negative Stress." Mental Help The Long Term Consequences of Negative

Stress Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.) When emotions are suppressed, this has a lot of

consequences which leads into depression and suicidal thoughts.

Therefore, the physiological effects on the body has been linked to depression, which has

an 67% increased risk of death from heart disease, 50% increased risk of death from cancer;

While on the other hand, schizophrenia has been associated with Double the risk of death from

heart disease, and three times the risk of death from a respiratory disease.("Physical Health and

Mental Health." Mental Health Foundation. N.p., 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.) In

reference to the Mental Health Foundation, Poor physical health can lead to an increased risk

of developing mental health problems; Similarly , poor mental health can negatively have an

impact on physical health.("Physical Health and Mental Health." Mental Health Foundation.

N.p., 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.) Physiologically this can cause weight loss and eating

disorders. People with mental health conditions are less likely to receive the physical health care

theyre entitled to, because some physicians might neglect physical assessment in their

psychiatric patients, also their insurance is difficult to obtain which leads to the cost barriers

from obtaining medical care.

Mental illness is common each year, according to statistics, Suicide is the 10th leading

cause of death in the United States, which is more than double the number of lives lost to

homicide. Unfortunately, less than 20 % of children and adolescents receive the treatment they

need.

In addition to mental illness, there are effects on behavior with signs and symptoms such

as: feeling sad or down, withdrawal from friends and activities, and major changes in eating

habits. The problem here is that during the adolescent years, the brain undergoes neural growth.
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Which means that Young adults are advancing to new levels of sophisticated thinking and

emotional regulation. ("Brain Development Makes Teens More Vulnerable to Suicide and Mood

Disorders N.p., 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 May 2017.) According to research, most changes happen

in the prefrontal cortex; The prefrontal cortex functions in planning complex cognitive

behavior, personality expression, and decision making.

People should care about mental health, because mental health is varied and can affect

people at all stages of life. Elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol in adolescence triggers

a mental illness. In particular, adolescents are vulnerable to psychiatric disorders such as:

schizophrenia, depression and drug addiction, which are mostly common.

Cortisol affects the levels of dopamine, which has an effect on adolescents, because

adolescents brains are more sensitive to the stress hormone and also the fact that the brain is less

developed. Most common side effects of stress often includes withdrawal from friends and

activities, which leads to the social isolation. This effect has been proven to be the same in mice;

In the mouse study, the researchers introduced stress by isolating the mice that were genetically

at risk for mental illness from other mice. They were able to show that isolation caused the

release of the stress hormone cortisol. ("Stress May Trigger Mental Illness and Depression In

Teens." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 May 2017.)

The teenage brain structure, connectivity, and behavior are all connected together, which

means that both dopamine and cortisol levels along with the DCC gene influences teenage

development. Unfortunately, Slight variations in DCC can cause alterations in the prefrontal

cortex later on in life. ("Stress May Trigger Mental Illness and Depression In Teens."

EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 May 2017.) Dysfunction of DCC during

adolescence has behavioral consequences that can carry into adulthood. According to research,
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Therapy and social support might modify the functions of the DCC gene during critical

times/reduce the vulnerability to an illness. ( "Stress May Trigger Mental Illness and Depression

In Teens." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 May 2017.)

In order to live a healthier life with a mental illness, healthy activities will help to

optimize healthy brain structure/connectivity for a teenager throughout adulthood. Also, by

advocating for awareness for mental illness and physical health, one of the most effective ways is

to talk openly about mental health. By talking openly about mental health, you not only educate

yourself, but you educate others through your story, or other peoples experiences.

Another solution would be encouraging equality in how people perceive physical illness

and mental illness, by showing empathy and compassion for those living with a mental health

condition. All of these solution will be so empowering for people, because if you see the person

for who they are, and not the illness then you will be able to bring the victim into an open-

minded situation.

In conclusion, mental health is something that affects every member of the population,

young and old alike. Yet, mental illness is often misunderstood. Mental illness is thought of as a

disease that is just in the head.

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Works Cited

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Bergland, Christopher. "Why Is the Teen Brain So Vulnerable?" Psychology Today. Sussex

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Bedell, Geraldine. "Teenage Mental-health Crisis: Rates of Depression Have Soared in past 25

Years." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 27 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 May

2017.

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2017.

About the Author Natasha Tracy Natasha Tracy More Posts from Author Recent Posts Author

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