Kallin Raymond

10/28/2016

BIOL 4500

The Medicine, Education, and Business Aspect of Mental Health

            If asked what constitutes a mental disorder, most people might not be able to provide a clear-cut definition. The range of diagnosable mental illnesses has become increasingly broad to the extent that even the medically accepted definition of a mental illness could apply to most people. The Mayo Clinic defines mental illness as both “a disorder that affects mood, thinking, and behavior”, and “ongoing [mental] signs and symptoms [that] cause frequent stress and affect the ability to function” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). With such an ambiguous definition, many people could be diagnosed as having a mental illness of some kind. In fact, many people have disorders, but don’t even realize it. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimated that approximately 26.2 percent of Americans above 18 years old suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year (Connor, 2013). With such a high percentage of people suffering from mental disorders, it is clear that such mental disorders are going to affect many career and business fields. Generally, mental disorders affect careers related at least 3 different fields: medicine, education, and business.

Physicians in the field of medicine might be most heavily exposed to mental illnesses, with the possible exception of psychologists. They are taught how to administer to people exhibiting worrisome signs and symptoms associated with the brain. Because doctors treat so many people with mental illnesses, many parts of the field of medicine has been solely dedicated to finding the cause of these problems. While all mental illnesses are being studied for causation, some of the more well-known disorders being studied include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and dyslexia. While the causes of such disorders are relatively unknown, some generally accepted origins for these disorders include genes, lack of stimulation, brain damage, and more recently, gut microbiota. Gastrointestinal disorders have been shown to have an adverse effect on brain health (Bested et al., 2013). In fact, the human gut is connected to the brain so intricately and extensively, that the gut could be labeled as a ‘second brain’. The network of neurons linking the brain and gut reveal that the physical and mental states of individuals are highly dependent upon the condition of the gut (Hadhazy, 2010). In fact, studies have shown that there is a correlation between autism and mood disorders and the type of gut microbiota in those individuals (Mangiola et al., 2016) By targeting the microbiology of the gut, physicians could very well treat many of their patient’s brain and mental health disorders.

            The discoveries of the scientific field not only apply to the field of medicine, but also to the field of education and child development. Many parents attempt to put their children into schools and education systems earlier and earlier in attempts to make their children smarter by providing early learning stimuli. Many educational and therapeutic systems have implemented ‘early intervention’ programs and curriculums to provide children with unique learning opportunities. Many of these created programs sought to increase child IQ and focused on children in families with known previous mental conditions. Bonnier (2008) showed that this early brain stimulation has significant long-term benefits and can actually help some of those predisposed for mental illnesses to evade the effects of the illness. For those in low-income families there was a strong correlation in early intervention programs and decreases in crime rates and school dropout rates. Most importantly, however it also is shown to positively impact children with known brain disorders, such as cerebral palsy and down syndrome. The sooner the child is put into these ‘Head Start’ programs, the higher the success with improved cognitive function, increased fine motor skills, and improvement in independency. This is because stimulus has been shown to be crucial for developing positive brain health in child maturation (Peck, 2014). By producing early and frequent stimuli to children at an early age, it may be possible to circumvent future disorders.

            While disorders may seem common in the education system, mental health also plays a large role in many businesses. This might seem surprising to some, but some mental illnesses, depending on the illness, can actually strengthen businesses and people. By being open and transparent about these diagnoses and by recognizing personal weaknesses, mentally disordered people are able to connect better with others. Essentially, the adapt and adjust their lives in order to efficiently minimize the negative impact these disorders could have in their work life. Conner (2013) shows how many of America’s business leaders, CEO’s, and successful entrepreneurs have such disorders, but use these ‘illnesses’ to their advantage. She explained, “Many highly known entrepreneurs and executives experience ADHD. In a similar fashion to dyslexia, those with ADHD can ‘learn to learn’ differently by tapping into their extra abilities to achieve in creativity tasks.” Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is that disorders are simply a diagnosis and not a label. Many brain disorders, while having the capability of negatively impacting individual’s lives, can also positively impact it as well. Kukla suggested that while people may have different disorders, the way they adjust their lives in response to the disorder has a large impact on personal and work success (Kukla et al., 2015). Therefore, it can be concluded that extra effort is necessary to provide those with ‘mental illnesses’, as defined by Mayo Clinic, with opportunities to succeed.

            While mental illnesses largely impact the medical, educational, and business field of American society, it also affects other areas of life. The chances are that most people know someone quite well who could be diagnosed as having ADHD, dyslexia, depression, or any other debilitating brain condition. The causes range from genetics to composition of gut bacteria, but may also be influenced by the presence of early stimuli in child development. By applying scientific research to various careers and fields of study, it is possible to understand others and be able to help them succeed and live functional lives in any field or environment. 

References

Bested, A. C., Logan, A. C., & Selhub, E. M. (2013). Intestinal microbiota, probiotics and mental health: From Metchnikoff to modern advances: Part I – autointoxication revisited. Gut Pathog Gut Pathogens, 5(1), 1-5. doi:10.1186/1757-4749-5-5

Bonnier, C. (2008). Evaluation of early stimulation programs for enhancing brain development. Acta Paediatrica, 97(7), 853-858. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00834.x

Connor, C. (2013). How Mental Illness Makes Some Executives Stronger. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2013/05/14/how-mental-illness-makes-some-executives-stronger/#37e248304cc7

Hadhazy, A. (2010) Think Twice: How the Gut’s “Second Brain” Influences Mood and Well-Being. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/

Kukla, M., Bonfils, K. A., & Salyers, M. P. (2015). Factors impacting work success in Veterans with mental health disorders: A Veteran-focused mixed methods pilot study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation JVR, 43(1), 51-66. doi:10.3233/jvr-150754

Mangiola, F., Ianiro, G., Franceschi, F., Fagiuoli, S., Gasbarrini, G., & Gasbarrini, A. (2016). Gut microbiota in autism and mood disorders. World Journal of Gastroenterology WJG, 22(1), 361-368. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i1.361

Mayo Clinic Staff, (2015). Mental illness. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/basics/definition/CON-20033813

Peck, A., (2014) Does Lack of Stimulation Affect Cognitive Development in Children. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/560018-does-lack-of-stimulation-affect-cognitive-development-in-children/