Module 6: Recognizing Mental Illness & Clients in Crisis

People with a chronic disease deal with a range of emotion. They may feel sadness, shock or fear about medical tests, surgery, end of life or a change in lifestyle. These feelings can often bring on depression, anxiety or trigger a crisis. Other factors that may bring on mental illness or an emotional crisis are the symptoms of a chronic disease or its treatment. In this part of the course we will look at depression and anxiety, how to help clients in an emotional crisis.

Why do you need to know about mental illness and crisis?

People may not admit to symptoms of depression or anxiety because they either do not understand the condition or because they believe that mental illness is not socially or culturally acceptable. Because you may be working closely with clients, you may recognize when a client is not their normal self. Clients may also come to trust you and feel more open about telling you things they may not tell their doctor. If a client tells you of feelings that you recognize as depression or anxiety, you need know how to help. You also need to recognize the signs of a client in crisis.

Let's begin by looking at the symptoms of depression and anxiety. >>>