Treating mental illness

Treating mental illness

Mental illness can be treated, often very successfully.

People living with mental illness may benefit from a range of treatments.

Psychological treatments (or therapies) can reduce the distress associated with symptoms and can even reduce the symptoms themselves. Many different therapies are available, which can include the following:

• Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) examines how a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour impact mental health. The person and a therapist work together to change ways of thinking and acting to reduce symptoms of mental ill-health. 
• Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) explores how practices such as acceptance skills and mindfulness can help people respond to experiences outside their control, with the aim to act in line with their personal values. 
• Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) examines how a person’s relationships and interactions with others can affect their own thoughts behaviours and feelings. Improving difficult relationships can help improve a person’s quality of life. 
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive or behaviour therapy that helps people manage very strong emotions and their responses. 
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy teaches people how to become more aware and accepting of their thoughts and feelings. It can help people notice feelings of sadness and negative patterns early, and deal with them more effectively.

Some psychological treatments are provided online (e.g. e-therapies or computer-aided psychological therapy). These are often based in an existing type of therapy such as CBT or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Some may involve some sort of support from a therapist and others can be used without help from a professional. Accessing online psychological therapies can be effective for some types of mental illness. 

Medications help change the brain’s chemical balance to help reduce or eliminate symptoms of mental illness. Some people may need medication on an ongoing basis, while others may need to take it only for a while. 

Different types of medication are used to treat different types of mental illness:

• Antidepressant medications may be prescribed (sometimes in combination with psychological therapies) to treat depression, anxiety, phobias and some eating disorders.
• Antipsychotic medications are mostly used to treat psychotic illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These medications may also be prescribed for major depression or severe anxiety.
• Mood-stabilising medications may be helpful for people living with bipolar disorder. These medications can help reduce the recurrence of major depression and can help reduce manic or ‘high’ episodes.

There are a range of other treatments that may be available for persistent mental illness. These include interventions aiming to alter the brain’s activity including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). It is important for people to work with health professionals to decide what is right for them based on their symptoms. 

Community support programs are important for people with recurrent symptoms or who have a chronic mental illness. Support may include help with finding suitable work, housing, training and education, and support with making or maintaining social connection. 

Support groups can provide an opportunity to connect with others, share experiences and find new ways to approach challenges by learning from others who have experienced the same issues. 

Finding the right mix of treatments for mental illness is different for every person. And sometimes, people try several things before they find the treatment that works for them. 

Finding the right treatment

Many people with a mental illness may find treatments that help them manage or recover from their symptoms. However, because there are many things that influence the experience of mental illness, it can be difficult to know how, when or to what degree treatment will help. 

Not all treatments help everyone equally, and people may need to try different combinations of medication, therapy and lifestyle changes to manage their illness, before settling on what works for them. Working with a qualified mental health professional can help identify the most effective options.

In addition to treatment, self-care strategies are also important. Healthy eating, getting plenty of sleep, and regular physical activity are all important for mental health. It can also be useful to cut back on alcohol and drugs. People with mental health challenges can also learn skills that help deal with stress, feeling down, relationships or their symptoms. 

Mental health professionals

People with a mental illness can get help from a range of health professionals:

• A GP can give health advice, diagnose illnesses, prescribe medication or refer people to a specialist (e.g. a psychiatrist or a psychologist). They can also prepare a mental health treatment plan, which helps to cover the costs of up to 10 individual sessions of mental health treatment each year. 
• A psychologist or clinical psychologist can help people develop skills and strategies to manage mental illness, as well as provide support and a safe space to explore life issues. A psychologist cannot prescribe medication but may refer you back to a doctor who can. 
• A psychiatrist is a specialist doctor who can diagnose and treat people with mental illness. Psychiatrists specialise in prescribing medications to treat and manage mental illness. 
• A mental health social worker has training and experience in a range of treatments and interventions including counselling, skills training and stress management. They can be particularly experienced managing complex situations involving additional stressors such as family conflict, unemployment or homelessness.
• A mental health nurse is a registered nurse who has specialised training in caring for and working with people with mental illness. 
• An occupational therapist can help people with mental illness develop skills to live more independently, manage stress and emotions, link with community, build self-esteem, develop communication skills and structure daily life activities. 
• Registered counsellors can offer assistance for a broad range of issues including relationship, lifestyle and emotional concerns delivered through a variety of techniques.

There are a lot of people who can help if you have a mental illness or a mental health challenge—GPs, specialist doctors, psychologists, nurses and counsellors. A person experiencing mental ill-health might work with some or all of these people.

Telling people at work about mental ill-health

Telling others about mental ill-health may be an important part of managing mental ill-health at work. If you need some adjustments, time off for treatment or other supports at work, having the support of a manager can help.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to whether you might tell people at work about your mental health difficulties. If you choose to disclose your mental health challenge to your employer, they will be required to handle this information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in Schedule 1 to the Privacy Act 1988. Information about a person’s health is ‘sensitive information’ under the APPs, and is subject to more stringent requirements than other kinds of personal information.

However, you are not legally required to tell your employer unless your condition could create a safety risk for you or your colleagues. For example, you may be trialling a medication that affects your fatigue levels, so it is advisable that you avoid operating heavy machinery while you trial the medication. In this case, work health and safety laws mean you have a duty to take reasonable care that your acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others at work. But you must disclose only the information your employer needs to manage that risk.  

For more information on disclosing mental ill-health at work, see the Mental ill-health in the workplace module.

Telling people at work about mental ill-health can help you get the supports you need. It’s also required by work health and safety laws if there is a risk to your or someone else’s safety. Any information you do share is protected under the Privacy Act.