Section 1
1. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) published by the World Health Organization (WHO) is an international diagnostic classification for mental disorders with 10 main chapters including the following:
• F0 Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders
• F1 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of psychoactive substances
• F2 Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders
• F3 Mood disorders
• F4 Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders
• F5 Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors
• F6 Disorders of personality and behaviour in adult persons
• F7 Mental retardation
• F8 Disorders of psychological development
• F9 Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood …show more content…
One advantage of using this system is that we are able to understand how these disorders are related, determining the classification based on causes and symptoms seen. The main groups of mental illness indicated are mood, personality, anxiety, psychotic, substance and cognitive disorders. The system also provides a common guideline for clinicians to communicate about their patients, and allows reliable and consistent diagnoses. However, the limitations of this system are that there can be a degree of overlap between some categories based on the classifications of symptoms in different disorders.
3. A few alternative frameworks for understanding mental ill health focus on other factors that influence mental wellbeing. Social factors such as unemployment, lack of education or adequate housing can be taken into account as risk factors as they may reduce an individual’s connection with society. Cultural factors – playing a big role in our diverse community – define some people’s views on mental health. Eastern cultures may view mental disorders differently to Western cultures, and therefore manage these conditions