Managing Mental Health Issues

Cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT is a psychotherapeutic treatment process that is widely used to treat wide ranges of mental disorders. This essay is going to highlight the usefulness of CBT in managing mental health issues. This essay will use relevant evidences in terms of discussing the benefits of CBT in tackling contemporary mental health risks. In addition to this, it will also analyse the challenges and drawbacks that the physicians face in recent years while using CBT for treatment of complex mental health issues. In modern world, mental disorder is becoming the great matter of concern that needs well-organised and modified therapeutic treatment process. In this context, CBT is proved to be one of the most trustworthy and effective solutions to the mental health issues, which assists patients to redeem their decision-making ability, problem solving skill and positive thoughts. In the aspect, the selection of this essay topic is relevant to the contemporary healthcare field, which will provide a new insight not only on the benefits of CBT in reducing mental health issues but also on ways that can be used by the mental health professionals to modernise this process to meet the complex mental health needs of patients.

CBT is a kind of psychotherapeutic treatment that assist people to determine and improve their disturbing as well as destructive thoughts that have adverse impact on the physical health and wellbeing. CBT assist therapist to determines the relationship among decision, behaviour, feeling and thoughts of patients. This treatment process is highly in treating contemporary mental health issues that interfere with positive thoughts, decision-making and cognitive skill of people (Cully et al. 2017.). Evidence based report suggests that there are millions of people who are affected by severe mental health issues such as dementia, depression, Dissociative identity disorder (DID), Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorders, depression, eating disorders and self-harm. Office of national statistics reports that in the UK, 1 in every 4 people suffer from mental disorder. A recent WHO report has mentioned that in Britain, nearly 700,000 children have experienced severe mental disorders that posed adverse impact on their behaviour, thoughts and activities [WHO, 2019]. PHE, 2019 report that, mental health risk accounts for 23% of the entire NHS disease. In tich context, CBT is highly effective solution that determine the negative thoughts and behavioural pattern in people suffering from mental illness and improves the overall decision making, thoughts and cognitive skills of these people. As mentioned by Castelnuovo et al. (2017), different useful strategies are used in CBT to determine the actual thoughts pater in mentally ill person such as tole playing, relaxation techniques, journaling and mental destruction. CBT encompasses highly modern and useful techniques that are used to address emotions, thoughts patter and behaviours of people. Based on different therapeutic approaches used in CBT, different types of CBT methods are used by physicians such as cognitive therapy, multimodal therapy, Dialectical behaviour theory (DBT) and rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT). Cognitive therapy is associated with determining and correcting the inaccurate as well as distorted thoughts pattern, negative behaviour and poor activities in people. As argued by Kumar et al. (2017), although cognitive therapy is useful in correcting the negative and inaccurate behaviour thoughts and decision in people, it somehow lack the techniques for conducting emotional and spiritual development in mentally ill patients. In this context, DBT is widely used techniques in which therapist o not only determine and correct the behaviour, activities and thoughts of mentally people but so focus on improving the emotional regulation a well as mindfulness in patients. As argued by (0 sometimes mental health professionals are unable to determine all the distorted and disturbed behaviours and thoughts in mental y ill patients by using DBT due to different factors such as poor communication with patients, lack of modernised medical equipment and poor coordination between patients, their family members and physicians. Multimodal therapy is associated with treating various interconnected modalities such as affect, behaviour, sensation, imagery, interpersonal factors and cognition. On the other hand, REBT is the widely used CBT techniques that is used in addressing the irrational behaviour in mentally ill patients and transform these beliefs into positive beliefs by improving the emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing in patients. On the contrary Randall et al. (2018) argued that although tee are many different methods and types of CBT in healthcare field, due to changing social, economic and cultural trend in t society mentality and perception of people changes on regular wise that influence the implementation of these techniques in treating mentally ill patients. For example, in many ethnic community DBT and REBT are not welcomed and appreciated by the community people while it comes to improve the thought pattern and behavioural disturbances in mentally ill patients. The reason behind this is that many people think that these two processes are generally used in people who are mentally disbalanced and psychopath.

CBT is highly useful in manging mental health issues by conducting positive transformation of behaviour, decision-making and thoughts of people. As mentioned by Van den Akker et al. (2016), CBT assist modern mental health practitioners in various ways to improve the mental health condition of patients and promote their positive psychological, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing. One of the most important benefits of CBT in tackling different mental issues is it determines the relationship of patients with physical and mental pain thereby improving the psychological and emotional wellbeing of patients and improving their quality of life. As mentioned by Riley et al. (2017), while it comes to manage mental disorders it is important to analyse the degree of psychological and mental and emotional pain the patient suffers throughout illness. CBT is a psychotherapeutic tool that assist modern mental health practitioners to analyse the relationship between the wellbeing of patients and their psychological pain which is strongly associated with their behavioural distortion and negative thinking pattern. On the other contrary Stawarz et al. (2018), argued that while using CBT, modern health practitioner face difficulties in analysing the accurate intensity of psychological, physical and emotional pain in mentally ill patients due to lack of modernised techniques, proper technical backup and lack of skilled staffs. Evidence suggests although CBT is highly useful techniques in assessing psychological and emotional pain in mentally ill patients, due to ever-changing nature of te disease in mentally ill patient’s mental health practitioner need to conduct continuous improvement in the techniques and tools used un CBT process. However, due to lack of fund in NHS hospitals, poor infrastructure and lack of skilled health professionals and healthcare staffs, healthcare authority face difficulties to conduct useful psychological pain management process to improve psychological and emotional wellbeing in patients. CBT is highly useful in empowering patients by improving their cognitive skill, decision making skill, thoughts and problem-solving abilities. As mentioned by Palsson and Ballou (2020), CBT is highly useful psychotherapeutic tools that assists modern mental health practitioners to improve emotional, psychological and spiritual strength of mentally ill patients thereby assisting patients to be self-dependent in terms of taking right decisions in their professional and personal life.

CBT is extremely useful in treating anxiety, posttraumatic disorder (PTSD) and depression (Rathbone et al. 2017). In case of treating anxiety, CBT assist therapist to determine the negative thoughts patters that are associated with uncontrolled fear, worry and trauma in patients. CBT providers the mental ill patients with psychoeducation that assist them to improve their thoughts, emotional wellbeing and behaviour in terms of enhancing their control over their own decisions and thoughts. As stated by Wolitzky-Taylor et al. (2019), psychoeducation is believed to be highly effective in treating mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and dementia, in which patients’ knowledge and understanding about their own psychology, thoughts and cognition are improved, that assist them to avoid the entry of negative thoughts into their mind. Cognitive restructuring is a highly effective CBT methods that is used to process and improves the challenging behaviour on patients suffering from acute mental disorders. Cognitive restructuring assists mental health practitioners to analyse and determine the maladaptive behaviour in patients and correct them by making positive transformation of thoughts, perception and behaviour in patients. On the contrary Palsson and Ballou (2020) argued that, although CBT is useful in addressing the maladaptive and challenging behaviour in mentally ill patients it is somehow unable to determine et root cause of these negative behaviour and thoughts in patients, due to which despite successful recovery of patients from mental disturbances, there is no assurance that these mental disturbances will not attack the patient in future life. CBT works based on the behaviourism theory which assists mental health practitioners to analyse the process of cognitive development and learning of patients. CBT is useful in determining the cognitive issues and learning disabilities in mentally ill patients that interfere with their positive thoughts, decision-making and analysing skill. Additionally, CBT is useful in making positive transformation of judgmental and analysing skill in patients which is important for redeeming their positive thoughts, problem solving skill and evaluating skills. As mentioned by Stawarz et al. (2018), CBT empowers mentally ill patients by improving the way they analyse, feel and thoughts about different aspects. For example, through CBT, psychotherapists assist patient to involve the in positive thoughts, activities d decision making process that not only triggers positive behavioural transformation in patients but also enhance the emotional spiritual and psychological strength in patients. CBT is useful in education people about how to improve relation between their mind and body and how to recognise and changes the negative thoughts in them. Through using CBT, mental health practitioners can involve patients in different enjoyable activities such as fun games, gardening, quiz, meeting with neighbours and taking right decision to solve puzzles. Through these activities, it is possible to a great extent to improve cognitive skill and intelligence in mentally ill patients. Additionally, CBT is widely used by modern healthcare progressions to keeping track of behavioural and activity disorders in mentally ill patients which is important for the mental heath practitioners to analyse the whether these is any gradual progress in the mental health condition of patients after using CBT.

Setting realistic and practical goals mental health practitioners can assist mentally ill patients to learn self-relation techniques through using CBT (Cully et al. 2017). In this context, the therapist motivates the patients to make self-talk, which improve the feeling, thoughts and approaches in them. On the other hand, CBT enables mental health practitioners to conduct the distraction techniques that assist them to divert the negative and distorted thoughts in parent mind and transform them into positive one. Common practices that CBT includes are mindfulness-based cognitive therapy [MBCT], cognitive journaling and cognitive reframing (Van den Akker et al. 2016). The UK National Institute of Clinical Excellence has mentioned that mindfulness-based therapy is most useful for managing and accessing the mental health condition of clinically depressed person. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy [MBCT] is associated with involving mentally ill person with mindful strategies and activities that assist them to improve their psychological and emotional wellbeing. On the other hand, MBCT is not only effective in tackling depressive symptoms in patients but managing stress and anxiety in patients by developing positive thoughts in them. This typo of CBT process is widely used by the mental heath practitioners to improve the connection and relationship between the mental and physical health, which is important for having healthy thoughts and mind. As mentioned by Riley et al. (2017), MBCT enables psychotherapists to observer the thoughts, decision and perception of depressed person I detailed manner. In this context, psychotherapist involve patients, their family members and the neighbours to share their views regarding the past history, pre-medical history, early year-experiences and change in patient’s life that may have connection to the current mental health condition of patients.

Cognitive restructuring is another important CBT technique ta improves the way people see, understanding and realise thoughts in front of them. Through using this CBT techniques psychotherapists can transform the vision, behaviour, realisation and attitude of their patient in positive way (Castelnuovo et al. 2017). Cognitive restructuring is highly useful techniques in reframing and shaping the decision making, cognitive skill, perception, feeling and intention of people thereby making positive transformation of their behaviour and performances. This can be achieved through determining cognitive errors ion people and correct them accordingly though introduce innovative and creative thoughts in them, on the other hand (Cully et al. 2017). Through restructuring process, mental health practitioners can improve the way people interception with their surrounding people and objects by empowering their thoughts, decision making and problem-solving skill. For example, through cognitive restructuring people can learn how to cope up with critical situations in their life such as bereavements, loss and failures. This type of CBT assists mentally ill patients to accept all the unexpected situation in their life and overcome by using their intelligence, positive thoughts and analysing skill. Additionally, cognitive reframing or restructuring process is useful in replacing the negative d faulty beliefs, prejudices, and superstitious thoughts in people minds by introducing fresh as well as positive thoughts and decision-making in them.

Despite the above-mentioned benefits of CBT in managing mental illness, there are many limitations associated with using this process that mental health professionals and therapist face in recent years. One of the major challenges of this process is it is based on human thoughts which is only one part of the human activities and behaviour. As mentioned by Castelnuovo et al. (2017), while it comes to deal with wide ranges of mental disorders and manage complex mental issues in people, cognitive therapy has very limited scope as it focuses only on determining as well as analysing errors in human thoughts rather than evaluating other factors such as social, economic, genetic, behavioural and physical aspect that can impact human behaviour, mind and activities. As stated by Kumar et al. (2017), negative thoughts and maladaptive behaviour in people can be developed not only due to poor thinking pattern but also due to many other facts such as poor social and family support, lack of parental support, social injustice, experiences of bereavement and los in past life and acute physical; and genetic disorders CBT is failed to considers these aspects while determining the reason and outcomes of mental issues of patients. Another limitation of CBT is that the success of the process is solely based on how actively and effectively the patients and family members will cooperate with the therapist and mental health professionals. As stated by Randall et al. (2018), many cases therapist face huge unsupportiveness and lack of cooperation from patients and their family members while conducting the CBT therapy with interfere with the overall success of this process. On the other hands, sometimes patients don’t feel comfortable while undertaking CBT due to lack of convincing and friendly attitude of therapists. Additionally, CBT is a time-consuming process that makes many psychotherapists and mental health practitioners to avoid this therapy while it comes to manage and tackle the complex mental health issues of patients. As mentioned by Rathbone et al. (2017), CBT is not useful in case of patients who needs immediate and instant recovery from their mental issues. As mental health practitioner using this process need to follow that gradual process in determining, analysing and eliminating negative thoughts and maladaptive behaviour in patients, the entire process need time which sometimes makes patients and their family members to hold their patience.

Another limitation of CBT is that it is not useful in treating patients with specific behavioural and learning difficulties. This is because CBT enables mental health practitioners to determine the overall thinking pattern, perception and decision of patients from which health professional can only analyse the reason behind the negative thoughts and behaviour in these patients but not determine any specific or particular behavioural or learning disorders oi them. As mentioned by Wolitzky-Taylor et al. (2019), CBT is useful for analysing overall mental status and behavioural condition on patients but it is failed to analyse any particular mental issue or risk in patients. In this context, health professional need to analyse genetic, physical, social, emotional, economic and cultural factors that can impact on specific behaviour and activity of people. On the other hand, CBT needs continuous modifications in the way therapists interact with patents and their family members, this is because perception, thoughts and decision making in patients change with the changing social, economic, and cultural context. Therefore, for dealing with changing mental health needs of patients’ therapist need to ensure that they use eh modern and innovative approaches to determine and analyse the mental health issues n people. As mentioned by Palsson and Ballou (2020), in many NHS hospitals in UK, psychotherapists are forced to use the traditional methods of CBT due to lack of fund sufficiency and poor medical infrastructure. On the other hand, use of modern technologies in CBT such as using Patient Service Innovation (PSI) while determining the mental condition of patients by using the cognitive therapy can enhance the overall expenditure in the healthcare. Many psychologists believe CBT is useful in treating common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and maladaptive behaviour but it is not useful in treating complex mental health condition such as dissociative identity disorder (DID). In treating the complex mental health issues, the mental health practitioners need to consider all the associated factors that can impact on the mental health conduction of patients.

For improving the use of CBT by mode health professions, UK government have taken initiatives in providing huge fund support to NHS hospitals which will assist mental health authority to improve the overall CBT process in terms of dealing with any type of mental health issue in patients (Stawarz et al. 2018). In addition to this, skill-development and training program for health staffs and health professionals are conducted which will improve their performance and professional standard to implement CBT in better way to meet ever changing health needs of patients.

From the above-mentioned discussion, it can be concluded that, mental health issues are the matter of great concern in modern health care industry, CBT is a useful technique that is used by many mental health professionals to manage the mental health issues in patients. However due to changing mental health needs in patients, continuous improvement is needed in this process which will assist the mental health professionals to improve the way they analyse and eliminate mental issues in patients.

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