Institute of Human Resource AdvancementUniversity of Colombo

Masters Degree in Human Resource Management Course No.05/ Batch I

Assignment on Psychology & Counseling

Subject: Scientific Aspect of Human Behavior and PsychologyStudent Name: U.G. Shriyani ChandralathaStudent Number: MHRM/05/B1/38

Date :20/09/2014

Introduction

Psychology can be defined as both a natural science and a social science. On the other hand, Psychology is the study of mental processes, behaviour and the relationship between them.Mental processes include skills, reasoning, emotions, and motivation. In psychology, we learn how humans and other organisms think, understand, learn, feel, perceive, act and interact with others. As the psychology encompasses human and social issues as well as biological and physiological issues, it is considered as both a natural and social science. As a Natural Science, it is concerned with the laws of nature. As a social science, psychology deals with the study of the laws of thought, feelings, and behaviours of humans and other living things.The focus of psychology is generally on the individual, whether alone or interaction with others and the environment. Psychology shares a focus on human behavior with other social-scientific disciplines such as sociology and anthropology.Sociology is an exciting and illumination field of study analyzes and explain important matters in our personal lives, our societies, our environment and the world. Anthropological study and training provide the knowledge, skills and tools to work with people, study the past, and shape the future.Who are Psychologists ?Psychologists are experts in human behavior and emotion with practical skills and research skills that can be applied to a variety of fields such as health, education and management. Clinical psychologists help the patients with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses across life span. Psychologists help people to overcome their troubles and find ways of functioning better. Moreover, they train people to handle stress and family problems. Today, the new generation is very anxious to study psychology a as subject for their higher education.Counseling :Counseling focuses on clients concerns and difficulties

Mental Health:Mental Health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being component included in the WHOs definition of health. A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease According to WHO, it is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders.WHO stated that, mental disorders comprise a broad range of problems with different symptoms and however they are generally characterized by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behavior and relationships with others. They have given some examples as Schizophrenia, depression, mental retardation and disorders due to drug abuse. However, most of these disorders can be successfully treated. (Source: http://www.who.int/topics/mental_health/en/)World Mental Health DayWHO has introduced a World Mental Health Day and it is on 10th October every year with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.The theme for year 2014 is Living with Schizophrenia. According to the WHO the focus will be living a healthy life with schizophrenia.

10 Facts on Mental Health According to World Health Organization, there are 10 facts relating to mental health. Fact 1 :Around 20% of the worlds children and adolescents have mental disorders or problems.Fact 2 :Mental and substance use disorders are the leading cause of disabilith worldwide.Fact 3 :About 800,000 people commit suicide every year.Fact 4 :War and disasters have a large impact on mental health and psychosocial well-being.Fact 5 :Mental disorders are important risk factors for other disease, as well as unintentional and intentional injury.Fact 6 :Stigma and discrimination against patients and families prevent people from seeking mental health care.Fact 7 :Human rights violations of people with mental and psychosocial disabilith are routinely reported in most countries.Fact 8 :Globally there is huge inequity in the distribution of skilled human resources for mental health.Fact 9 :There are five key barriers to increasing mental health services availability.Fact 10:Financial resources to increase services are relatively modest.

Mental Health in Sri LankansOne in ten people suffer from some type of mental illness or trauma in Sri Lanka according to the statistics of WHO. The study of WHO had found that the causes for mental illness in Sri Lanka were both varied and complex, though most professionals believe that the thirty year conflict and the 2004 tsunami were among the more significant events that had been the causes for mental health issues in the country.According to national mental health data, two in every 100 people in Sri Lanka will experience a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However mental problems can be treated so and that people can recover from them in full and hopefully lead normal lives, officials said. Nearly 80% of these patients, once treated, will go on to make a full recovery they said, although social stigma was one of the biggest barriers faced by such persons. The stigma faced by mental patients can make it awfully difficult for them to motivate themselves to get better.

MENTAL DISORDERSA mental disorder (also known as psychological disorders) are illnesses that affect the mind and reduces a persons ability to function, to adjust to change, or to get along with others. Mental disorders are diseases that affect cognition, emotion and behavioural control and substantially interfere both with the ability of children to learn and with the ability of adults to function in their families, at work, and in the broader society. Mental experts see abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviours as signs of symptoms of a mental disorder.Causes of Mental DisordersSome factors that can cause mental disorders are: Physical factors Heredity Early experiences Recent experiencesPhysical Factors : Damage to the brain may cause a mental disorder.Heredity: A person may inherit a tendency towards a mental disorder.Early Experiences: Extremely negative experiences that occur early in life can lead to mental illnesses.Recent experiences: Some mental health experts think that recent experiences are more likely than early experiences to trigger a mental disorder.

Common Mental Disorders among TeenagersMany teenagers today face a great deal of problems and often develop serious mental health problems. Adolescence is one of the most troublesome periods of ones life and with very less or limited experience in the life span, they have to move into the society. When they have to cope with unusual situations with individuals or group, sometimes without proper guidance, they will not be able to succeed. Mental disorders among teens are very common now and for past few years, it has been reported that some teenagers, especially schoolchildren have committed suicide due to various situations, which are identified as unbearable to them. School Counselors, professional counselors and psychiatrists help teens to overcome their problems and aide them in coping with their surroundings. In the Sri Lanka context, there are competitive examinations for year five scholarship, and Advanced Level. On the other hand, teens have to face for the ordinary level examination for 09 subjects including 05 compulsory subjects and 04 optional subjects. Now there is a self-competition among ordinary level students for achieving grade As for all subjects or more subjects. Parents also have hopes for highest results of their children and teachers and close relations have a great demand on highest results of their belonging ones. Due to the competition and the high desires in the education, teen students are burning with high stress.