The main difference is behavioral health is generally considered to be the umbrella term encompassing mental health, as it looks at the ways in which an individuals everyday actions affect his or her psychological well-being. While behavioural health and mental health may be used interchangeably, this crucial health specialty includes disorders affecting both mental and physical well-being. Behavioral health disorders include both mental illnesses as well as those involving physical conditions, such as substance abuse and eating disorders. Behavioral health may be complicated, given that many individuals have dual diagnoses of a mental illness and substance abuse disorders, but there are successful treatments available for most conditions.
Given the intertwined nature of mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders, it is common in the medical community for behavioral healthcare to be used in reference to treatment for both mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders. While many use behavioral and mental health interchangeably, there are subtle differences that are important to make when diagnosing and treating mental problems. Mental illness generally refers to a broad set of conditions most apparent in an individuals feelings, thought patterns, and behaviors, not in injuries or physical illnesses. For example, when a patient has a history with a mood disorder, or is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or another mental health condition, bipolar disorder often causes behavioral health conditions, which are common with a mental health condition.
Maladaptive behaviors–such as binge-drinking, using drugs, or binge-eating–can worsen symptoms of mental health disorders. Not everyone will develop a behavior disorder or engage in negative behaviors. Young people who have behavior or emotional problems frequently struggle in their homes and schools.
People struggling with addiction can also have problems with their physical health, like a lack of energy or a weight change. If left untreated, mood disorders can impact functioning, quality of life, and a host of long-lasting physical health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Substance use disorders arise when heavy or repeated alcohol and/or drug use causes substantial impairment, such as health problems, disabilities, and inability to fulfill basic obligations at work, school, or home. Eating disorders can lead to significant health complications, not only that, they also represent a particular constellation of mental illness problems related to self-image intrusiveness and a perceived lack of control. Someone with personality disorders struggles to maintain thought patterns and behaviors that are out of line and may present problems in day-to-day functioning.
People living with this mental health condition experience moods affecting their mental and psychological wellbeing almost daily, often throughout most of the day. While many mental health conditions have biological bases, they are nonetheless greatly affected by your actions, in positive as well as negative ways.
To effectively treat any of these mental illnesses, it is not sufficient to just change your behaviors; you should also consider mental health treatment and/or psychological counseling to address underlying issues. It is also important to consider behavior modification along with any medical treatments. All too often, inexperienced providers may be easy to focus on behavioral modification, overlooking underlying psychiatric conditions, or to treat mental illness with medications, ignoring the need to modify unhealthy habits.
Working together with a team of care providers can help you get optimal treatment so that you can lead a full life. Collaborative care with a team of diverse healthcare professionals is especially important in these situations. Uprise Healths resident physicians are solely dedicated to managing members behavioral health needs.
Employees have access to an extensive array of services within the behavioral healthcare category — everything from traditional mental health services, addiction care, and counseling on a variety of issues — and receive services delivered in ways that optimize wellness outcomes and give them the opportunity to enhance their overall well-being. These services are designed to help individuals lead healthier lives with respect to their minds, bodies, and general well-being. For example, workplace wellness programs and access to behavioral health services can assist with the identification of individuals who are at risk and connecting them to the treatments and supports needed for recovery. Behavioral health also includes mental health as well as substance use, covering a continuum of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services.
For instance, it is common to evaluate whether the client is struggling with current or past substance use disorders, their relationship to gaming or other addictive behaviors, their life at school or at home, their history of trauma, or struggles with past medical conditions, various components of their mental health, including past diagnoses of a mental health problem, their relationship with food or exercise, if there is a history of eating disorders, etc. In essence, behavioral health requires an extensive examination of a patients biography, as there are many components which may significantly impact their mental and/or physical health. When discussing a patients mental health, the healthcare provider may ask about their capacity for getting along with others, or their capacity for managing stress. Mental health therapists combine rapport-building with empirical evidence to develop effective treatments for diagnosable disorders, as well as grief, stress, and transition.
Licensed marriage and family therapists look at how an individuals closest relationships affect his or her overall health and support system, including issues such as chronic stress, emotional abuse, and others. Clinical psychologists frequently help patients with issues such as tobacco use, weight management, and adjustment to serious illness. School psychologists help students with mental-health issues, but also deal with many behavioral problems–everything from bullying to drug use to acting out in class.
When one distinct, habitual behavior beyond the range of typical mental illnesses begins to adversely affect someone, that one distinct thing becomes an illness, which usually requires more specialized treatment.