MENTAL DISEASES

MENTAL DISEASES are diseases in which the correct perception and awareness of the environment and behavior change are disturbed in connection with brain activity disorders. Mental illness entails a partial or complete loss of the patient's adaptability to environmental conditions. Patients can perform actions that are dangerous for themselves or for others; Can persistently refuse treatment.

Difficulties in diagnosing mental illness occur more often at the initial stage and are aggravated by the fact that the boundary between the mental norm and pathology is very conditional. The presence of an established mental illness does not necessarily serve as an indication for specialized treatment. The determining factor should not be a diagnostic, but a clinical prognostic factor. Medical intervention is considered absolutely necessary (regardless of the patient's desire) in those specific cases that are prescribed by the legislation on psychiatric care.

On the basis of the Law of the Russian Federation "On psychiatric care and guarantees of the rights of citizens in its provision" hospitalization of a patient in a psychiatric hospital without his consent (emergency psychiatric care is often in this situation) or without the consent of his legal representative can be made if the treatment The patient or his examination is possible only in a stationary setting, and the very "mental disorder is severe and determines: a) his immediate danger to himself or others, or b) his helplessness, that is, his inability to satisfy his basic vital needs, or c) Significant harm to his health due to worsening of the mental state, if the person is left without psychiatric help. " The primary psychiatric examination and the decision of the question of hospitalization of a patient in a psychiatric hospital is the exclusive competence of a psychiatrist.

When carrying out hospitalization forcibly, medical personnel should immediately notify the relatives of the patient about this. Militia officers are obliged to assist medical workers with such hospitalization and to provide safe conditions for access to and examination of the hospitalized person. The forms and time of application of measures of physical fixation of the patient is made mandatory in the medical records.

All information about the patient's mental state is a medical secret, which can be disclosed only at the request of the patient or his legal representative (for obtaining social benefits, legal protection, etc.). The medical institution has the right to disclose such information only at the request of the judicial, investigative and law enforcement agencies.

The methods of examination of mentally ill patients also have their own specifics. Leading in psychiatry is a conversation with a patient, which allows you to get the necessary information regarding both the history of the disease and the present condition. The history of anamnesis differs from that of a somatic disease. Anamnesis in mental illness is made up of subjective and objective data, i.e. In addition to the information received from the patient, objective data - information about the disease, received from relatives, friends, colleagues of the patient, is always necessary. Finally, monitoring the behavior of patients in the hospital is very important. The leading role in this belongs to the middle and junior medical staff. Mentally ill require particularly careful care and attention, since very often they do not care about themselves, and often are untidy. Therefore, many of them need constant hygienic care - a daily toilet, regular haircut of nails, treatment of those parts of the body where it is easy to form diaper rash and bedsores. It is very important to monitor the physical dispensations of the mentally ill, because they often have persistent constipation, incontinence or urinary retention. Patients in a state of stupor or severely impaired need forced or artificial feeding. Of great importance is the constant monitoring of the mentally ill in connection with the propensity to escape, self-harm or even suicide. The effectiveness of the treatment can also become visible first of all to the average medical personnel.