Mental health conditions

Acquired brain injuries (ABIs) encompass a broad spectrum of conditions affecting the brain after birth. These injuries can result from various factors. The two primary types are Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Non-traumatic brain injury (NTBI). 

Learn more about Providence's services and resources for adults living with acquired brain injuries.

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental illnesses that cause severe anxiety.

Most people feel anxious from time to time. Anxiety disorders cause intense and persistent anxiety. This anxiety impacts your daily life. For example, it may make it hard to work, study, socialize and manage tasks.

Types of anxiety disorders include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Specific phobias
• Panic disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Social anxiety disorder
• Selective mutism

Resources

Patient education materials

• Anxiety and Panic

• Anxiety and Relaxation for Older Adults and Their Families

Useful resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: Anxiety Disorders

• HealthLink BC: Anxiety

• Anxiety Canada

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes you to have extreme mood swings. It used to be called “manic depression.”

Patients with bipolar have mood swings that alternate between mania and depression.

• During manic moods, you feel excessively energetic, impulsive and euphoric. You have racing thoughts, do risky things and sleep less.
• During depressive moods, you feel overwhelmingly sad and hopeless. You have low energy and lose interest in activities that you once enjoyed.

These mood swings can span a few days to months. Patients also may have normal moods. 

Resources

Patient education materials

• Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for the First Nations Community

Useful resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: Bipolar Disorder

• HealthLink BC: Bipolar Disorder

A concurrent disorder is when you have a mental health condition and a substance use issue at the same time. 

There are many ways the two combine. Examples include:

• Anxiety and alcohol use
• Bipolar disorder and cannabis use 
• Borderline personality disorder and problem gambling
• Schizophrenia and cocaine use

Patients may experience the mental health condition at the same time as the substance use issue or at a different time. Diagnosis and treatment can be complex. It is difficult to tease apart the condition from the addiction.

Resources

Patient education materials

• Carlile Centre: Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre
  • General Information
  • Family and Supports
  • What to Expect

• Transitions Mental Health and Substance Use Program

• Youth and Young Adult Concurrent Counselling (YYACC)

Useful resources

• Canadian Association of Mental Health: Concurrent disorder

• BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services: Treating Concurrent Disorders
   

Dementia is a general term that refers to a range of illnesses. These illnesses affect memory, thinking skills, physical movement and behaviour.

Most people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia. Fewer people have dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). There are other types of dementia that afflict smaller numbers of people.

Learn more about PHC’s services and resources for adults living with dementia and associated diseases.

Depression is a mental condition that impacts the way you think, feel and and handle daily activities.

Depression goes beyond the emotional ups and downs we all experience as part of life. When you have depression, you have a persistent low mood for more than two weeks. This low mood interferes with your ability to function.

A complex interplay of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors causes depression. This can include brain chemical imbalances. Life events can also trigger depression, like loss, trauma or major changes.

Sometimes having a baby can trigger depression. This is called perinatal depression.

Resources

Patient education materials

• Depression and Aging
• Depression and Heart Disease
• How Do You Feel After Having a Baby? (Multiple languages)
• Ketamine Intervention Program (KIP) for Treatment Resistant Depression

Useful resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: Depression

• HealthLink BC: Depression

An eating disorder is a type of mental health condition that involves unhealthy thoughts and behaviours towards food, weight, and body shape.

The Provincial Adult Tertiary & Specialized Eating Disorders (PATSED) Program at St. Paul’s Hospital treats patients 17 years of age or older with a variety of eating disorders. This includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other specified feeding or eating disorders.

Learn more about eating disorders and the PATSED Program.

Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of conditions that impact your brain and nervous system. They can cause difficulty with your behaviour, social interactions, cognitive abilities and emotions.

Types of neurodevelopmental disorders include:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Intellectual disability
• Communication disorders
• Specific learning disorders
• Motor disorders

Resources

Canadian Mental Health Association

• ADHD in adults
• ADHD in youth and children

HealthLink BC

• ADHD
• ASD

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• Adult Neurodevelopmental Services
• ADHD
   

• Autism BC

A neuropsychiatric disorder is when you have a neurological disorder and a mental health condition/disorder at the same time.

This combination can cause a severe change in the way you think, behave and feel. 

People with the following conditions may be impacted:

• Brain injury
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease
• Neurodegenerative disorders like dementia
• Somatoform and conversion disorders
• Stroke
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Tourette’s syndrome

Resources

Patient education materials

• The British Columbia Neuropsychiatry Program

A personality disorder is when you have a pattern of behaviour, emotions and thoughts that cause problems for you and those around you for a long time. 

It does not mean there is anything wrong with your personality. Instead, it means you lack the coping skills or flexibility in thinking to navigate stressful situations.

There are currently 10 recognized personality disorders. These are categorized into three main groups. 

• Disorders with paranoia, distrust and suspicion include: paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders. 
• Disorders with difficulty controlling emotions include: borderline, narcissistic, histrionic and antisocial personality disorders. 
• Disorders with compulsions and anxiety include: obsessive-compulsive, dependent and avoidant personality disorders.

Resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: Personality Disorders

• Borderline personality disorder society of BC

Psychotic disorders are serious mental conditions that affect how you perceive reality. 

With a psychotic disorder, you may have hallucinations. This means you may hear, see, smell or taste things that do not exist. You may also have delusions and trouble expressing thoughts and emotions. 

Schizophrenia is one of the most common psychotic disorders. It is a chronic, complex condition that affects about 50,000 people in British Columbia. 

Other psychotic disorders are:

• Schizophreniform disorder. A condition like schizophrenia but with shorter symptom episodes that last one to six months.
• Brief psychotic disorder. A condition with symptom episodes that last one day to one month.
• Schizoaffective disorder. A condition with the symptoms of schizophrenia as well as depression or manic episodes.
• Delusional disorder. A condition where you believe something is happening despite evidence it is not. For example, being loved by a celebrity, being followed or having a disease. You may also have hallucinations, but they are usually mild.
• Substance use psychotic disorder. A condition where hallucinations or delusions occur after using drugs.
• Psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition. A condition when a medical cause (like a tumour, infection or stroke) causes hallucinations or delusions.

Resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: Schizophrenia 

• HealthLink BC: Schizophrenia

• British Columbia Schizophrenia Society 

• Schizophrenia Society of Canada

• Early Psychosis Intervention

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition where you feel symptoms even though you may not be sick. For example, you may feel pain, tiredness or an upset stomach.

People with SSD spend a lot of time thinking about their symptoms. They also seek a lot of medical attention. They may not believe test results that show nothing is wrong. Their oversized reaction to their symptoms affects their life. 

SSD is a long-term condition that lasts at least six months. It usually begins before the age of 30.

Related disorders include:

• Functional neurological (conversion) disorder. This condition impacts how the brain communicates with the body. People experience seizures, weakness, paralysis, trouble seeing or problems hearing.
• Illness anxiety disorder. This condition makes people worry a lot about developing a serious medical condition. They also get preoccupied with mild symptoms.

Resources

• Kelty Mental Health: Somatization and the Mind-Body Connection

Trauma-related disorders are a group of mental conditions caused by a traumatic event. Military conflict, sexual assault and abuse are common sources of trauma.

With a trauma-related disorder, your coping abilities become overwhelmed. You may avoid reminders of the event, and you may have changes to your mood and thinking.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the best-known trauma-related disorder. You may have intrusive memories and recurring dreams of the event. These are often distressing. Flashbacks are common. During a flashback, you feel like the traumatic event is happening again and lose awareness of your surroundings. Another common symptom is losing your memory of the traumatic event.

Other trauma-related disorders are:

• Acute stress disorder. This condition is like PTSD but takes place within the first month of the trauma. 
• Adjustment disorders. This condition causes a severe reaction to stress.
• Reactive attachment disorder. This condition impacts children. They have trouble forming emotional bonds with those close to them. Social interactions may scare them.
• ‌Disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). This condition impacts children. They may have trouble forming stable emotional bonds. However, they may seem outgoing and talk to strangers.

Resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• HealthLink BC: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• PTSD Association of Canada
   

Our clinical dietitians work with healthcare teams. They give individual practical nutrition advice and education to patients and residents. They will also involve your family in your nutritional health.

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We offer interpretation services 24-hours-a-day. Please ask your care team to place a request if you need an interpreter. You can also ask for a sign language interpreter. 

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Pharmacists at Providence:

• Assist those staying in our two hospitals (inpatients) and those visiting our many clinics (outpatients).
• Work with your healthcare team.
• Use their knowledge to recommend the best drug for your condition.
• Watch for possible negative reactions to medications.
• Aim to find the right balance between safety and effectiveness.

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Our psychology services can provide emotional support. These services may help our patients cope with their condition and its treatment. 

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Our social work team helps patients and their families. They provide emotional support and can suggest connections to helpful resources and services. This team can also assist in planning for the future and advocate for patients' needs. They help with practical concerns like finances and social support.

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We offer pastoral care services to support you and your loved ones. Our professional staff, including chaplains from different faiths, are here to accompany you. We provide counseling, and create spaces for reflection, prayer and meditation.

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We strive to offer you the best and most compassionate care possible. If we succeed, please let us know. If we fall short of our goal of “How you want to be treated”, please also let us know. 

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