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8 | Orange County Community Health Assessment - Executive Summary
<br />Mental Health and Substance Use, including Tobacco
<br />Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions that affect one’s mood, thinking, and behavior.
<br />Broad classes of mental illness include mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders,
<br />psychotic disorders (schizophrenia), eating disorders, personality adaptations or disorders, and addictive
<br />behaviors/substance abuse disorders. A variety of genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the onset
<br />of illness including inherited traits, biological factors, life experiences, and brain chemistry. Stress is also a
<br />significant factor to one’s mental health. Stress contributes to the likelihood of the emergence of mental health
<br />disorders. Poverty and violence are both sources of stress.
<br />Mental disorders and substance abuse disorders may be caused by a combination of these factors, complicating
<br />efforts to understand how to prevent them. If these conditions go undiagnosed or untreated, they can have
<br />serious consequences leading to disrupted daily functioning, failure in school, reduced productivity,
<br />unemployment, disability, social isolation, family conflicts, addiction, or suicide.
<br />Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease that follows a predictable and progressive course that may result in death
<br />if left untreated. Treatment of substance abuse disorders costs Medicaid hundreds of millions of dollars
<br />annually in medical care, suggesting that early interventions for substance abuse could enhance positive
<br />treatment outcomes and save considerable amounts of money.
<br />If symptoms are recognized and treated early, many of the distressing and disabling effects of a mental illness and
<br />substance dependence may be prevented or minimized. Prevention efforts need to be focused on reducing access
<br />and availability to substances, identifying stressors, establishing screening processes for high risk and early onset
<br />of problems, and increasing knowledge on how to access early intervention and crisis services.
<br />Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in North Carolina. Lung cancer is the leading cause
<br />of cancer death among both men and women. Smokers are at increased risk for at least 15 types of cancers,
<br />including oral, esophageal, pancreatic, cervical, bladder, stomach, and kidney cancers. In addition, smoking is also
<br />a major cause of heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, and is associated
<br />with gastric ulcers. Smokers are more likely to experience heart attacks and strokes.
<br />Environmental risk factors, such as easy access and availability of tobacco products, cigarette advertising and
<br />promotion, and affordable prices for tobacco products, make smoking among young people more common.
<br />Non-smokers are also at risk from the dangers of inhaling secondhand
<br />smoke. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
<br />Secondhand smoke exposure can cause premature death, and has been
<br />linked to heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmokers. Youth exposure
<br />to secondhand smoke can lead to hindered lung development, respiratory
<br />and ear infections, and asthma.
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<br />Mental Health and Substance Abuse
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