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Conditions we treat

Western Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Services support people with a range of mental illnesses and disorders. 
Listed below are some of the most common disorders that are treated across our services. 

 

Mental illness

Mental illness is a term for a group of illnesses that may include symptoms that can affect a person’s thinking, perceptions, mood, or behaviour. 
Someone experiencing mental illness may find it difficult to cope with work, relationships, and other demands. 
Common mental health issues include:

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Behavioural and emotional disorders in children
  • Bipolar affective disorder
  • Depression
  • Dissociation and dissociative disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Paranoia
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Psychosis
  • Schizophrenia

This page lists the most common mental illnesses in more detail.

mental illness
psychosis

Psychosis 

People who are experiencing psychosis cannot tell what is real and what is not. Around 1 in every 200 adult Australians will experience a psychotic illness each year.

Psychosis affects people differently. They may experience: 

  • Hallucinations: hearing voices that aren’t there
  • Delusions: where people have false beliefs about themselves or the world around them

Psychosis can be caused by:

  • Mental illness: such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression
  • Drug abuse
  • A response to stressful events, although this is less common

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders are characterised by a severe disturbance of mood that is associated with impaired function and/or a risk of harm to self, e.g. suicide, or others, e.g. aggression. The most common mood disorders treated in hospital are: 

  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
disorders
eating disorders

 

Eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that are estimated to affect almost 1 million Australians. They can affect people of all age groups, genders, backgrounds, and cultures.

Eating disorders include:

  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Binge Eating Disorder
  • Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
  • Other Specified Feeding or Eating disorders (OSFED)
 

 

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health problems. Approximately 25% of Australians will need treatment for an anxiety disorder at some time in their life.  

Anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
  • Social phobias, which is often called social anxiety
  • Specific phobias, for example claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) or arachnophobia (fear or spiders)
  • Panic disorders 
anxiety
Other conditions and behaviours we treat

Other conditions and behaviours we treat

  • Chronic pain 
  • Huntington’s Disease: a brain disorder that affects movement, thinking, and mood
  • Cognitive delay/Intellectual disability (low to moderate functioning) 
  • Dementia Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms (BPSD): delirium, agitation, aggression, psychosis, or depression     
  • Clinical depression 
  • Self-harm   
  • Suicide attempts and/or suicidal ideation   
  • Emotion dysregulation difficulties  
  • Maladaptive coping strategies  
  • Impulsivity: an unstable sense of self   
  • Relationship challenges 
  • Patients who are at risk of placing others at risk of physical harm 
  • Current severe and/or chronic substance abuse  
  • Profound social withdrawal 
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 
  • Complex child psychiatry problems
  • Selective mutism