The continuum of severity

From Chapter 1: Introduction in Improving our Response to Older Adults with Substance Use, Mental Health and Gambling Problems: A Guide for Supervisors, Managers and Clinical Staff

As with many health conditions, substance use, mental health and gambling problems can range in intensity from mild to severe. Factors defining the severity of problems include the duration of the problem and the number of symptoms or other negative effects. Severe problems may arise once in a person’s life, for example, in response to a life event, or they may be ongoing and fluctuate in intensity over time. Changes in life circumstances, such as retirement or the death of a loved one, may trigger a problem or the return of problems. Mild forms of mental health problems may worsen if untreated; service providers, families and individuals themselves have a role to play in identifying potential mental health problems as early as possible.