Unmet Needs of the Mentally Ill Population

Mental illness is nondiscriminatory, can affect any person and transcends all social boundaries. As a result, the issues surrounding mental illness have become common discussion pints among policymakers dedicated or required to formulate solutions around providing the long-term care needed by many patients. Healthcare reforms and changes to the systems that provide services to those living with mental illness and funding for services to the facilities providing care have become major social issues (Goldman, Morrissey, Ridgley, Frank, Newman, & Kennedy, 1992). The reason for this is primarily how it can affect a market economy and how much of a burden diseases of the mind can be in a country such as the United States. According to the 1991 Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization mental health burden accounted for “more than 15% in a market economy such as the U.S.” (The Impact of Mental Illness on Society, 2001). The study also states that for individuals over the age of 5, varying forms of depression are the leading cause of disability. A more recent study indicates that mental illness in general is found in more than 26% of the United States adult population, of which 6% are severe and limit the patient’s ability to function (Martin, p. 163. 2007).

Evaluation and treatment of the mentally ill population has developed from confinement of the mad during colonial times, into the biomedical balancing of neurological impairment seen in these modern times. There were eras of mental health reform, medicalization, and deinstitutionalization sandwiched in between (Nies & McEwen, 2011). Regardless of the stage of understanding and development, communities have not been completely successful in dealing with and treating persons who are mentally unwell. Fortunately, treatment has become more compassionate; social and professional attitudes have morphed into more humanistic and

Mental illness is not getting the proper attention it needs. The United States should provide more funding to the mentally ill, for research, and medical purposes. Over fifteen million people are diagnosed with a mental illness every year. Many of them have difficulties to afford the treatment they need. Some do not even know that they have a mental illness because they never had a reason or even the finances to get checked. A mental illness can be detected at a young age. One with a mental disorder can suffer from depression and suicide, by receiving support from family and friends can help prevent this. By providing test at public schools could help detect an illness at a young age and give them the proper treatment needed to overcome their illness. Many who have a mental illness are unemployed, and have financial issues. By not receiving the proper treatment can result in harm to themselves or even others. The government is not giving the proper amount of funds for research and treatment. Some take advantage of the system and are the cause of the amount being so low. Mental illness is not getting the appropriate funding it needs to provide proper care.

In today’s society there is a greater awareness of mental illnesses. With this greater awareness one might assume that there would be a substantial increase in government involvement or funding in the area of mental illness treatment. Unfortunately this isn’t the case in the U.S. today. There are hundreds of thousands of people with mental illness that go untreated. These potential patients go untreated for many reasons. These reasons are discussed in the Time article “Mental Health Reform: What Would it Really Take.

American history is littered with tails of reform and revolution. Earlier on in America’s young life, revolution included war, struggle for basic human rights and dignity as well as radical tactics taken by the public. As time went on Americans learned that revolution and reform could occur through the government systems that our forefathers had put in place. The battle for human rights has all but ended but the way in which Americans wage war is a different story altogether. Now American’s fight for better public healthcare, equal rights for homosexual individuals and couples, and stricter standards for social welfare programs.

Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. With more than 320 affiliate nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well being of the nation, every day, and in a time of crisis (2007 Mental Health America). As an organization, Mental Health America has been around for nearly a century. We began work in 1909 when Clifford W. Beers, a young business man who struggled with a mental illness and shared his story with the world in his autobiography “A Mind

The contemporary health care is constantly changing for many reasons including advancement in technology, improved knowledge, rising health care cost, lack of reimbursement, etc. etc. To keep up with this changing trend, health care organizations must then continually improve and upgrade their status (Marquis & Huston, 2015). They must engage in technological restructuring, provide quality care, increase patient satisfaction, and retain their staff (Marquis & Huston, 2015). For improvement to occur, health care organizations must develop new ideas, and initiate plan for change. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a growing problem at Summit Behavioral psychiatric unit, suggest ideas for change and develop a plan based on realistic

The lack of treatment for mental illnesses — due partly from the stigma with which it is associated with — comes with a number of public issues: economically,

Modern healthcare facilities often focus on the physical aspect of a patient, but often lack

Mental disorders is an essential element of health as defined by the WHO.27 The goal of the health system is to improve health. The health system that constitutes the personnel, funds, information, supplies, service delivery and leadership to influence health determinant (preventive and promotive) and direct health improvement (treatment and rehabilitative) interventions.28 Previous studies have shown that getting entry and actually using health services is a function of health systems characteristics (availability of personnel, prejudice, funds, supplies and distribution/location) and population in need(health status (perceived or evaluated, age, preference, income and location).29, 30 It is argued that the health systems adjust its dimension in response to potential users dimension.29

Over 4 million people in the U.S. alone are untreated for severe metal diseses such as schizophrenia. untreated mental illness can lead to homelessness, incarsirations and suicide. First of all 28 percent of the homeless population suffer from a mental illness and are obviously not reciving proper care, with the appropriate care and treatment alone that number could be lowered by 74%. Secondly the amount of people with untreated mental disorders comprise of 16% of the total jail/prison inmate population, (nearly 300,000) People with untreated psychiatric illnesses spend twice as much time in jail than non-ill individuals and are more likely to commit suicide. Another benifit of treating mental illness is it has the potential

Lack of access to mental health care and treatment is one of the top ten reasons that many mental health conditions go untreated. Many private and group health insurance plans only include minimal mental health care coverage or do not incorporate mental health care coverage at all. Over half of adult citizens of the United States of America, who possess a mental illness, do not obtain mental health care treatment. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one out of every five adults in America have endured their own mental health difficulty, and one out of every twenty-five American adults suffer from a severe mental illness, such as major depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. (Top 5 Barriers to Mental Healthcare Access, Social Solutions.com, 2017)

Awareness of mental illnesses and treatment options are an ongoing issue in America. This problem isn’t one that can be simply solved overnight. But starting from the community level, people have the power to make a difference. A difference that could benefit people who are suffering with a mental illness and don’t have the opportunities to seek help and treatment. In my community, I have found three mental health services. They consist of Eyerly Ball, Alliance, and Mercy.

Notwithstanding, considering the possible reasoning for unenthusiastic behavior of seeking mental health treatment, several explanations can be hypothesized. The first and foremost concept is stigma. In accordance with Corrigan and Penn (1999), they defined the term stigma as unfounded and negative attitude concerning a person that subsequently leads to solidifying undesirable stereotype and prejudice. Furthermore, Corrigan and Watson (2002) stated in their article that there were two types of stigma. The first type of stigma is described as a reaction of the public that is aimed toward the individual, and the authors called it “public stigma”. The second type of stigma described as “self-stigma” is a characteristic of an individual who internalizes the public reaction and their erroneous belief (Corrigan & Watson, 2002).

With the increasing population around the world, the population of mentally ill people also increases. Many of these people get treatment for their disorders, but others do not. According to Comer (2014), “…in any given year, 40 to 60 percent of all people with schizophrenia and other severe mental disorders receive no treatment at all” (P. 392). In the United States we have what seems like unlimited resources, but we can’t take care of the most severe mentally ill people. There should be more mental health care facilities that focus on caring for the patient, helping them function better all while treating them with respect.