Consent : Mental Necess, And Mental Illness

The provision of mental health services in the U.S. is a social justice issue that affects vulnerable populations in a variety of ways, including: limited access to quality mental health programs, especially in rural areas; the stigma associated with seeking mental health help; and discrimination against those with mental health issues. The far-reaching implications on our current system and policies of mental health care mean that it is a pervasive issue in the United States. According to the Scientific American, “Mental health care is one of the biggest

Consent is defined by NHS Choices (2010) as: "the principle that a person must give

Individuals with a mental health illness tend to experience discrimination due to misinformation, assumptions and stereotyping. Many people in our society are not educated on the subject of mental illnesses and often have misconceptions about the conditions and what affects these pre conceived ideas can have on the individual suffering from the

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).

Many people with mental illnesses try to hide their mental illness when applying for a job. Research from Mind released on May 16, 2011 found that one in five people who had disclosed their mental illness had been sacked or forced out of their jobs. This shows how most employers don’t want to hire people with mental illness. People with mental illnesses often intimidate employers because they often believe they could be a liability. But in reality although people have a mental illness there are quite a few jobs they are easily capable of doing and we should encourage their interest in working if they are capable of performing the job correctly. According to Psychology Today there are still attitudes within most societies that view symptoms of psychopathology as threatening and uncomfortable, and these attitudes frequently foster stigma and discrimination toward people with mental health problems. People's views on mental illness have been commonly portrayed through the mainstream media in an unpleasant way. This makes life more difficult for people with mental illnesses because this leads to discrimination by others. We should all erase the portrayal of people with mental illnesses, especially employers. If we are going to make opinions of people especially with mental illnesses then we should first do research on their condition.

The subject of consent requires the understanding of some of the legal and ethical issues surrounding the subject-

Counselors are required by law to take a proactive approach to ensure informed consent is properly applied in accordance with (IAW) Mental Health Act Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) §12-43-214 (2); 12-43-222(1)(p) disclosure shall be made to the child. If the client is a child whose parent or legal guardian is consenting to mental health services, disclosure shall be made to the parent or legal

In the world of medicine, consent is an ethical and a legal agreement between patient and their health care provider; to participate in but not limited to research trials or to obtain medical or surgical interventions. Consent generally is expressed or implied. Express consent can be an oral declaration or it can be provided by printed document. (informed consent). Nevertheless, consent is not an independent entity. It does not function on its own. It works in conjunction with capacity. Spike 2017, stated informed consent is the single most important concept for understanding decision-making capacity. This is measured by a patient’s ability to understand, retain, process and re-communicate the information provided by the medical professionals.

Many people with serious mental illnesses are forced to live in overcrowded, and often substandard living environments, that place them at physical and emotional risk. The ongoing stigma surrounding mental illness means that many housing providers, funding sources, and neighborhood groups are reluctant to serve people with disabilities, despite legislation such as the Fair Housing Amendments Act. People with serious mental illnesses, with appropriate support, are often quite successful at working when employed. However, the unemployment rate among people with serious mental illnesses hovers at 90 percent. Though today’s economy has created significant opportunities for people with serious mental illnesses to gain better, higher paying jobs, the technology and the resources to provide them with necessary long-term support in those jobs are lagging far behind. People with serious mental illnesses require appropriate and timely mental health and primary health care

Informed consent is a formal agreement that a patient/member signs to give permission for a medical procedure or program after an explanation of risks and benefits are given to the patient/member (Merriam-Webster.com, 2015). Another definition for informed consent is, “tenet requiring that competent patients, who are free to consent, be sufficiently informed and be the principal decision makers in their own care” (Brannigan, 2001).

As a counselor, there are certain guidelines that we must follow as it relate to the treatment of a client. Research states that “Informed consent is an ongoing part of the counseling process, and counselors appropriately document discussions of informed consent throughout the counseling relationship” (ACA, 2014, p.4). This guideline is crucial to the well-being of the client, because it allows the client to decide if they want to continue this client-counselor relationship. It also, exhibits that the counselor is in compliance with all federal state laws to protect themselves and their practice. Most clients who choose to participate in counseling have never participated however, it is important to provide an overview of

Medical consent is the act, in healthcare, of informing patients of disease processes, its natural history and treatments or observation of such. Consent involves competing values of patient autonomy versus provider paternalism and much of the ethical controversy resides here. Consent is commonly written, but may be oral or implied, and is often supported with decision aids such as written materials, videos, etc.

When people are mentally ill, they suffer social stigma, have higher health costs, and are at an increased risk of becoming poor. Every one out of five Americans is diagnosed with a mental illness. That 20 percent of the population can negatively influence the normal stresses of life, working productively and fruitfully, and being able to make a contribution the community. When humankind as a whole cannot recognize that mental illness is a serious issue, there is more harm being done than good. Any kind of mental illness can be caused merely by society, but also can worsen due to humanity not understanding how injustice can make a serious impact. The mental health problems that people face can be limited to society learning about the injustice of these illnesses.

About 43.8 million people are diagnosed with a mental illness per year in the U.S. Mental health treatment has become an important subject due to events of criminal cases, such as shootings, which are led by individuals who show signs of mental illness. Mental illnesses are as serious a condition as any physical health condition, however, they aren’t covered as such. There are many promising features about a mental health reform, however, it is difficult to present them when they are also opposing arguments. The policy towards a mental healthcare reform has been emphasized throughout America, though, there is yet to be a solution.

Informed consent is not only a fundamental right of clients, but it a document and a process that helps protect the clients’ privacy and contribute to the empowerment of the clients. Ideally, the concept of the informed consent is broader then the signed document, it is an ethical and legal obligation of the counselor stated by the ACA code of ethics () to provide accurate and relevant information to clients within the scope of their ability and capacity to understand and process the given information and their consequences. In determining what should, and should not, go into an informed consent document it is necessary for the information provided not to overwhelm the client and to be in a language that they understand. Writing in a simplified manner is important, not everyone is well versed in complex issues such as