Joe's Case Study: Mental Illnesses In The United States

As Americans it becomes natural to undermine those with a mental illness. As a fact, many adults and children deal with mental illness each and everyday. There are many stories that have been told to Americans about depression, anxiety, along with bipolar disorders, with the outcome usually being a negative consequence. For the 1 in every 5 citizens that deal with a mental illness each year. Americans have neglected the fact that many adults and children deal with mental issue(s), the citizens that refrain from getting help; their well being can suffer detrimental effects, there is not a lot of awareness either taught in school, or in public perspectives, American’s stigma has perfected their

Many studies have reported other significant differences in attitudes towards mental illness among ethnic groups in the United States. Carpenter-Song et al. (2010) The European American participants frequently sought care from mental health professionals and tended to express beliefs about mental illness that were aligned with biomedical perspectives on disease. In contrast, African American and Latino participants were more likely to emphasize “non-biomedical interpretations” of mental illness

The media in American society has a major influential impact on the minds and beliefs of millions of people. Whether through the news, television shows, or film, the media acts as a huge database for knowledge and instruction. It is both an auditory and visual database that can press images and ideas into people's minds. Even if the individual has no prior exposure or knowledge to something, the media can project into people's minds and leave a lasting impression. Though obviously people are aware of what they are listening to or watching, thoughts and assumptions can drift into their minds without even realizing it. These thoughts that drift in are extremely influential. The massive impact it

According to NAMI, The National Alliance of Mental Illness 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition yearly. 1 in 20 people live with a serious mental illness like, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Not only does the person who is directly experiencing a mental illness suffer, but the family, and friends are also highly affected. NAMI states that 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental illnesses develop by age 24. Each year, 1 in 5 children from the ages 13-18 experiences a mental illness reported by NAMI. That’s a large amount of our young generation. Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma, a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart according to the

According to the World Health Organization, mental illness will affect approximately 25% of people at some point in their life (“WHO Qualityrights”, n.d.). Despite that, the current mental health care system in the United States is inadequate. Many aspects of the system need improving, especially the barriers to service. In fact, approximately 20% of individuals are left without necessary treatment for their mental health disorder (“Mental Health”, 2016). Mentally ill individuals have difficulty accessing necessary mental health care services for various reasons; insurance, socioeconomic status, and mental health stigma can all function as barriers to treatment. Insurance discrimination can make it difficult for individuals to find treatment (Han, Call, Pintor, Alarcon-Espinoza, & Simon, 2015). Gaps in insurance coverage can also be a barrier, as they disrupt the long-term treatment process (Gulley, Rasch, & Chan 2011). Socioeconomic status has been found to negatively affect appointment scheduling (Kugelmass, 2016). Finally, stigma in our society can also stop people from seeking out treatment that they need (Bathje & Pryor, 2011). The mental health system in the United States is not capable of caring for the mentally ill, as insurance, socioeconomic status, and perceived stigma all act as barriers that prevent people from receiving the treatment they need.

The United States is a frontrunner in global topics such as women’s rights and environmental issues. However, when discussing mental illness the United States chooses to look at the subject in a mindset that is stuck in the 1950’s using the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. The federal government has only begun to recently talk about mental illness and its effects in the media. Yet, when they do this they choose to cover topics such as ‘gun rights’ with mental illness, while the real topic of conversation is the future treatment for those with mental illness, and how the United States plans on eliminating the stigma that surrounds mental health.

As discussed in class, little advancement has been made in the field of mental health care over the past two decades. Rates of mental illness continue to be high especially among certain subgroups, but progress has been stunted by stigma and social environmental issues. Mental health disparities, like many other health disparities, are embedded within a trend of socioeconomic differences (Miranda, McGuire, Williams, & Wang, 2008). Racial and class disparities exist among those afflicted

The twenty-first century has certainly garnered a reputation. As the generation of acceptance, it has paved the way for many minorities and those previously shunned from society. This being said, America is far from perfect. With every step forward, towards a more equal country, two steps are being taken back and previously forgotten reservations will return. An example of the way America hasn’t progressed is in the way of mental health’s priority in everyday life as well as the services available to help those diagnosed cope.

The United States has never had an official federal-centered approach for mental health care facilities, entrusting its responsibility to the states throughout the history. The earliest initiatives in this field took place in the 18th century, when Virginia built its first asylum and Pennsylvania Hospital reserved its basement to house individuals with mental disorders (Sundararaman, 2009). During the 19th century, other services were built, but their overall lack of quality was alarming. Even then, researchers and professionals in the mental health field attempted to implement the principles of the so-called public health, focusing on prevention and early intervention, but the funds were in the hands of the local governments, which prevented significant advances in this direction.

Mental illness is an issue that impacts all prison systems throughout the United States. The wellbeing of inmates is a long debated issue. There is much improvement that can be done in the prison systems to help rehabilitate and treat inmates while they are incarcerated to better prepare them for a successful reintegration into society. An examination of the current rehabilitation and treatment programs for inmates diagnosed with psychological illness will assist in identifying failures in within the program. Proper implementation of these services can improve an inmate’s chance of successfully reintegrating into society after incarceration and ultimately lower the cost of running a government funded prison. This essay will cover the prominence of mental illness in prison, drug treatment programs that are used to address mental illness in the prison system, continue assistance or continuation of programs for released inmates, the opportunities that exist for rehabilitation, and a proposal for a rehabilitation program. The purpose of the research is aimed at improving the circumstances of the inmates to receive assistance while incarcerated that they may not receive while free.

About 75-80 million people in the United States are mentally ill to some extent (For the Mentally Ill, Finding Treatment Grows Harder). Many people are unaware of the treatments for the mentally ill and how few resources are available. Yes, if society looks from where society has come with the development of treatments, it has come a long ways. There is still more knowledge to be uncovered to ensure the United States gives the mentally ill care equal to what the United States gives the physically ill. Even though research has advanced immensely in the understanding of sanity vs. insanity, the United States needs to do more for those who are mentally ill through diagnosis and aid.

There are many people in the United States that have a mental illness that is either not

The culture of a person suffering from mental illness affects whether or not they comply with treatment or rather continues with treatment. The economic status of an individual suffering from a mental illness plays a significant role in whether or not utilize mental health services. The attitudes toward treatment among African American Males have to do with their cultural, economic status and demographic factors (Versola-Russo, 2006). African American Males after having been diagnosed with a mental illness and discharged from the hospital find it difficult to return to work and to go back to normalcy as they know it (Eack & Newhill, 2012). Studies show that African Americans are less likely to use outpatient mental health services as compared

The city of Virginia Beach is a growing city and like any other area in the world, they have mental illness concerns. In the city of Virginia Beach is a predominant white community with 68.2 % of the population identifying as Caucasian (Census Bureau, 2015). “Different cultural beliefs about mental illness may impact the type of treatment that is pursued and how mental illness is given and the success of management. Other cultures tend to think that mental illnesses, like depression, is caused by stress of everyday life, while Caucasians do not. They believe that it is more from loss of family and friends. For treatments, Caucasians tend to believe that medications are what makes things better. Along with medications, talking with their spouse of significant other helps more than talking to other individuals. When receiving professional help, Caucasians tend to see that speaking the same language is the most important thing in a health care provider, like many other cultures” (Jimenez, 2012).

Issues regarding mental health dramatically affect our society. Unfortunately, marginalized social groups often fall prey to a deficit in treatment options. Ethnic minority groups are dramatically distressed with various social and socioeconomic factors to increase the presence of mental illness. Minority adults are significantly less likely to seek mental health care than adults identifying as two or more races and Whites (Morris, 2015). Different theories touch on different perspective views of mental illness and minorities.