Sense or nonsense, many different views can come from reading the Szasz article on mental illness. According to Szasz mental illness is “merely a convenient myth” (91, Szasz). In the article Szasz compares what it looks to have physical illness compared to mental illness, as well as the concept of what mental illness really consists of. By comparing physical and mental illnesses Szasz makes it evident to the readers that there are clearly more symptoms visible to the eye with physical illnesses, then there are with mental illnesses. Szasz explains that he does not believe in such concepts as mental illness, but he agrees that some factors of mental illness are evident in people’s everyday life. Szasz has some valid points and arguments in his article but overall, there is more to mental illness then just was Szasz sees.
This paper will focus on using prison as a treatment for mentally ill convicts. Additionally this paper will examine how penalty of imprisonment of mental ill people can results in moral dilemmas by violating human rights. The number of incarcerated mentally ill people and the criminalization of mental illness are factors in the growth of the mentally ill population in prison. There are problems and dangerous situations with putting mentally ill people in prisons, and this
In the film K-Pax, a a middle age man, claiming to be 337 earth years old, is brought into psychiatric institute after he causes a disturbance at a train station. Prott, the patient, experiences a delusion where he believes that he is from the extraterrestrial planet K-Pax and he will return back on July 27, taking one person with him. Prott is delusional, but very intelligent which makes many patients believe his stories, and the doctors question him even more. He shares unknown knowledge surrounding a star system that had never been figured out before. Throughout his time at the mental institute he gives tasks to another patient, each task is proven to be true and works. His psychiatrist Dr. Powell uncovers that Protts true name is Robert Porter, after looking
Review of Thomas Szasz. M.D.,The Myth Of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct.
Mental instability is one of many factors that plays a role in citizens handling guns irresponsibly. Are gun laws controlling factors of gender, geographical location, and race?
Imagine millions of Americans being arrested for having a sickness or disease. What would the charges be? Hypertension? Diabetes? Cardiovascular disease? Asthma? This is essentially what has happened in the United States’ correctional system when it comes to the mentally ill. Instead of being treated for their illness, many persons with mental problems are receiving sentences – and harsher sentences at that (James & Glaze, 2006, p. 8-9). They are, in a sense, being charged with having a mentally illness.
Many cultures have viewed mental illness as a form of religious punishment or demonic possession. In Ancient Greek and Roman writings mental illness was categorized as a religious or personal problem. Individuals who are mentally ill are once again being mistreated by society and being place in prison. Prison is not a place for people for are mentally ill, jails were created as a form of criminal punishment for offenders and not a home for people who are mentally ill. In many cases, the welfare of offenders are not acknowledged because their is a misconception that all people with mental disabilities are a danger to the public. People become a greater threat to themselves that others when they are not receiving the appropriate care. Providing
Next, Cunningham was diagnosed with "paranoid schizophrenia," "antisocial personality disorder", and "borderline intellectual function". Second, Shaifer "long ago diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Third, Pinson with a history of "epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia". Fourth, Narducci Jr who was diagnosed with a "mood disorder" and a "mixed personality disorder.
Solitary confinement does affect those inmates who have been diagnosed as mentally ill prior to entering solitary confinement differently than those who have never been diagnosed as mentally ill.
The United States does not have proper treatment facilities for persons with mental illness. With this unfortunate circumstance persons with mental illness are being sentenced to jail/prison instead of receiving help for their illness. Statistics also show that African Americans are more likely to be considered a “criminal” instead of being considered of having a mental illness. The United States should look into spending more money on mental health to prevent persons with mental health illnesses to be sentenced to jail. A person with mental illness who does not receive treatment will more than likely commit the same crime they have before and will be sentenced back to jail. A solution that may work would be to have a section of the jail specifically
A few solutions for the rising mentally ill inmates in prison is to : keep a working public mental health treatment system so that those that are mentally ill do not end up in prison or jail. Redo the mental illness treatment laws and practices in communities that will help eliminate obstacles to treatment for those people that are too ill to recognize they in face need help. This will help these individuals before they are so out of the normal that they commit acts that result in their arrest. Reform jail and prison treatment laws so inmates with mental illness can receive appropriate and necessary treatment just as inmates with medical conditions receive appropriate and necessary medical treatment. Implement and promote jail diversion programs
Solitary confinement drastically affects mentally ill prisoners differently as compared to the general population. Such effects are psychological and they are as follows: (1) anxiety; (2) depression; (3) anger; (4) cognitive disturbances; (5) perceptual distortions; (6) obsessive thoughts; (7) paranoia; and (8) psychosis (Metzner & Fellner, 2010). Being confined inside a unit with no windows can disorient inmates with or without mental disorders, and failure to provide mentally ill inmates with psychiatric help could result in more disruptive behaviors. Prison officials must be aware and mindful of inmates that are medically diagnosed with mental disorders. Placing mentally ill prisoners in solitary confinement can jeopardize the safety and efficient operation of a correctional facility, and pose challenges for correctional professionals (Newman & Scott, 2012).
There are many people with mental disorders in U.S.A and many of those people end up in jail. Some people may think this is good, worse people in jail right, wrong. So many mentally ill people are prosecuted and sometimes are not even given the option to go to somewhere that is more qualified to hold them. The words mentally ill to describe a person often gets lost in context when people talk about this subject. The definition of a mentally ill person is “a person who thinks, acts, and behaves differently”. There are reasons why this is bad and they are it is bad to keep the mentally ill in prison, how much this issue effects, and how harsh it is for the mentally ill in prisons. This issue needs to be stopped.
“Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions such as disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.(Mental Health Conditions.)” Examples of a mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. Mentally ill individuals, who are convicted of nonviolent crimes, should be kept out of jails because most jails do not have the resources to treat the conditions most suffer from, secondly improper treatment causes their mental states to worsen, lastly mentally ill inmates need resources and those resources come at a price which means that they are more expensive to have incarcerated than inmates who do not suffer from a mental
31 y/o AA male patient seen today for psychiatric-mental health assessment. He is awake, alert and oriented x4. He is calm, cooperative and follows commands during assessment. The patient reports he is depressed, difficulty sleeping and nightmares at night. The patient explained his depression is as a result of deep thinking from a news he received two days ago from his elder brother that his mother is ill. Stressors identified by the patient include losing his job a week ago before the news about his mother; his wife is 6-months pregnant with their first child, who currently works part-time at her present job; patient relates difficulty paying monthly bills and inability to provide adequately for his family as a man. The patient denies mood swings, suicidal/homicidal thoughts and ideation. Patient reports his spouse is at work at the moment and he does not want to put stress on his wife due to her current condition. Patient denies been hospitalized for depression or psychiatric illness; and denies family history of mental illness. Patient reports he is seeking help because he does not like feeling this way using terms of “helpless and loss of worth from his spouse”. Patient reports he needs help with his depression and nightmares before his current condition get out of hands and ruined his marriage.