Mental Health And Health Care

“The Canadian Mental Health Association estimates that 1 in 5 Canadians will develop a mental illness at some time in their lives.” Mental illness is defined as a mental pattern that causes an impaired ability to function normally in ordinary life. Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income and are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. A number of factors can contribute to whether an individual will develop a mental illness, with these factors being present individually or in multiples. A number of factors have been identified that contribute towards initiating mental illness, but no individual factor has been definitively identified as ‘the’ factor that causes a mental illness. Symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are classified into two main categories as being either organic disorders or functional disorders. Organic disorders cause a decrease in the mental function of the brain due to a medical disease; while functional disorders cause a derangement of the mind. The type and severity of the disorder determines if it will be short-term and treatable or if it will be permanent or degenerative and untreatable. There are a variety of community and medical services available to assist those who are affected by mental illness. These services are available on an in-patient or out-patient basis depending on the level of severity, with the general trend towards

In my experience, small towns often lack the mental health competencies and capabilities necessary to meet the challenges that face their citizens both individually and collectively. Having volunteered more than 300 hours in small communities, numerous shortfalls and gaps as it related to treatment and psychoeducation were discovered. As a result of these findings, I would like to devote time and research to such areas in order to establish and implement community based programs that will allow for mentally healthy

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

The first obstacle that must be overcome when Appalachians want to get help for mental health issues is the lack of access to mental health professionals. While there are mental health treatment options available, they are mainly located in the more urban areas of the region (Susan Emily Keefe, Appalachia’s Children). All too often, people are unaware of the services available to them for the treatment of mental health disorders. Even if they do possess knowledge of what is available, it may not be feasible to get to these services. Many of the residents may not have insurance or the financial capabilities necessary to pay for treatment. Because the

(Halifax Psychologists, n.d.) and Canadian health insurance generally does not cover private professionals. Government funded psychiatrists and physicians that specialize in mental health and therapy generally have long wait-lists. Low income family may not be able to afford private practices and may be placed on long wait-lists where the mental illness can go undiagnosed for an extended period of time and may progress and get worse without treatment. Unemployment and education go along with the income factor, little to no education can lead to unemployment and unemployment can lead to low income. Physical environments are also a significant determinant of mental health and can influence barriers.

This is an issue wherever anyone who is suffering from Mental Health, which is can be anyone in Canada.

In comparison to United States, Scotland, and England, Canada has seen the most reduction in homelessness over the years, mainly due to their Homelessness Partnering Strategy. It has been shown that people who participated in the Canada’s housing programs, even those with high needs and/or who are habitually homeless, usually tend to stay housed after a year. While it is established that there are greater occurrence rates for mental illness, it is also recognized that the experience of homelessness can worsen these conditions. Providing people with housing and supports can help stabilize people with such issues. Housing stability diminishes the need to access services in an emergency, and increases the possibility of more effective health care and continuity of

There are multiple barriers that prevent recent immigrants to Canada from accessing mental health services including culture, stigma, and affordability. One of the barriers that prevents immigrants from seeking mental health services is language proficiency (Ohtani, Suzuki, Takeuchi, & Ochida, 2015). Language barriers and their implications on mental health care will be reviewed. Brisset et al. (2013) highlights the importance of dialogue between the health care practitioner and the client receiving care. This inhibits the practitioner’s ability to form a diagnosis, and to collaboratively decide on a course of treatment. Recent immigrants and refugees have a higher likelihood to suffer from psychiatric disorders (Brisset et al, 2013).

Mental health is defined as an individual’s optimal care in managing the stress of everyday life, through their own unique approach and can efficiently and successfully make vital contribution within the community they live in (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 2013). Since a break in a person’s optimal mental state affects not only the individual but society, it is important to understand what it means to have a break in one’s state of mental health and the different categories that is associated with mental illness. Focus will also be paid to why there is a need for the reformation of the mental health act in Canada; the social determinants that is associated with mental health and their contribution to society’s health’s. Finally, focus also need to be placed on how mental health is being promoted to society the stigma generally associated with it.

Mental health is a substantial problem in our society and our government is. In the past, many of the severely addicted and mentally ill patients of Greater Vancouver were sent to Riverview Hospital, a mental health facility in Coquitlam that was shut down in July 2012. The aftermath of the deinstitutionalization of these patients caused unneeded problems. Riverview Hospital must be reopened to provide the beds and housing that community facilities lack for those with mental illnesses. When Riverview reopens, patients will have access to the treatment they urgently need. Intensive care in secure wards at Riverview for patients that are chronically mentally ill is absolutely necessary. Additionally, the BC government must reopen Riverview Hospital

Access to mental health care is not as good as than other forms of medical services. Some Americans have reduced access to mental health care amenities because they are living in a countryside setting. Others cannot get to treatment for the reason of shortage of transportation or vast work and household tasks. In some areas, when a

It is explained that around 70% of nonmetropolitan Appalachian areas are viewed as shortage areas. In the first test, using only the Appalachian variable combined with either age or sex, it was found that the Appalachian location played a significant role in relationship to the shortage area. When the Appalachian variable was combined with age, sex, and either race/ethnicity categories, unemployment, uninsurance, income, or education, the same was still found. Both of these trials recognized the Appalachia location as being a significant predictor of the disparity area. What is interesting, is that when every single variable on the list was taken into account all at once, it was found that the most significant predictor of Appalachia being an area of mental health shortage was actually the level of education of people in the area. It was found that only 46.1% of the 618 people involved in the study had a high school diploma or more, and this may have a contribution to the mental health shortage within the Appalachian area, (Hendryx,

Mental disorder can be wide spread in both rural and urban areas. People who live in rural regions will still have different ways of living when compared to other rural areas. Individuals who reside in rural areas do have some culture categories that are similar. For instance, they may be suspicious of newcomers. They are generally more “conservative”, (Cockerham 2014) “religious”, (Cockerham 2014) and focus a lot on family oriented lifestyles.

Participants in the study were sampled from several mental health outpatient clinics. The community mental health centers were considered a specialty level of care and are located in both urban and rural settings. The patients at the centers are typically referred by primary care provider, emergency department or after an inpatient hospitalization for outpatient mental health treatment and follow-up.

Community mental health is a prominent area of social work both in Canada as well as in India even though there are remarkable differences and similarities. The use of services and the factors determining the mental health usage too are different according to the culture, geography, sociological aspects, communities involved, immigrant population as well as differences in ethnicities. In Canada each province has different system for the community services but the sector is publically funded. There is variation in the intensity of community service uses due to various reasons and the non-European community uses the services the least in Canada (Whitley, Kirmayer, & Groleau, 2006). As an experienced helping professional from India, I experience numerous challenges when practicing my profession especially in community mental health service sector. The reorientation in social work knowledge which I learned from Canada is special when bench marking with the Indian social work education. Anti-oppression is redefining the entire perception and it is