Mental Health Intolerance

Roughly one in every five adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Yet, with that many people being affected, there is still a stigma surrounding mental illnesses. However common, it is not yet something people want to talk about. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they aren’t told that they aren’t getting better because they simply “aren’t trying hard enough.” Paraplegics aren’t called lazy because they can’t walk. Yet for some reason, people have no problem telling someone with depression that they should just “try harder” to be happy, or someone with ADHD that they are simply being lazy, and could focus if they wanted to. It is undeniable that mental health is something that we as a society don't like to talk about. Perhaps it is because it is something we simply don't yet understand.

Have you ever wondered why states spend roughly one billion dollars a year on children (20 and under) who are attempting suicide or have attempted suicide (Nami, 2010)? That is due to the thousands of children who live their daily lives with an undiagnosed mental disorder. What is children’s mental health? Children’s mental health is defined as growing emotionally while developing healthful social skills and learning how to deal with problems (CDC, 2013). Some mental disorders found in children include: mood and anxiety disorders, behavior disorders, Autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and substance use disorder. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, is the most common disorder of children

Mental health affects the cognitive, emotional, and social development of an individual. These conditions can be short term or can continue for the life span of the person. Mental disorders affect children from different ethnicity, races, and ages. The cause of most mental disorders is not known, but heredity, biology, psychological trauma, and environmental stress are all factors (www.webmd.com). Treatment for mental health disorders includes medication and behavior therapy. Early diagnosis and prevention is encouraged; the lack of such can lead to other issues in “school, home, and in relationship forming.” It can also begin to” interfere with healthy development and continue into adulthood” (www.cdc.gov).

With 33 million Americans utilizing healthcare services as a means to manage mental health conditions and illnesses, adequate delivery of mental healthcare, treatment, and practice is becoming increasingly more important in the American landscape of wellness (SAMHSA, 2004a). The mental health system continues to be a challenging area of healthcare, due to: increased usage of coercion into treatment, diversity in care delivery systems, an unevolved quality measurement mechanism, and a drastically different business and marketplace infrastructure. These factors added to the, already, present stigma associated with mental health, culminates into an extremely

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)

What does mental illness look like? Is it the “weird” kid at your school that everyone bullies? Or maybe the latest hair-raising movie about a psycho killer? Mental illness is constantly construed and made to seem dangerous, unnatural, and sickening. Mental illness, as defined by Mayo Clinic, is simply a “disorder that affects your mood, thinking, and behavior”(). These people, who live with mental health issues, including one out of ten teens and one out of five adults, are often treated as if it is their own fault that they are different(). From uncharged jailing to not being able to choose what is best for them to plain everyday interaction, persons with mental illness are ostracized and treated unfairly. As a country, we are failing our

Childhood Mental Disorders, such as anxiety, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are chronic health conditions that present between birth and age 18.1 Mental disorders are characterized as a “combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, and behaviors”2 that may impair a child’s functioning in school, at home, and in everyday life. They are caused by a combination of biological and environmental factors i.e. a family history of anxiety and living below the poverty line. CDC estimates that twenty percent of children in the United States currently suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder3 yet 75-80% of affected individuals do not receive necessary mental health services.4 The underutilization of mental health services may

Mental Illnesses have plagued our society for centuries. In fact, it is a more common disease than people realize, “Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.” (Nami, org). Despite the prevalence of mental illnesses, the stigmas associated with them are still very strong to this day, this is a result of the deinstitutionalization of mental healthcare facilities. Many Americans who suffer from mental Illness do not receive treatment, “Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental health services in the past year. Among adults with a serious mental illness, 62.9% received mental health services in the past year”

The way a person views themselves can be another reason why so many of those diagnosed with mental illnesses avoid or quit helping treatments. Research shows that people with mental illness often internalize stigmatizing ideas that are widely endorsed within society. This brings about a belief that they are less valued because of their psychiatric disorder. The inability to obtain jobs or achieve life goals greatly affects a person’s self-esteem and self-efficacy. If people deny that they have a mental disorder then there would be no need to be judged by others, thus keeping their self-esteem somewhat positive.

You’re walking down the street, passing hundreds of people as you go. Do you ever stop and think that every single person walking past you has their own story and their own daily struggles? Even the person next to you may have something about themselves that they have never told anyone. A statistic from the National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, stated that in 2010 7.4% of the population had some sort of mental or behavioral disorder. This means that around 510,600,000 people suffered from some form of mental or behavioral disorder in 2010 alone. Now, with all this information we must first ask, what is a mental illness?

Using the disability adjusted life year (DALY) measure, unipolar depressive disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, alcohol use and self-inflicted harm are ranked as 5 of the top ten causes of DALYs among young people in the 10-24 year age range. With adolescence and emerging adulthood considered to be the most productive years of life, these figures raise significant concerns about the impact of mental ill-health, not only on young people themselves, but also on their families, communities and wider society. Not only are there worryingly high rates of mental ill-health among young people but, for 75% of adults with a mental disorder, the onset of that disorder will have occurred by the age of 25 years suggesting high rates of continuity in psychopathology over time. Thus, the onset of mental ill health in youth places individuals at high risk of developing enduring and potentially intractable mental health difficulties, which carry with them additional risks including social and vocational exclusion, stigma and discrimination, restricted access to health and social services and higher rates of disability and premature

Nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have some type of serious mental illness that hinders adequate functionality. According to National Mental Health Association, one in three American children- some of pre-school age suffer from depression. Because children and adolescent are less likely to report symptoms, a large number of children with psychiatric disorders go unidentified. According to a survey, in any given year, only 20 percent of children with mental disorders are identified and receive mental health services. According to NIMH, one in twenty teens have moderately severe to severe depression, a number of

Teenagers do not have the right resources available to cope with a mental illness. There are not enough opportunities to have a conversation on mental health whether it be with a parent or counselor. Mental health awareness is misconstrued as real progress in addressing the problem. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders changes very often, so there is no real authority on the diagnosis of a mental

During my time working for a few different retail locations I have been witness to the double standard of respect that people give the weak. In general people will go out of their way to help an elderly person carry their items out to their car, or will even in some cases help them gather their grocery inside the store. However, this courtesy and consideration does not apply to individuals of a younger age. If they are hobbling or walking with a cane in some cases are the last person to receive assistance because of automatic assumptions people make. Even in some cases doctors with medical licenses will be critical of an individual if that individuals believe something abnormal is happening within their body. One of the most common hidden illness of them all is mental conditions. Mental illnesses which are so common that almost every person either is related or knows an individual who has one. This does not stop them from being a taboo topic to many. In today’s society mental illnesses are not only barely discussed, but for most people they do not openly claim they have one. It is an uncomfortable topic that follows hard questions that people may not want to answer. It can also lead to people judging the individual based on the bad connotations that follow many of these conditions. The victims of these conditions can fall under any age bracket which makes it nearly impossible to

If untreated mental illnesses are not a social concern, then many children might end up with a mental disorder. Many people believe that mental illnesses are more likely to occur in adults, not children. However, children may show early signs of mental health concerns and can develop a mental disorder. Helping young children at an early stage by getting the right treatment will prevent the development of disorders during adulthood. If the mental illness develops, this illness is going to be a part of the child’s life, therefore making it harder to treat. In