Mental Health Support Group Analysis

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).

Approximately one out of every four Americans suffers from some form of mental disorder in a given year. About 3.5 million Americans suffer from severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness. At least 40 percent of mentally ill people do not seek help or are not being treated, while many wander the streets homeless (Kornblum).

One in five American adults have experienced a mental health issue, and one in twenty-five Americans have lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also states studies show that individuals with mental health problems get better and may even recover completely, where they can continue living life healthily, with the help of treatments, services, and community systems. I, myself am one of the twenty-five.

Mental illness indirectly affects everybody. Everybody will have at least one person in their life that is suffering from mental illness; whether it is a family member, a friend, or a colleague. One on every five Canadians under sixty-five will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lifetime (Ontario.cmha.ca, 2014). These illnesses usually develop in adolescence and young adulthood usually at a time where they are creating valuable relationships and making huge decisions that impact our whole lives. Mental illnesses are categorized into the following categories; anxiety disorders, concurrent disorders and dual diagnosis, dementia, eating disorders, mood disorders,

Mental illness is an increasing problem in America. Currently about 26.2% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder. A mental illness/disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functions. Mental illness can affect humans of any age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. However the care that is needed to effectively cure and help the people affected by the illness is not equal for everyone here in American, especially for African Americans.

The mental health care needs of many children and adults have been overlooked for quite some time. Nearly one in five adults experience a mental health issue at some point throughout their lives, yet due to the challenges in accessing and obtaining affordable health care, many have gone without adequate treatment (Mental health by the numbers, 2015). According to SAMSHA (2013), 2/3 of America’s 45 million adults suffering from mental illnesses, and 90% of our country’s 21 million adults struggling with substance use disorders go without treatment each year (SAMSHA, 2013).

The social relation of therapy management; Mark Nichter and Margaret Lock, 1987, Ed. London and New York; Rutledge.

It was difficult to admit that I was anxious about going to therapy. After all, I am in the helping field myself. So I procrastinated until I could no longer and decided to join a care givers group. Upon entering I feel tension immediately. I couldn’t understand why. The facilitator asked why I was there, I told her I was a student and that my mother suffers from Bipolar-Depression, she informed me that the organization didn’t allow students to observe but since I could relate to the topic, I could say and participate. The group members began to trickle in I noticed that the group member nor the facilitator where big on keeping time. There ended up being 4 group members: A husband with a suffering wife, a mother with a suffering

Mental illness is a health condition that affects an individual’s moods and thinking in a way that changes how that person relates to other people in society. The functioning of the affected person is also altered and usually results in the person failing to perform some of the daily activities that the person has previously engaged in. Mental illness can be considered a combination of both social and health complications, affecting the social life of the people who fall victim in many ways (Elliott & Huizinga, 2012). There are some health complications that are also experienced with mental disorders. It is also important to note that medical attention forms part of the therapies that try to correct or control this condition. More recently most concern has been on the fact that mental illness is a major social problem in the world (Gonzalez & Rosenheck, 2014).

I have never had the opportunity to work with, or even observe, group psychotherapy so this chapter was an eye opener for me. The amount of work that a therapist has to put forth for a successful group, even before it begins, is rather daunting when you think about it. The most seemingly simple tasks must be carefully considered and while this is true the use of pre-preparation in group therapy has been shown to be of benefit for prospective members. In a controlled experiment by Yalom and colleagues, prepared clients were compared to unprepared clients. The prepared clients exhibited a higher level of faith in the therapy, this lead to better therapy outcomes and the prepared clients were observed to have more personal interaction, as

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)

Family members and mental illness. The family in the Family Support Group support group was satisfied on a monthly basis. Family and friends hope for getting support each other by sharing their experience, strength, caring for a loved one with a mental illness. NAMI connect people, share coping strategies and learn from each other's experience, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly 90 minutes recovery support groups for people living with mental illness to provide encouragement and understanding each other. NAMI Connection group is also facilitated by people living with mental illness, the diagnosis for the other people who live with mental illness. Dedication and passion, but I do not know the mental health advocates are always the most effective

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.

While simply navigating through the terrain of life, people might struggle with keeping up with daily routines and the demands of day to day living; Although life seems tough from the outset, problems of mental health place more obstacles upon the individual and his or her family and friends. Without a doubt, there are many expectations that society or one may have. For instance, getting eight hours of sleep, having a social life, exercising at least an hour a day, working towards a good career, going to school, pursuing personal interests, eating a balanced diet, and being close with one’s family are already enough to spread a person thin. While juggling through these personal goals, there is a whole set of responsibilities that is thrown in the intimidating concoction when mental illness gets involved. Diagnosis of a serious mental disorder like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and major depressive disorder has demanding repercussions on the individuals and others. In addition, mental illness holds a stigma in our society which brings forth negative attitudes and discrimination. Usually, families are overwhelmed by the challenges that come with mental illness; however, there are many ways to cope and show support for the loved one who is affected.

Mental health—and the stigma that comes along with it—is a very important issue, one of global importance. Shah and Beinecke explain that 450 to 500 million people suffer from mental illnesses (15). Just considering the amount of people who suffer from mental illness is enough to prove that this is a global issue. Despite the large amounts of people who are affected by mental illness, only one third of countries have some sort of program to help (15). This shows the lack of concern for those who suffer from mental illness. Stereotypes affect many people, and those with mental illness are no exception. Everyone has their own preconceived perspectives and notions of mental health, and many of them are uninformed and unjustified. It is up to us to start changing our viewpoints on mental health.