Mental Illness Research Paper

Mental disorder is more common than most think. WHO reports that mental disorder is not only those that are institutionalized, in fact 1 in 5 Americans are. That’s about 42.5 million people, which suffers with some form of mental illness (BEKIEMPIS, 2014). Unfortunately, most individuals are not aware of their disorder and those that are might not seek treatment or become dependent to the antipsychotic drugs. The 2008, Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act provisions expanded mental health services to 62 million of people (Health Insurance and Mental Health Services, n.d.). The ACA mental health expansion requires for health insurance plans to provide mental health screening as part of their preventive services. ACA is mandatory and

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

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).

Every year, as many as 8 million Americans who have serious mental illnesses do not receive adequate treatment. Kelly, a mother of three, has battled depression for 15 years. Her psychiatrist tried to have her admitted, but there was not a single available bed. Not in the city, not in the entire state. Kelly is one of the millions of people who were turned away from services. “States looking to save money have pared away both the community health services designed to keep people healthy, as well as the hospital care needed to help them heal after a crisis” (Szabo). Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, states that mental illnesses cost the country at least $444 billion a year, with only one-third of it going towards medical care. States should better fund mental health care because it has been neglected, it is a vital part to a person’s overall health, and it should be listed as a priority.

Mental illness refers to all diagnosable mental disorders defined as “health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.” (Williams & Torrens, 2008, p. 221) With one in every five American adults experiencing mental illness, the resulting economic burden exceeds $300 billion per year to include approximately $100 billion in direct health care expenditures, $24 billion in disability benefits, and $193 billion in lost earnings. (Insel, 2008) This estimate is conservative as it excludes the components of incarceration, homelessness, comorbid conditions, early mortality and the incalculable costs to families that absorb much of the financial and emotional burdens of these illnesses. Despite the fact mental illness contributes over 6% to the nation’s health care spending; the United States (U.S.) mental health system has historically lacked integration with physical medicine and public policy support. (Insel, 2008)

The United States has one of the highest percent of mental illness in the world. According to “Transformation Prescribed for Mental Health Care in the USA” by Desmond Avery, “In any given year, 5-7% of all American adults have a serious mental illness, and 5-9% of all children have a serious emotional disturbance.” (Avery 695). These are staggering numbers, at this rate, some form of mental illness effects nearly every family in America. The U.S. on average spends about 113 billion dollars on mental care each year. This puts them right with other developed countries on spending, however, a clear majority of that spending goes to keeping the mentally ill medicated, instead of counseling or rehabilitation. More of American spending goes to prescription drugs than any other country in the world. Another issue with American mental healthcare is that mental health professionals are far scarcer than any other type of medical professional. Mental health care is also extremely expensive in the United States. Many people who cannot afford premium insurance are not subject to the best treatment available, or are not properly treated at all. With all these factors, mental health patients in the United states are not getting the treatment they need. Many go completely untreated. With many issues associated with healthcare in the United States, there seems to be no solution in

Mental health issues are on the rise, especially among the youth, 6 out of 10 young people do not receive mental health treatment for major depression. Currently, there are over 40 million Americans are dealing with a mental health issue and 56 percent of them are not receiving proper treatment. (mentalhealthAmerica). In addition, 33 percent of all homeless individuals have a mental illness and do not receive treatment. With the rise of mental health issues, the funding for mental illness should also increase to meet the need. If additional funds were put into mental health care, no or low-cost mental health care treatment and early detection screenings could be offered to those who

Mental health issues, a shadowed problem in the U.S, has affected millions across the nation. In the United States, there are many problems with its mental health service. People with mental disorders are in an inferior area with hospitals being shut down, they usually end up homeless, and sometimes they even end up in prison. Consequently, the U.S pays a large amount of money to go into holding these prisoners who could have been in mental hospitals. In addition to mental hospitals being closed, some people do not receive treatment or help towards their problems.

According to stateline.org, “In 2014, 43.6 million adults had a mental illness... Fewer than half of these people received treatment” (Ollove). Mental health disorders are a growing epidemic in the United States. Tens of thousands are diagnosed each year, however few decide to seek treatment. Costly medications and treatment options are often to blame, as they are difficult for patients to afford. Mental health care coverage should be included in all health insurance plans because mental health disorders should be treated the same as any physical illness, it benefits society as a whole, and many mentally ill patients cannot afford necessary medication or care.

One of many challenges officers face is, dealing with people in the community with mental health issues. A mental illness is a wide range of mental health conditions that can often affect your mood and ability to process information (mayo clinic staff,2015). In this paper, I will be talking about, the training that Is currently in place for officers when dealing with mental health issues, what resources should be in place for the officers, case were mental issues were in factor and how officers handled it and if they could of handled it differently, and what the future should look like when dealing with mental illness.

Since 1949, Mental Health America and its affiliates have celebrated Mental Health Month in May. In 2016, the theme for Mental Health Month is – “Life with a Mental Illness”. Therefore, Mental Health America is calling on individuals to share their stories about what life with a mental illness feels like, for them. So, our ministry is also taking action to share this message and to provide you with a platform to share your mental health stories. So, here are a few ideas to get us started. Of course, feel free to share your stories and continue this discussion.

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion or behavior or a combination of all three (What is Mental Illness). Mental illnesses are associated with distress or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. Mental illnesses take many forms, some are fairly mild and only interfere in limited ways with daily life, such as certain phobias and other mental health conditions are so severe that a person may need care in a hospital. Mental illnesses can affect anyone, regardless of your age, gender, income, social status, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, background or other aspect of cultural identity (What is Mental Illness).

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)

An aspect of healthcare that gets woefully underserved in our current times is mental health. Recent economic struggles all over the country has resulted in mental health budgets getting slashed. Mental health programs have been curtailed and many facilities permanently shut down. This has resulted in devastating effects on people that greatly rely on mental health services to remain healthy and productive citizens.

With technology,there is so much isolation with people now, that there are very few places where you can connect.” -Mireille Guiliano. I will go ahead and go in to some of the mental illnesses and such that will be discussed in this research paper. One of the mental illnesses is depression. Depression and its many forms is no joke and is a serious disorder. I know nobody else will read this paper, as this isn’t some online article, but if you think someone or yourself are suffering from this disorder, please visit a doctor and tell someone, don’t suffer alone. Anyways, depression is where there is a long-lasting episode of sadness that can severely affect your daily life. Depression can also cause sleeping disorders like insomnia, which is