Sarah Wynn College Prep Writing Hour 4 Mrs. West 24 February 2016 Screening Adolescent Children for Mental Illnesses “After his father was diagnosed with cancer, a 15-year-old… teen started skipping school, erupting in angry outbursts, yelling at teachers and punching holes in walls or retreating to his room paralyzed by an overwhelming sadness” (Kennedy n.p.g.). This young teenage boy denied help from the school, however, he eventually sought treatment and was diagnosed with major depression disorder. Mental illness in teens is not always noticeable and may have a catastrophic outcome. Schools of adolescent children, such as middle schools and high schools, should screen all students for mental illness every year. Some people believe screening …show more content…
Students and parents alike believe that the questions asked are too personal and fear the social stigma of mental illness. The Citizens of Commission on Human Rights or CCHR, a nonprofit mental health watchdog group that has helped enact more than 150 laws protecting individuals from abuse or coercive practices, says that, “Mental health screening asks young students embarrassing, personal and potentially upsetting questions that psychiatrists have worded in such a way that no student could escape being labeled mentally ill at some point during their education… questionnaires can result in psychological or psychiatric intervention…” (CCHR Editors n.p.g.). Since these questionnaires may be misleading, parents and students fear the validity of these tests. Pharmaceutical drug companies are thought to take advantage of the mentally ill. “We hear so much these days about how psychotherapies can help people with mental health problems. But the most recent figures tend to suggest that as many as 57% of people with mental health problems are being treated solely with medications without any form of psychotherapy. And that figure is not going down—it’s going up!—up from 44% to 57% between 1998 and 2007” (Davey n.p.g.). Drugs are society's answer to problems that require more effort and …show more content…
Some major mental illnesses adolescent teens suffer are, “Anxiety disorders were the most common condition (31.9%), followed by behavior disorders (19.1%), mood disorders (14.3%), and substance use disorders (11.4%), with approximately 40% of participants with one class of disorder also meeting criteria for another class of lifetime disorder.” (Merikangas n.p.g.). These disorders are long lasting and do not just simply go away without some sort of treatment such as therapy, medication, more hands on attention, and so forth. These kids need someone to talk to and confide in that knows what they are going through and/or knows how to help them cope with their disorder. A mental illness is not something that one chooses, it is a disease that can potentially lead to a form of self-bullying either mentally or physically. Keith Hawton, a professor of psychiatry and a consultant psychiatrist to the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, found that, “398 (6.9%) participants reported an act of deliberate self-harm in the previous year that met study criteria. Only 12.6% of episodes had resulted in presentation to hospital. Deliberate self-harm was more common in females than it was in males (11.2% v 3.2%; odds ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 3.1 to 4.9)” (Hawton n.p.g). Mental disorders may affect those closest to us and it may be detrimental, however, there are ways to help relieve the symptoms
Difficulties with mental health are increasingly becoming a significant issue, particularly among today’s youth. An article titled “Bullying in Early Adolescence” by Dorothy L. Espelage explains how early adolescents often begin bullying due to societal pressures forced by their peers. Another article titled “Panic Over Teen ‘Sexting’ Eclipse Bigger Threat” shows how teenagers overlook their mental health due to peer pressure. An individual generally cares more about their perception of themselves in society, rather than a person’s mental health. During early adolescence, individuals often prioritize their social status and perception of themselves in society over their mental well-being.
emotionally capable of making an informed decision regarding participation in this study. Of the participants, 250 were male and 300 were female. Participants were selected from general
In the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 10 to 14-year-olds (CDC, 2015) and for 15 to 19-year-olds (Friedman, 2008). In 2013, 17.0% of students grades 9 to 12 in the United States seriously thought about committing suicide, 13.6% made a suicide plan, 8.0% attempted suicide, and 2.7% attempted suicide in which required medical attention (CDC, 2015). These alarming statistics show that there is something wrong with the way mental illness is handled in today’s society. Also, approximately 21% of all teenagers have a treatable mental illness (Friedman, 2008), although 60% do not receive the help that they need (Horowitz, Ballard, & Pao, 2009).
Are mental illnesses underdiagnosed? Many people believe that in today's society mental illnesses in teens are underdiagnosed or overdiagnosed. A Lot of teens are now suffering from different types of anxiety disorders. Many believe this is because stress in adolescence has been on the rise due to extreme amounts of schoolwork and stress at jobs and home. Some teens try to self diagnose themselves instead of going to see a doctor growing many stereotypes of mental illness to an extreme. This essay will compare the beliefs that mental illness is underdiagnosed and the beliefs that it is overdiagnosed.
The chapter 1 reading this week mentioned how insurance coverage impacts the treatment process of different mental illnesses. Currently, the health insurance industry holds a lot of power over the type and duration of treatment provided/covered for patients. The chapter also mentioned that there is currently a 2011 federal parity law that requires equal coverage for mental and medical health issues. While these systems do have challenges and difficulties that need to be addressed in terms of how mental health issues are treated, there is current legislation (the American Health Care Act) being sent to the US Senate that could affect these issues even more negatively. According to the American Psychological Association (2017), “Medicaid currently provides roughly a quarter of all financing for mental health services.
Accessing appropriate support and early intervention is widely recognized as a protective factor for youth mental health concerns, improving quality of life and overall success (Rickwood, Deane, & Wilson, 2007). As approximately 70% of adults living with a mental illness experience the onset of symptoms during their teenage years, it is imperative that youth become comfortable accessing help (Kessler, Berglund, Demler et al., 2005).
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.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words actually do hurt. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 43.8 million people in the United States are diagnosed with a mental illness each year, but less than 50% of these people report discrimination. Social stigma of mental illness has caused those with these illnesses to not seek medical attention, to cause themselves harm, and to be anxious in social environments; it is imperative that society becomes more sympathetic to those with mental illnesses.
and has always been a foundational aspect of every society. This event spans from the
A mental health assessment can be done by a doctor, counselor or social worker. The disorder is assessed through a screening. A screening can include an interview, physical exam, lab test and a written or verbal test (integration). There are many different screening tools to determine if the client has a mental disorder and what the disorder maybe. A mental assessment is different for children. The assessment must be age appropriate. The counselor may ask the child to draw a picture about their feelings. Counselors can also asks parents and teachers about the child’s behavior. The DSM-5 book in section 3 offers assessment measures. There are a number of tools a counselor can use to assess a mental disorder. A example of an assessment tool is
Psychiatric disorder or mental disorder is an anomaly which causes impaired ability to carry out the functions of living life normally. Depending on how a person acts, feels, thinks or perceives the mental disorders are defined. These disorders many be associated either with specific regions of brain or functions of brains or the entire nervous system. There are a number of causes of mental disorders and sometimes the caused are not clear. There are various services in psychiatric hospitals for people facing these disorders. Mental health professionals also provide clinical treatments alongside the mindfulness based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic depression. The two major treatment options are Psychotherapy and Psychiatric medication.
Mental Illness. Being branded by these two words are enough to make people shun and judge each other because of the stigma associated with the term. The humility with having a mental illness, may be deemed as having a modern day scarlet letter. So why do we do it? Why do we fear and suppress the mentally ill? We do it because people usually perceive something or someone they do not understand or the identify as “different” to be threatening. Although this thought process is irrational it is the way human nature is built and because of this mentality, mental illness is probably one of the many feared and misunderstood illnesses in America.
The purpose of this essay is to explain the definitions of mental health, mental illness and psychiatric disability, using bipolar disorder as an example to illustrate these points. Bipolar disorder will also be used to explain the concepts of the medical and social models of disability, highlight the influence these two models could have on people with the disorder and the experiences they might encounter. There will be a focus on some of the experiences a person suffering from mental illness might have in society, the effect these experiences can have on an individual and the influence of stigmas and stereotypes. This leads to the final discussion point, the action of self-disablement. This section discusses how a person with a mental health issue can be influenced by labels, stigmas and stereotypes, and how this can stop them from seeking help and achieving their goals.
Before the age of eighteen nearly a fourth of all young persons will deal with mental illness (Shirk and Jungbluth 217). Only around a third of these children will receive professional treatment (United States Public Health Service qtd. in Shirk and Jungbluth 222). Because of the risk of suicide in mentally ill young people, it is crucial that mental health services are readily available to our youth in school settings. Therefore, schools should administer mandatory mental health screenings because mental illness often affects academic performance, and the majority of young persons that commit suicide have a treatable illness.