Navigating Our Mental Health Problem

As Americans it becomes natural to undermine those with a mental illness. As a fact, many adults and children deal with mental illness each and everyday. There are many stories that have been told to Americans about depression, anxiety, along with bipolar disorders, with the outcome usually being a negative consequence. For the 1 in every 5 citizens that deal with a mental illness each year. Americans have neglected the fact that many adults and children deal with mental issue(s), the citizens that refrain from getting help; their well being can suffer detrimental effects, there is not a lot of awareness either taught in school, or in public perspectives, American’s stigma has perfected their

The lack of treatment for mental illnesses — due partly from the stigma with which it is associated with — comes with a number of public issues: economically,

We have a tendency of shadowing out individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Despite our human nature of caring, we place those individuals in prisons or understaffed psychiatric facilities, leaving them to be the burden of others. People with mental illness may not be able to hold employment and may not have that family support. This public perception (stigma) “limits opportunities for individuals with mental illnesses and often prevents them from seeking appropriate help”. (Jeglic, 2015) How is it that the public perception is so strong when most people do not have expertise within the field of abnormal psychology?This perception is influenced by the media. “Information presented in the media can be

(2) Disparities between the health of persons with mental illness as compared with that of those without, or (3) disparities between populations with respect to mental health and the quality, accessibility, and outcomes of mental health care ( Safran, M. A., Mays Jr, R. A., Huang, L. N., et al.,2009). Elderly immigrants are among the nation’s most vulnerable minority groups due to their limited health literacy ( Cordaso, Asch, Franco, & Magione, 2009) and serious health disparities, with many experiencing significantly worse health outcomes as compared to other groups. The term elderly immigrants refers to individuals 65 years of age or older who were not born in the United States (Leach,

Within the past two decades there’s been a revival in efforts to reduce stigmatization attached to mental illnesses. It was concluded that if mental illnesses were perceived better as ‘real’ diseases by the public that stigma would go down greatly. Reports proposed the idea that better scientific understanding of mental illnesses by the general public could greatly reduce stigma. Stigma is intensely rooted in social and cultural norms it’s patterns devalue and dehumanize groups of individuals within society (in this case mentally ill people). Stigma constructs barriers for individuals, barriers that limit a person’s abilities to have equal opportunities for employment, safe housing, health care and social relationships.Efforts to reduce stigma in recent years have

Latino’s are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States, in which one-third of the Latino population is under the age of 18 ( PEW Research Center, 2017). As research studies have determined, the prevalence of mental illness tends to increase during the adolescent years affecting one in four adolescents (Lawton & Gerdes, 2014). It is reported that 30% of youth in the United States experiences an episode of sadness once a month (Lorenzo et. al, 2016). The prevalence of mental illness among Latino youth is strongly associated with the exposure of high rates of culturally relevant stressors, such as discrimination, in which can increase the risk of a mental illness (e.g., depression, and anxiety).

In order to eliminate these disparities in care, we must first document the extent of disparities, recognize factors and processes that cause these inequities in care, and apply this knowledge to develop and implement evidence-based interventions aimed at eliminating these trends in care. Mental health services and policies aimed at achieving this important objective must be informed by research because research can provides some best available evidences, produce valuable information about the pathways, documents specific trends in care, and explains why and how these inequities occur. For example, researchers suggest that a complex interplay of structural, economic, psychiatric, and cultural factors influence Latinos’access to mental health

Hispanic women were the least likely to report symptoms…” (Gil, 1996, p. 151). This may be due to the vast difference in life experiences and circumstances faced by women of poverty. Thus, making them more susceptible to mental illnesses. “According to the U.S. 1994 Census, Hispanic women… are also less likely to be married and graduate from high school.

Mental health disorders remain continually disregarded in minority communities. Even more so, a few minority individuals report symptoms of mood disorders that are under-diagnosed as a result of cultural differences. (“Health Care Reform”, 2014.). This insufficiency in accurate mental health care diagnoses establishes a need to eradicate the differences in health care when it comes to treating minorities, as each group report different symptoms. Furthermore, these minority groups tend to be excluded from mainstream research as a result of lack of formal health care, including underreported visits to mental health facilities. Additionally, now there are more significant amounts of research,

Constantly, the issue of mental illness is ignored. It can affect just about anyone, this includes those below the poverty line. The article, “Scaling Up Mental Health Care” mentions how one in ten people are suffering from mental illness at any time. Mental illnesses can keep individuals from obtaining or maintaining a job, which can keep them below the poverty line. David Shipler wrote the novel, The Working Poor: Invisible in America, but he is culpable for completely skipping over the topic of mental illness which is a topic that needs to be properly addressed as disorders such as depression and anxiety is not as easy to treat.

The authors of this journal Alina Coman, a professor in social sciences and communication and Corina Sas, who has a PhD human computer interaction, believe that stigma of mental illness negatively impacts the people with mental illness leading them to avoid mental health services. This idea ties right in to what I will be discussing in my article. The avoidance of getting help from professionals is one of my reasons as to why stigma of mental health is worsening them. This stigma is making it harder for the mentally ill to seek treatment. Throughout the journal, they support their claim by presenting a novel strategy which is really useful because the they present scenarios and poems that express the emotional world mentally ill people face.

Over the years, mental health researchers have become increasingly interested in conducting research pertaining to the utilization rates and the provision of efficacious services to ethnically and racially diverse populations (Sue & Sue, 1990). Furthermore, research has concluded that certain populations may utilize mental health services more than others. In particular, individuals from underrepresented and minority populations are less likely to utilize mental health services than other populations due to issues such as cultural mistrust, low socioeconomic status, religious orientations, and perceived stigmas and negative attitudes toward utilizing services (Thurston & Phares, 2008). Because of these challenges, research has suggested that a "service gap” develops. Thus, many individuals may be in need of services, yet refuse to seek help. This in turn may lead to many issues among diverse populations in regards to seeking mental health services (Cramer, 2009).

One in every seventeen people in America suffers from a mental disorder. These disorders inhibit the afflicted person from functioning properly and coping normally with daily life. Many afflicted with a psychological disorder do not exhibit obvious symptoms, as medical advancements have made it possible for these disorders to be suppressed or even nonexistent. Today, however, harsh stigmas exist that unfairly categorize those with a mental illness as violent, unfriendly, and abnormal. The media and federal government are culprits in fabricating the unrealistic depictions of mental disability that define the portrayal of those who are mentally or psychologically disadvantaged.

During a mental health event the First Lady, Michelle Obama said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. [...] Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” This shows that mental illness stigma in society is based on mental illness being perceived more negatively than other physical illness when it should actually be seen as the same. Stigma around mental illness has had very immense adverse effects on the willingness of undiagnosed suffers to not seek treatment when they need it. As a result of this one in five people with a mental illness will not get the treatment they need which has the effect of high suicide rates among the untreated sufferers. In an effort to reduce stigma around mental illness, so that more undiagnosed sufferers seek treatment, schools should devote more time to increasing awareness of mental illness and its effects.

With so many diseases and medical conditions to take care of, mental health often takes last place on the list of priorities. Dementia, depression, post-traumatic stress and other disorders affect every country alike. While developing countries need to develop access to mental healthcare, developed nations will need to improve their current facilities. Most westernized nations are experiencing a gradual aging of their population. As the populations aid, mental health will need more mental health professionals in place to handle their care.