On the other hand, many people believe that mental health is a social issue rather than a medical issue, and that health services should not waste their time, money, or facilities on a problem that is not worthwhile nor a big deal. But does mental health really receive sufficient focus? If mental health was given wider efforts to improve, it could ameliorate health care as a whole.
Mental health problems are considered to “interfere with how a person thinks, feels and behaves” (Australian Government Department of Health, 2007, para. 3). Considered to be more prominent, yet less severe than mental illnesses, mental health problems are experienced for
One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.
There were also 4.1 million people who had experienced a lifetime mental disorder but did not have symptoms in the 12 months prior to the survey interview” ( ABS , 2008 ). Similarly, The Mindframe National Media initiative reported that in each year, approximately one in every five Australians will experience a mental illness and mental illnesses are the third leading cause of disability burden in Australia, accounting for an estimated 27 percent of the total years lost due to disability. Those information lead to quality of life in Australia. However, the Australian government is not complacent about the problem and has also developed Mental Health Plan until The Fourth National Mental Health Plan. This essay supports the position that national mental health service provision and societal attitude towards people suffering mental illness is
Mental health is finally starting to be recognized as just as important as physical health
Although about 450 million people in the world currently are suffering from a mental illness, many untreated, the topic still remains taboo in modern society (Mental Health). For years, people with mental illnesses have been shut away or institutionalized, and despite cultural progression in many areas, mental illnesses are still shamed and rarely brought to light outside of the psychiatric community. The many different forms in which mental illness can occur are incredibly prevalent in the world today, and there is a substantial debate about the way that they should be handled. Some people are of the opinion that mental illness is merely a variance in perception and that it either can be fixed through therapy or should not be treated at
We all know someone who suffers from mental health and it can cover a wide range of different symptoms like:depression, autism/ADHD,dementia (etc). However, people who have mental health usual rely on our NHS.Sadly, the figures show that two-thirds of people that can suffer from depression in the UK receive no treatment from the NHS.Which shows many cases of people being misdiagnosed and ignored which puts another strain onto the patients, and most importantly the NHS’s fundings towards these people to use the hospitals resources aren't being put to use.
Both should be treated equally, as there are similarities between mental and physical illnesses. According to The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, “People without insurance put off treatment and their mental health deteriorates... A patient must be institutionalized for an illness that could have been treated effectively months earlier” (Williams). Just as a physical condition deteriorates without treatment, mental conditions do too. If patients cannot afford to pay for treatment without coverage, they put it off (Williams). Therefore, both illnesses should be treated equally, because both require treatment to prevent them from
Problem Statement: The World Health Association defines ‘good’ health as: “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” However, in the United States, access to care and funding for mental health care are grossly neglected and underfunded in comparison to other aspects of health care.
How would you feel if you broke your arm and you didn't have access to a doctor? It wouldn't be fun would it? Now pretend that broken arm is depression and the doctor is actually a psychologist. Having access to a doctor who treats mental illness is just as important as having access to a doctor who would treat a broken arm. Access to mental health care needs to increase to reduce the effects of untreated mental illness.
Hi Micquaya. When I think of mental health itself, I do not automatically think of people that are suffering from a psychological issue. Mental health to me is just your psychological status. Mental illness causes me to think a psychological issue. The two are not the same in my eyes. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Physical health is just the status but if I were to say a physical disability it is completely different. The ways to promote good mental health are numerous. Taking care of your body is definitely a good way. Many times our mental status is directly related to our physical health. I know for me, it is hard to think clear when I do not get enough sleep.
Mental illness becomes a bigger issue with a long lasting cultural stereotyped due to the manner in which it has long been labelled (Miles, 1988). Although mental illness is very much connected to instabilities in one’s mental health state, as previously mentioned, a person can be mentally healthy but still suffer from a mental illness. What is understood by mental illness is that it
The ‘medical model’ (Beecher, 2009), also called the ‘biomedical model’ (Germov, 2009), basis its beliefs on the theory that there is not a connection between the mind and the body (Sarafino & Smith, 2014) and illness is caused by ‘biological’ (Germov, 2009) factors that can be diagnosed and treated with medications (Germov, 2009). The biomedical model becomes problematic when applied to the treatment of mental health illness due to the cause being widely unknown and so how can mental illness be successfully treated using this model? Social factors that may have a contributory effect or allowance for preventative measures to be implemented are also not taken into consideration with the ‘medical model’ (Germov,
With one in five Australians aged sixteen to eighty-five suffering from a mental health disorder, and with expenditure on the problem exceeding $28 billion dollars annually, mental health is an issue that can no longer be ignored. Peak health bodies such as the Australian Medical Association and Beyondblue are calling for increased support for people suffering from mental illness and for a reformation of mental health services. With discussion surrounding mental health issues becoming decreasingly stigmatised, I talk tonight to those at the front line of health policy, treatment and prevention about the reality and future for the millions of Australians living with mental illness.
There are a wide array of mental illness one could have: Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, Addiction Disorders, and many more. These illnesses can obviously injure a person’s mental/ psychological state as it makes a more person more pessimistic It leads their minds to a more dark and gloomy path, pushing them towards negative thoughts/emotions. When someone experiences a mental illness, there is a usually a noticeable change within their behaviour and mindset. Depending on the person, the impact of a mental illness is visible for the rest to witness. Additionally, there are statistics which further push the existence of mental illnesses. For instance, the CMHA revealed that young with mental disorders was the second most hospital care expenditure in this nation. If not treated immediately, these mental illnesses will damage oneself and the people around