The Importance Of Mental Health

People that live in socially deprived areas are more likely to have mental illness, poverty, poor education and low socioeconomic status. This is mainly because of the conditions they have been brought up in and live in; if they lived in better conditions then they probably wouldn’t have health problems like this.

The articles address the prevalence of the issue of mental health and claims the importance of policy reform at all levels of society.

This article, written by the Head of Good Practice at ACAS, suggests that despite the difficulties in accurately diagnosing mental health problems, the government has calculated that mental health related sickness is costing the UK economy £26 Billion per year.

In our current society, many believe that barriers to mental health treatments are “limited availability and affordability of mental health care services, insufficient mental health care policies, lack of education about mental illness, and stigma” (Unite for Site, 2000-2013). If those barriers exist for

Depression is a major public health problem, especially for low-income and homeless women. “Approximately 12% of women from all socioeconomic groups are depressed. This percentage approaches 25% for those living in poverty and for ethnic and racial minorities and 40% to 60% for low-income mothers with young children and pregnant and parenting teens. Lifetime rates of depression among mothers who are homeless range from 45% to 85%.” (Bassuk and Beardslee, 2014)

2012); in other words, they live in households with incomes below the federal poverty line. To know this is important because poverty is considered a critical risk factor for many mental, emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth (Yoshikawa, et al. 2012). According to Minujin, et al. (2005), “UNICEF defines child poverty as the deprivation of social services. To expand a little more on this, the concept is that children living in poverty are those who are deprived from the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to survive, develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential or participate as full and equal members of society (Minujin, et al. 2005). More importantly many studies have associated poverty with a range of negative outcomes for children in all social, emotional and cognitive areas of development (Yoshikawa, et al. 2012); however, the question that Yoshikawa et al. (2012) in their article is can we certify that poverty “causes” negative outcomes? Their immediate response was skeptic; however, I think that poverty might not be the cause of mental health illnesses but it does influence the development of it and sets children under the radar for treatment and accessing services. Furthermore, the impact of poverty and social disadvantage on children’s health is further evidence that poverty is a serious risk factor for mental illness (Gyamfi, 2004). In his article, Gyamfi (2004)

Mental health has been a recurring topic in present society and it is a very large section of health care in general. Health can be termed as an absence of disease, but it really is much more than that and should encompass every facet of the human, mind and body. The WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being in which an individual can function properly and productively, cope with life stressors, and contribute to community. Mental health is dependent on many factors, mainly social, biological, and psychological (WHO). A mental disorder is a condition of alterations

This essay will focus completely on Mental illness in the UK. To gather my research I used various resources such as websites and books. I have also viewed YouTube videos in order to expand my knowledge. The statistics gathered may not be totally accurate in discussing mental health within the UK for the sources are secondary but it is reliable for giving a view of what the distribution is like amongst gender, age, class as well as ethnicity.

Vulnerable populations face many challenges and difficulties. Populations such as the homeless, the intellectually disabled, the elderly, and those living with HIV/AIDS face greater health risks than others. They have greater health-related problems and lack the means or ability to access needed health care. Furthermore, in addition to the many challenges, such as health-related problems, having no permanent living situation, social isolation, stigma, and poverty, they also may suffer from several mental illnesses. Unfortunately, as a result of their vulnerability, accessing appropriate mental health care is a challenge to these populations. Their health needs are often underserved. However, one way in which mental health treatment and assistance

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

Poor mental health has large socioeconomic, sociocultural and environmental consequences for individuals and societies. Socioeconomic determinants of mental health problems exist mainly within people who are unemployed, these groups have a greater likelihood to involve themselves within substance abuse in relation to those with a higher socioeconomic status. A lack of employment can lead to increased levels of stress among young Australians. The rate of unemployment is inordinately high, the rate for people with critical and persistent mental health disorders (such as schizophrenia) are the highest within the unemployed (80-90%). Environmental factors affecting mental illness takes the biggest toll particularly on young males living in rural

The recommendations of the Bramford Review (2006) became the much needed drive in policy change in Northern Ireland on how we view and treat mental health. Although it did not free mental health from stigma it did however bring about the recognition that mental health should be an inherent part of our policy. Despite this Northern Ireland still has the highest mental health figures in the UK, Fundamental Facts (2016) published by the Mental Health Organisation reported that Northern Ireland has a 25% higher overall prevalence of mental health problems than England. An area of concern is the rise of mental health issues amongst the younger generation, a survey carried out by the Northern Ireland Young Life and Times survey on the mental and emotional health of 16-year olds in Northern Ireland found that 29% of its respondents had serious personal emotional or mental health problems (Schubotz 2010).

This essay will explain how contemporary issues in mental health influence people’s social wellbeing. Mental health is a fundamental element of resilience, health assets, capabilities and positive adaption that enable individuals to cope with both adversity and to reach their full potential and humanity. The impact on inequalities of health and other outcomes are sourced from mental health. For example, chronic stress of struggling with material disadvantage is intensified to a very considerable degree by doing so in more unequal societies.

68% of women and 57% of men that suffer from a mental illness are parents. Mental illness is a substantial contributing factor to child poverty. Many children have a parent who has had a long-term mental health problem, and this can lead to alcohol or drug problems.

Everyone is different in society. There are special individuals, which are affected by mental health illnesses. Mental health issues can affect society both negatively and positively. There are cultures that treat these individuals like the reincarnations of gods. On the other side, there are cultures that isolate these individuals and look for cures to these pathologies. Mental health illnesses are important because they have to be studied to understand their cause, whether it may be biological or environmental. These issues are important because like every type of illness they have to be delicately studied, focusing on treatments to either cure them or reduce the symptoms of the pathology. These people were either conflicted with the ideals of society or they were praised by it. Cultures, which didn’t accept them, closed them up into asylums. Patients inside these facilities were brutally used as guinea pigs for their experiments. The way these people were treated shows how cruel and ignorant people were to the unknown. By learning from histories mistakes we can move forward in improving our society and achieve greatness.