The Shortage Of Mental Health Services

Anyone with a mental illness knows that recovery is not a straight line. Thoughts don’t regain their rationality the second someone decides to become medication compliant, when an anorexic takes a bite of food, or even the day a depressed person decides to walk outside and see beyond their dreary perception of reality. I always wanted to get better, to be able to eat a slice of pizza without demolishing the box and punishing my throat, or to be able to not worry that the carnal impulses of mania would throw me out of the driver’s seat. However, I didn’t want to take the steps to seek help in time, then in the second semester of my sophomore year, I gave up. This led to me

In the United States, health care accessibility, quality, and affordability continue to be ongoing topics of discussion that effect many Americans on a regular basis. The need for affordable, quality healthcare continues to grow, not only due to a growing elderly population, but also as a result of the Affordable Care Act which has allowed millions of previously uninsured Americans access to health insurance and therefor better access to healthcare services (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010). According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) the projected demand increased for healthcare have led to a call for expansion of primary care services by policy makers (Institute of Medicine, 2010; National Governors Association, 2012). Since Advanced Practice Nurses or Nurse Practitioners (APNs or NPs will be used interchangeably for the purpose of this paper) are one of the fastest growing groups of healthcare providers, and continue to practice and provide care in a range of settings including primary care, it is important to investigate and address any potential barriers to practice. This author believes that allowing APNs to write prescriptions for commonly used controlled substances will help improve timeliness and flexibility in health care delivery; studies have shown that there is a positive impact on high

CMHA recognizes that providing an emotionally safe work environment can improve workplace productivity by providing employers with strategies in recognizing mental illness in employees (CMHA, 2017). Although the CMHA does not directly refer to nurses, the workplace resources can be effective within the nursing profession. Notably, through their interactive workshops, management training and in person advisors (CMHA, 2017). Nurse managers should be encouraged to take the training courses provided to improve awareness and responding skills when dealing with mental illness. In fact, these courses should be mandatory to help provide an emotionally safe workplace for

The community-based mental health programs are not only inadequate in relation to numbers, but also underfunded (Unite for Sight.org, 2013). According to Martin (1995), we live in a society that is increasingly becoming conscious of an excessive tax burden. Tax burden, on the other hand, provides for the realization of just how deinstitutionalization is directly related to politics and public policy. The pubic in America who account for the electorate, have a significant say in how policy is affected. To this extent the assumption in relation to deinstitutionalization is that due to increased public outcry in regards to taxation, the both federal and state governments have over the years been forced to cut down spending on some items in the recurring budget in order to free up additional funds. According to Treatment Advocacy Center (2011), the federal government in 1965 surgically excluded the payment of Medicaid for patients institutionalized in state psychiatric and other mental disorders institutions. The goals of this action, according to Treatment Advocacy Center (2011) was to foster deinstitutionalization, and the wading of care costs to sates, viewing them as largely responsible for mental care.

According to the World Health Organization, mental illness will affect approximately 25% of people at some point in their life (“WHO Qualityrights”, n.d.). Despite that, the current mental health care system in the United States is inadequate. Many aspects of the system need improving, especially the barriers to service. In fact, approximately 20% of individuals are left without necessary treatment for their mental health disorder (“Mental Health”, 2016). Mentally ill individuals have difficulty accessing necessary mental health care services for various reasons; insurance, socioeconomic status, and mental health stigma can all function as barriers to treatment. Insurance discrimination can make it difficult for individuals to find treatment (Han, Call, Pintor, Alarcon-Espinoza, & Simon, 2015). Gaps in insurance coverage can also be a barrier, as they disrupt the long-term treatment process (Gulley, Rasch, & Chan 2011). Socioeconomic status has been found to negatively affect appointment scheduling (Kugelmass, 2016). Finally, stigma in our society can also stop people from seeking out treatment that they need (Bathje & Pryor, 2011). The mental health system in the United States is not capable of caring for the mentally ill, as insurance, socioeconomic status, and perceived stigma all act as barriers that prevent people from receiving the treatment they need.

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.

In the United States the Mental Health Care field is one of the most underserved areas of healthcare. The mental healthcare field faces many challenges to the proper treatment of patients from both a societal and professional standpoint. From a societal perspective a negative stereotype is associated with patients seeking psychiatric care. Patients seeking care are often labeled as defective or damaged. Add in the complication that most patients with mental illness appear to be normal, accepting that someone is ill without outward symptoms can also be difficult for a society to understand. From a professional perspective the challenges within the mental health care industry include personal prejudice, staffing issues, and problems with coordinating care. The combination of these factors has a direct negative impact on the willingness of individuals suffering from mental illness in seeking the care needed to treat the symptoms of mental illness.

The United States has never had an official federal-centered approach for mental health care facilities, entrusting its responsibility to the states throughout the history. The earliest initiatives in this field took place in the 18th century, when Virginia built its first asylum and Pennsylvania Hospital reserved its basement to house individuals with mental disorders (Sundararaman, 2009). During the 19th century, other services were built, but their overall lack of quality was alarming. Even then, researchers and professionals in the mental health field attempted to implement the principles of the so-called public health, focusing on prevention and early intervention, but the funds were in the hands of the local governments, which prevented significant advances in this direction.

American history is littered with tails of reform and revolution. Earlier on in America’s young life, revolution included war, struggle for basic human rights and dignity as well as radical tactics taken by the public. As time went on Americans learned that revolution and reform could occur through the government systems that our forefathers had put in place. The battle for human rights has all but ended but the way in which Americans wage war is a different story altogether. Now American’s fight for better public healthcare, equal rights for homosexual individuals and couples, and stricter standards for social welfare programs.

The overall purpose and mission of this program is to reduce the high amounts of opioids being prescribed by physicians in Oregon, by means of increasing physicians knowledge and improving the quality of education in regards to prescribing opioids to patients.

About 75-80 million people in the United States are mentally ill to some extent (For the Mentally Ill, Finding Treatment Grows Harder). Many people are unaware of the treatments for the mentally ill and how few resources are available. Yes, if society looks from where society has come with the development of treatments, it has come a long ways. There is still more knowledge to be uncovered to ensure the United States gives the mentally ill care equal to what the United States gives the physically ill. Even though research has advanced immensely in the understanding of sanity vs. insanity, the United States needs to do more for those who are mentally ill through diagnosis and aid.

Take a moment and think about those your care deeply for, those you would give your life for. Now, imagine if he or she were sick, or in any other kind of trouble. What would you do to help them? Go to the edge of the world and back, fight, not stopping for yourself until they were in good health once more. Now imagine if you found a potential cure, or a solution, but it was held away because a few people who had more money than you did not want it to be used. You have seen and heard of this proponent being used in other countries and has had very promising results, yet still those who claim they have “power” over you deny what you seek. The fact of the matter is thousands of Americans suffer from some kind of mental illness, including my brother. Whether it be chronic anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, addiction, the list can go on. America has a botched mental health system, the main way we treat people is by shoving pills down their throats, most that have little to no substantial effects, leaving people still feeling empty. The pills rather just “control” or alleviate symptoms rather than eradicating them completely, leaving people to have to take dose after dose daily to keep their lives in check.

Many jurisdictions report shortfalls in the number of trained health human resources to meet population health needs and/or service delivery targets, especially in medically underserved areas. Some studies suggest that workplace stress is pervasive in the healthcare industry due to inadequate staffing levels, long work hours, exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous substances leading to illness or death, and in some countries threat of malpractice. According to a report from the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “healthcare workers have higher rates of substance abuse and suicide than other professions and elevated rates of depression and anxiety linked to job stress.” Elevated levels of stress were also linked to high rates of burnout, absenteeism and diagnostic errors, and to reduced rates of patient satisfaction (cdc.gov, 2008). In the U.S., the 2010 federal budget invested $330 million to increase the number of doctors, nurses and dentists practicing in areas of the country that are experiencing shortages of health professionals. The budget expands loan repayment programs for physicians, nurses, and dentists who agree to practice in medically underserved areas. This funding will enhance the capacity of nursing schools to increase the number of nurses. The budget’s new resources will sustain the expansion of the healthcare workforce

PA profession face many issues today. Some of them are the same issues as any medical profession face nowadays. One of them is increase in patient load. The baby boomer generation is getting older and unfortunately sicker. Right now, we have a shortage of health care providers; PAs and other health care providers have to take care of more patient which means that there is less time we can spent with each patient. Another issue that we all, as medical professionals, are facing right now is an opioid abuse. More and more people are getting addicted to opioids. It is our duty and responsibility, as health care providers to recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction in our patients and offer help. There is one issues that I would like to discuss,

United States have definitely failed on the their responsibility to provide adequate spaces for people with mental health issues. No one should have to be denied treatment because the facility or the hospital they choose to go to doesn't have enough bed to serve patients that need care. People with severe mental illness can no be taken as a joke as some can harm themself or the people around them. We must take in account of the story of what happened to Virginia State Senator Deeds and his son. Just because Deeds want to help his son and get him treated Gus tried to kill his father but instead in the end took his own life. That could of been avoid if the hospital they went to earlier took Gus in when he need help.