The Social Issue Of Mental Health

The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about “because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated” (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). “About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). “Many of these illnesses begin in childhood or adolescence, with the most common problems being anxiety disorder, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance abuse disorders” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about how mental illness is a social problem and I have been interested in learning more about mental illnesses and how to help people with mental disorders.

According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, only 16% of the single adult homeless population suffer from some form of mental illness and according to the National Coalition to the Homeless, The increasingness of homelessness over that past two decades can not be explained by addiction alone

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, approximately 564,708 people were homeless on a single night in January of 2015 in the United States (“The State of Homelessness in 2016”). It is estimated that 250,000 people who suffer from Mental Health illnesses are homeless (Torrey). Providing affordable housing, and access to mental health services for the homeless population are essential components to end the homeless epidemic.

Mental illness is an increasing problem in America. Currently about 26.2% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder. A mental illness/disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functions. Mental illness can affect humans of any age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. However the care that is needed to effectively cure and help the people affected by the illness is not equal for everyone here in American, especially for African Americans.

Mental illness: Mental illness is a term that is used to describe a condition that affects many people, this condition is often a serious disorder in a person's behaviour or thinking. Mental illness affects around 10-25% of people living in the UK at some point in their life. [Sabp, 2015] There are many different types of mental illnesses; Examples of mental illness include depression, phobias, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictive behaviours and schizophrenia. Mental illnesses can range fro m minor illnesses such as having a phobia to being more severe such as having depression or anxiety. [Mayoclinic, 2015] All of these metal illnesses can be treated in some way however they can become a serious part of a

There are many as 18.2% people in US suffers from some type of mental illness,enduring conditions, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and more illnesses but those are the main ones. Mental Health is the state or quality of the mental processes that either promotes health or determines potential risks towards one well-being. Behavioral Health problems include substance use disorders. 46 percent of people have mental illness all throughout their lives. There are many of ways to get help if you or a loved one has a mental disorder.

“While they make up a small share of the homeless population, they are disproportionately costly to society: They consume nearly 60 percent of the resources spent on emergency and transitional shelter for adults, and they occupy hospitals and jails at high rates.” (Culhane, 2010) Additionally, this small population is very visible and thus creates the perception that most homeless are mentally unstable.

Different reviews demonstrate that the substantial part of the homeless is living with some type of mental instability or other serious medical issues. Because of the ending of mental institutions, the destitute populace, particularly homeless people with genuine mental illness, has expanded consistently since the 1970s. Psychological problems can essentially influence an individual's capacity to acquire and keep up stable lodging and to profit by social services. Deficiencies in a man's memory, recognition, and judgment, can bring about poor critical thinking and social abilities, and in his/her failure to settle on steady choices. The behaviors take place because of cognitive debilitations and inadvertent, yet they are frequently inadequately comprehended by social service workers and others and are infrequently considered to be difficult to help.

Mental illness has generally been a minority among homeless citizens; but with growing numbers in substance abuse, mental illness has also taken a climb up the number ladder in the past years. “Most studies have found 30 percent of homeless have some

A mental illness is an issue that affects one’s behaviour, emotions, thoughts and ability to interact with others (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing 2007). Common mental illnesses in Australia include anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders and personality disorders, with the most prevalent being anxiety disorders and depression. Anyone can develop a mental illness, although suffering from a chronic medical illness, experiencing a highly stressful or traumatic event, having a blood relation with a mental disorder or drug and alcohol use can increase one’s risk (Mayo Clinic 2015).

Mental illness refers to a wide-ranging of mental health conditions. A mental illness is a disorder that affects mood, thinking and behavior. Some examples include anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2012). A mental health concern becomes a mental illness when signs or symptoms cause regular stress and impacts the ability to function. A mental illness can led to being miserable and cause problems in day-to-day life such as relationship with others and work (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2012). Often, mental illness symptoms are handled with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. The symptoms and signs of mental illness differ depending on the disorder. Some signs include confused thinking, or alcohol/drug abuse (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2012). Throughout this paper, I will discuss what is currently known about mentally ill offenders based on the correlation between mental disorders and criminal activity.

According to Treatment Advocacy Center (2016), approximately one-third of the homeless population have some degree of mental disorder, untreated mental illnesses, and physical health issues. Many of these homeless population spend their life living on the streets. Such as living in train stations and any place that provides a shelter, which worsens their condition. This is due to the lack of adequate hospitals to care for the community. In addition, the closing of state mental institutions does not provide the homeless community with a location to benefit them. The topic of the increase in the homeless community continues to become a highly talkative topic. By looking at the social issues among the topic of health within the homeless community,

People that suffer from mental illnesses often feel misunderstood and isolated from their surroundings, which stems from society’s misperception of illness, and results in criminal activity. Criminal activity does not begin with a series of murders, but it begins with mild crimes such as robbery or vandalism. Approximately 20 percent of inmates in jails and 15 percent of inmates in state prisons have a serious mental illness (Torrey

With that in mind, homelessness describes the condition of individuals without a consistent dwelling. Individuals who are experiencing homelessness are often unable to acquire safe, secure, and adequate night-time habitation. Additionally, when viewed from a macro perspective lens, homelessness in our society is one of the top social problems in our country, state, and in our cities. Moreover, when faced with the problem of chronic homelessness, many complications appear. For one, mental health recipients have been

This essay will analyse the statement “Mental illness is a social problem”. This essay will discuss the sociological perspective of mental health within the chosen concept of gender. The main aim of this essay is to discuss and debate ‘for’ mental illness is a social problem within the different gender roles. Gender is not only male and female, it also includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexual. In Australia there is a very large community of LGBTI. This concept will be analysed by using theoretical and sociological perspectives along with the structure-agency debate. Also the biomedical and social model 's role in relation to the issue. This will help support the statement that ‘mental illness is a social problem’. It is not logical to solely to blame society for all mental illness’ however, it is a strong contributor. This essay will also explore the social contributor to the high rate of mental illness sufferers in Australia. Also, the general consensus and attitude toward individuals with mental health and the ways that mental illnesses are stitgmatised in Australia and each of its states and territories.