Mental Health
The current mental health services in the United States focus on mental health as a vital part of humans’ overall wellbeing. They promote prevention measures, early diagnosis and treatment, integrated care services, and intervention to enhance recovery. Understanding the current status of mental health is key to bringing change. Mental health issues among youths and adults continue to worsen in the United States. Today, mental health care is faced with various challenges. One of the problems is a lack of support for mental health professionals due to a lack of access to help or stigma. Psychologists, counselors, and other mental health practitioners are faced with psychological issues in the same way as the public. Public stigma discourages them from seeking help. Inadequate funding and lack of minimum standards for mental health treatments make it difficult to improve the mental health status in the United States. Mental health conditions, especially in young people, continue to worsen due to segregation based on culture and sexual orientation, poor access to required medications, inadequate integrated care, lack of preventive measures, and policy changes. The status of the current mental health care in the U.S is far from being perfect as the system faces severe challenges. Nonetheless, with constant efforts of policymakers, mental health practitioners, and the community, it is possible to improve.
Various measures can be implemented to improve mental health status in the U.S. I would recommend creating awareness on psychological issues through advocacy and education to reduce public stigma. Public education will help create awareness and connect individuals with mental health issues with the required resources to help improve their health. (Kohrt et al., 2018). This includes making the public understand the available mental health facilities and funding in their communities. Engaging the community in mental health services is an excellent approach to addressing the challenges faced by people with mental illnesses. Community based mental health services make mental health accessible to all people.
The community contributes to mental health problems by promoting public stigma. Stigma refers to negative beliefs and attitudes that make people fear, avoid, reject, and discriminate against individuals with mental diseases. Public stigma occurs when the community is not involved in mental health care services. Stigma is the leading cause of segregation, reduced self-efficacy, low autonomy, discrimination, and poverty associated with mentally sick people. Stigmatizing attitudes on the competency of mentally ill people restrict opportunities and influence the way they respond and adhere to treatment. Lack of connectedness in the community also increases mental health problems.
The community can reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses by creating awareness to the public. Creating awareness through social groups will promote the emotional wellbeing and mental wellness of the community. Social groups allow people to connect through hobbies and other activities, thus reducing the risk of mental diseases. The prevalence, incidence, and prognosis of psychological illnesses are dependent on different factors in the community. The accessibility and incorporation of mental health services into communities can enhance the scalability, availability, affordability, and acceptability of services and encourage adherence to treatment, which increases the possibility of positive medical outcomes. Community services also help create mental health awareness, reduce discrimination, minimize stigma, support social inclusion, and prevent psychological disorders (Parcesepe & Cabassa, 2013). Improving the mental health status in the U.S calls for the provision of integrated and comprehensive social care and mental health. This involves engaging families and other social support systems to promote wellness.
References
Kohrt, B. A., Asher, L., Bhardwaj, A., Fazel, M., Jordans, M. J., Mutamba, B. B., … & Patel, V. (2018). The role of communities in mental health care in low-and middle-income countries: a meta-review of components and competencies. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(6), 1279.
Parcesepe, A. M., & Cabassa, L. J. (2013). Public stigma of mental illness in the United States: a systematic literature review. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 40(5), 384-399.