Mental Illness
Solutions to the Challenges Facing the Mentally Ill in the Community
Instructions:
PURPOSE: Provides a highly distinctive critique of a global issue where shared responsibility for the common good is not being realized BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT TASK 2 ABOUT OPINION EDITORIAL PIECE. PROVIDE SOLUTION TOWARDS THE CHALLENGES.
ASSESMENT TASK MARKING RUBRIC
Part 1 (10 marks)
Provides a highly distinctive critique of a global issue where shared responsibility for the common good is not being realized.
Part 2 (30 marks)
Provides a highly distinctive attempt proposing how you believe the common good may be met for the issue provided.
Style and Writing Mechanics (5 marks)
Presents all information in a highly distinctive and engaging style.
Few errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Referencing (5 marks) APA
Accurately cites all sources of information to support the credibility and authority of the information presented.
Solution.
Solutions to the Challenges Facing the Mentally Ill in the Community
Mental Illness is poorly covered by the current health organizations in which the information obtained is limited to the disease. Proper mental health needs data on the cultural, social, economic, and demographic factors that affect mental health as well as the activities required for control and prevention of mental health are insufficient. In addition, there should also be data on resources and infrastructure necessary for the care of mental health both in the health sector and outside it. Policies regarding mental health should also be provided in order to determine the extent to which mental health care is provided for the benefit of the entire community without breaching any requirement (Hennekens, 2014). Challenges facing the mentally ill, results in poor health care for such patients which makes the management of such diseases to be difficult.
The stigma facing the mentally ill individuals is mainly caused by the insufficient information about the diseases and the characters for the affected individuals. The stigma mostly occurs within the illiterate individuals and thus groups, individuals and the government need to create awareness concerning mental illness and its victims. This would change the perception that individuals with the mental illness are violent or dangerous and instead assist them in coping up with the various illnesses related to mental illness (Hurley, 2012). Media should also sieve the information about the diseases and engage in promoting issues that support the care of individuals with the diseases. Campaigns should also aim at individuals with the experience of mental health issues who would try to change the negative attitudes on the mentally ill individuals.
Elimination of discrimination requires to first acknowledging that it exists. Most individuals contribute to discriminatory behavior without knowing. Sensitizing individuals against discriminatory behavior enables them to accept the mentally ill individuals and that the challenges caused by such diseases could face any individuals. Discrimination is a cause of stigma and could thus be solved by the individuals themselves and the society. In employment sector, employers enact rules that prevent other employees from discriminating the mentally ill employees (Lord, 2012). Employees who would not comply with the rules should be punished accordingly and hence preventing such behaviors from recurring again.
Nevertheless, organizations should put efforts in addressing stereotypes such as the mentally ill are crazy or gluttonous, and negative attitudes in order to ensure that they do not result into discrimination against disabilities and addictions related to mental health (Rohde & Nehls, 2015). Furthermore, discriminatory language should also be avoided against individuals with mental illness disabilities, such as hating to work with the mentally ill because they are crazy.
Despite the above ways of eliminating discrimination associated with the mental illness, individuals with the disease should also carry themselves in a way that would hinder discrimination. These individuals should not isolate themselves but should instead reach out people who would provide them with support and compassion they need (Fiorillo, Calliess & Sass, 2012). It is also advisable for such individuals to join support groups such as NAMI, who provides internet resources that helps to minimize stigma which results in discrimination.
The mentally ill individuals should also not allow the stigma to develop doubt and shame in them. Nevertheless, the individuals may believe that their condition as a result of mental illness is an indication of their weaknesses or that they could be able to take control of it by themselves (Rennie & Woodward, 2015). Avoiding such circumstances requires that the mentally ill seek psychological counseling and educating themselves about their condition as well as connecting others with mental illness. Such individuals should also seek treatment instead of being reluctant as a measure for avoiding discrimination. Treatment assists in reducing the signs of mental illnesses that help people to hinder symptoms that affect personal life and work.
Unemployment could be solved by getting treatment that reduces the negative effects of mental illness. Individuals with serious mental illness could not work comfortably because associated disorders reduce their working abilities, through effects such as loss of memory (Hennekens, 2014). Besides the inability to work, the affected individual face discrimination from others, which could be avoided by maintaining their self-esteem and self-confident. On the other, hand employers should assist the patients by formulating policies and rules that could protect them against discrimination from others.
Criminalization, could be prevented by providing the mentally ill individuals with treatment facilities at their disposal and providing them with the necessary information about the disorders. They should also be taught on how to prevent stigma and discrimination, which makes them to enter into criminal activities (Rennie & Woodward, 2015). The government policy on detaining the mentally ill individuals who could be able to seek treatment also contributes to the prevention of criminology.
Lack of care could be eliminated by introduction of healthcare coverage for the mental health care that is not provided in the Medicare. Moreover, funding should not be left for the families who always have limited resources, the reason that engages many patients with criminal activities. Instead, the government should support the care for the mentally ill individuals through funding (Blackmon, 2011). Nevertheless, coordinated health care should be introduced among organizations that support mental healthcare and hospitals through communication. Moreover, research should be advanced especially in formulating policies and generating suitable systems for providing mental healthcare such as follow-up programs.
In conclusion, solutions to the challenges facing mental healthcare are not limited to the above solutions. There exits general solutions mental health challenges such as training more individuals on the mental healthcare systems who are scarce. Moreover, focus should be made on detecting and treating disorders related to mental illness in their early stages. Primary care should also be composed of the mental healthcare disorders such as anxiety because when an individual does not have normal primary sickness, they are released without extending the screening to mental illness. Moreover, individuals and the society should not discriminate the mentally ill in order to help them recover or control mental health disorders.
References
Blackmon, P. (2011). Addressing Family Challenges Associated with Mental Illness (1st ed.).
Fiorillo, A., Calliess, I., & Sass, H. (2012). How to succeed in psychiatry (1st ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Hennekens, C. (2014). Strategies to integrate physical health care into mental health (1st ed.). Memphis, TN: Physicians Postgraduate Press.
Hurley, J. (2012). Mental health (1st ed.). San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press.
Lord, E. (2012). The Challenges of Mentally Ill Female Offenders in Prison. Criminal Justice And Behavior, 35(8), 928-942.
Rennie, T. & Woodward, L. (2015). Mental health in modern society (1st ed.). New York: The Commonwealth Fund
Rohde, D. & Nehls, N. (2015). Caring for Individuals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: The Contributions and Challenges of Residential Case Aides. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 17(4), 325-336.