Introduction Over the last two decades, there have been numerous research studies that link mental health as the foundation for all health, social, organizational and educational recovery (Ormston, 2014; McLaren, Belling, Paul, Ford, Kramer, Weaver, Singh, 2013). The American society and the global world continues to witness catastrophic human induced incidences that often times point to the increasing need to pay attention to the declining state of a global mental health community. Evidence links the interconnectedness of the mind and body and attributes health and social problems direct linkage to inattention to mental health (Rubin, 2014). Despite medical, social and technological advances, we continue to lack understanding of the complexities of the human mind which has further alienated our understanding of ourselves. In this paper, I propose the need for scholars to begin intentional dialogue across disciplines of health, culture, mental health, and education. Discussions include; the connection between the mind and body and the underlying religious and cultural perceptions that drive health and mental health practices; the need to increase our understanding of mental health promotion in education; and exploration of cultural perspectives of mental health in the United States. The Body and the Mind The culture of managed care for behavioral mental health is rapidly changing. In 2014, the American health care community saw new federal legislation requiring the inclusion of behavioral health in insurance plans (retrieved: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/your-money/understanding-new-rules-that-widen-mental-health-coverage.html?_r=0) . These legislations came at the heal of several debates about the gro... ... middle of paper ... ... health and mental health managed care has been organized and argued the need to begin intentional discourse about the differences in perspectives related to how we treat the mind and body. I posit that a change in this attitude can help reform current health promotion and treatment practices. Next, I discussed the paucity of a coordinated and integrated system of comprehensive mental health care in the education systems. Lastly, I explored some of the research findings related to the perspectives and attitudes about mental health in different cultures. Based on the societal issues of violence, depression, suicide and psychopathologies, in the American society and the global community, there is no doubt that education, health and cultural purveyors need to begin intentional dialogue about the need to address the mental health pandemic surfacing in their fields.
Braun, S. A., & Cox, J. A. (2005). Managed mental health care: Intentional misdiagnosis of
Continuing budget cuts on mental health care create negative and detrimental impacts on society due to increased improper care for mentally ill, public violence, and overcrowding in jails and emergency rooms. Origins, of mental health as people know it today, began in 1908. The movement initiated was known as “mental hygiene”, which was defined as referring to all things preserving mental health, including maintaining harmonious relation with others, and to participate in constructive changes in one’s social and physical environment (Bertolote 1). As a result of the current spending cuts approaching mental health care, proper treatment has declined drastically. The expanse of improper care to mentally ill peoples has elevated harmful threats of heightened public violence to society.
Due to the endless efforts and research of certain foundations and individuals, the ideas and functions of mental health have improved significantly. The advancements made in the field are impressive and without them, humankind would not be the same. Yet then why do only fewer than eight million people who are in need of help seek treatment? National Mental Health Association, 2001. The history, stigmatization, and perception of mental illness are some of the many reasons behind that alarming statistic.... ...
Culture has a huge influence on how people view and deal with psychological disorders. Being able to successfully treat someone for a mental illness has largely to do with what they view as normal in their own culture. In Western cultures we think that going to a counselor to talk about our emotions or our individual problems and/or getting some type of drug to help with our mental illness is the best way to overcome and treat it, but in other cultures that may not be the case. In particular Western and Asian cultures vary in the way they deal with psychological disorders. In this paper I am going to discuss how Asian cultures and Western cultures are similar and different in the way they view psychological disorders, the treatments and likelihood of getting treatment, culture bound disorders, and how to overcome the differences in the cultures for optimal treatments.
According to Kramer (2002), Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the United States; growing from fewer than 1 million in 1960 to 7.2 million in 1990. But despite this ongoing rapid progression, Asian Americans have the lowest rate of utilization of any professional mental health related services than the general United States population (Tung 2011). To increase the utilization of mental health services among the Asian American community, the most hindering barriers that exist preventing Asian Americans in general from seeking out these services must be identified and explored. In spite of the fact that Asian Americans are viewed as the “model minority”, with high academic achievements and few mental/behavioral problems, studies
If the United States had unlimited funds, the appropriate response to such a high number of mentally ill Americans should naturally be to provide universal coverage that doesn’t discriminate between healthcare and mental healthcare. The United States doesn’t have unlimited funds to provide universal healthcare at this point, but the country does have the ability to stop coverage discrimination. A quarter of the 15.7 million Americans who received mental health care listed themselves as the main payer for the services, according to one survey that looked at those services from 2005 to 2009. 3 Separate research from the same agency found 45 percent of those not receiving mental health care listing cost as a barrier.3 President Obama and the advisors who helped construct The Affordable Care Act recognized the problem that confronts the mentally ill. Mental healthcare had to be more affordable and different measures had to be taken to help patients recover. Although The Affordable Care Act doesn’t provide mentally ill patients will universal coverage, the act has made substantial changes to the options available to them.
One of the major global concerns of International Psychology is that relating to physical and mental health (Stevens & Gielen, 2007). One of the biggest challenges Western Psychologists face today is that “imported psychotherapeutic models and methods are not equally applicable within different cultural, economic, historical, political, religious, and social context, and must, therefore, be substantially modified” (Stevens & Gielen, 2007), this means that the diagnoses and disorders listed by the DSM-V may not be entirely applicable to cultures across the globe, as seen in each case study of Crazy Like Us, an investigation and analysis of psychological cases and disorders around the world. As Dr. Lee discovered with his patients in Hong Kong,
Often, topics are brought up that make citizens uncomfortable. When issues that do not pertain to citizens are brought up, they tend to not listen. Typically, when issues surrounding mental illness or inaccessibility to healthcare are brought up, many do not care. Those without healthcare and those with mental illness are often disregarded. Studying Global Public Health and Applied Psychology at NYU will permit me to explore issues surrounding mental illness and inaccessibility to healthcare.
In this section of the paper, we will be observing a specific issue regarding companies that deal with mental health. Before we diving into this topic, lets provide some information about mental health companies and cost containment. These behavioral health care companies (or mental health care companies) are here to help by promoting the well-being and preventing or intervening in mental illness while also aiding in preventing or intervening in substance abuse or other addictions (Sandler, 2009).” Now, what cost containment does is aids those companies to maintain different expenses that may lead to unnecessary cost or spending. This leads to the issue of should managed behavioral health care companies be permitted to achieve cost containment through the management of access to care?
According to the C.D.C ( Centers for Disease Control) the term mental health is commonly used in reference to mental illness. However, knowledge in the field has advanced to a level that completely separates the two terminologies. But even so mental health and mental illness are indeed in fact related, they represent different psychological state of mind with in a person. Mental health refers to our physical and emotional well being. Mental health is mainly all about how we behave, interact, and think. It c...
To address the disparities in mental health agencies, Barksdale et al., (2014) wrote a paper that explores how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care could be utilized by mental health agencies. The concern is that in some mental health agencies, there is a disconnected gap to understanding the cultural needs of the diverse population and it is causing a negative reflection in the agencies as well as in its providers. Furthermore, there is a lack of consideration and respect for clients’ cultural beliefs (Barksdale et al., 2014). With the incorporation of culturally and linguistically competent practices, increased client satisfaction,
Regarding cultural barriers, the stigma surrounding mental illness result in placing mental health services as the last option. The Asian American community is often reluctant to talk or express feelings. The fear of losing respect and bringing dishonor to the family in all aspects of life is largely centered in Asian culture. The concept of losing face or bringing shame is a huge faux pas because it requires admitting the existence of a mental health problem. (Weng)
Ghandi said “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive”, and this still reigns true today. The misconceptions about mental health are killing our economy and our children.
Mental disorders are rapidly becoming more common with each new generation born in the world. Currently, nearly one in two people suffer from some form of depression, anxiety, or other mental health problem at some point in their lives (Editor). With so many people suffering from their mental illnesses, steps have been taken in order to get help needed for these people but progress has been slow. In the medical world, hospitals are treating those with physical problems with more care than those with mental problems. Prescription drugs can only do so much helping the mentally ill go through their daily lives and more should be done to help those who need more than medicine to cope with their illness. Mental health should be considered just as important as physical health because of how advanced physical healing is, how the public reacts to those with mental illness, and due to the consequences that could happen if the illness is not correctly helped.
It is deeply alarming that ignoring mental health is systematically ignored as an important part of health promotion. This is shocking because, in theory, mental health is recognized as an important component of health, the close link between physical and mental health is recognized, and it is generally known that physical and mental health share many of the same social, environmental and economic components. We know that facilities dedicated to those with mental health problems are more vulnerable to the resources of physical diseases in many parts of the world, and it is essential that mental health promotion should not be equally affected