Integrating Mental Health Services into Primary Health Care Executive Summary Prevalence of mental health disorders in all societies elevated and the gap between mental health service and prevalence of people with mental health disorders become significant; According to WHO 4 out of 5 people with mental illness in low and middle income country do not receive care. Integrated mental health services into primary health care will close the gap between mental health services and people with mental health disorders. Integrated mental health services into primary health care will close the gap by improving accessibility, viability, acceptability, reducing stigma and improve human right respect with less cost, more quality and holistic perspective …show more content…
The extent of unmet mental health services is intimidating. According to WHO 4 out of 5 people with mental illness in low and middle income country do not receive care. Unfortunately, lack of awareness and underestimation of mental health disorders are obvious at health system and policy maker level. In fact, health budget allowance for mental health treatment and prevention in middle and low income countries is less than 2% or even 1% of total health allowance and the number of mental health professional staff is Very low (Chisholm,2015; who, 2011). Furthermore, middle east humanitarian emergencies where population being more likely to have mental health crises. leading to increase the already exited shortage in mental health staff and caused more difficult access or even destroy mental health facilities (corps,2016,who,2015). Due to Lack of financial and human resource and humanitarians emergence in middle east low income countries Integrated mental health practice and services within and as a part of primary care are critically needed to deliver mental health care for people in …show more content…
Reasons for failing including the stigma, isolation, human right violation, poor outcome, difficult and limited access for most of community, also, In specialized mental health the concept of holistic care is absent. Ironically, providing care in specialized institutions is coasty; most of governments fund directed to run and develop specialized mental institutions (Kerbage, El Chammay & Richa, 2013; Chisholm,2015; IMC, 2016).This option is not costly affected or even accepted by community and the gap between mental health service and prevalence of people with mental health disorder become
Mental healthcare has a long and murky past in the United States. In the early 1900s, patients could live in institutions for many years. The treatments and conditions were, at times, inhumane. Legislation in the 1980s and 1990s created programs to protect this vulnerable population from abuse and discrimination. In the last 20 years, mental health advocacy groups and legislators have made gains in bringing attention to the disparity between physical and mental health programs. However, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses continues to be less than optimal. Mental health disparities continue to exist in all areas of the world.
The relationship between mental health and poverty can prove to be complicated at times because of an overwhelmingly large number of outside
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.... ...
In the United States alone, 57.7 million individuals suffer from mental illness. These illnesses range anywhere from mood disorders to anxiety disorders or to personality disorders and so on (The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America). 18 to 25 year olds make up about 30% of these individuals alone (Survey Finds Many Living with Mental Illness Go Without Treatment). These individuals require care from medication to psychiatry or even to confinement. However, of these 57.7 million individuals with mental illness, studies have found that less than one in three of these individuals receive proper treatment (Studies Say Mental Illness Too Often Goes Untreated).
People who are in different societal groups measure health in different ways. Mental health affects people in developing countries in different ways because they look at different aspects of and compare different things. People in developing countries who have money and who are able to access the medical care are looked at to be at a higher social status. Medical care in these areas cost money, a lot of people who do not have the money are not able to access the support they would need to improve their mental health. Due to mental health being a topic that is rarely talked about it is also something that a lot of people suffer from but no one talks about because they are not able to get
It has a vital role to play in enhancing and promoting good mental health by direct provision and referrals to other more specialized sectors (Barry, 2007). Due to shortage of mental health resources, primary healthcare should be the foundation of healthcare delivery and it may also be the only source of healthcare available for low income earners (Kakuma et al., 2011). The Mental Health and Poverty Projects in Mayuge, Uganda, and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, through community collaborations, development and support of self-help groups were effective in addressing the treatment gap in low income stings (Petersen et al., 2011). For proper effectiveness, secondary-level mental health specialists must support primary health
Mental illness related to low socioeconomic status (SES) conditions lead to interference of educational pursuits and finding employment; thus trapping the family in a cycle of poverty. Obstacles in accessing quality mental health car...
Mental health disparities, “the power imbalances that impact practices influencing access, quality, and outcomes of behavioral health care, or a significant disparity in the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, or survival rate in a specific group of people defined along racial and ethnic lines, as compared with the general population” (Safran, 2011). Although there are many mental health care dipartites, I’m going to focus on the impact of poverty and lack of attention given to mental health. By advocating for a prevention, promotion, and intervention related to mental health, will aid in minimizing mental health disparities. Not only is it important to advocate on a macro level, but it is important to educate
The social problem we have chosen to address is the mental health status of refugees. Refugees are exposed to a significant amount of trauma due to fear, war, persecution, torture, and relocating. The mental health illnesses that can affect refugees due to exposure to traumas include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Research indicated that refugees relocating from war-torn countries are particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns because many have experienced early traumas and face further post-traumas after relocation (Cummings, et al., 2011). However, despite the prevalence of mental health issues concerning refugees, mental health needs often go unrecognized and untreated.
Each year, 52 million Americans have some form of mental health problem and out of those patients 60% are members of a managed care group. (Madonna, 2000, ¶ 8) Managed mental health care’s successes and failures now bear directly on the mental wellbeing of 32 million particularly vulnerable Americans. Initially managed care was intended to be a “comprehensive approach to healthcare that included balancing cost, quality, utilization, and access.” (Madonna, 2000, ¶ 23) In theory, this is an optimal approach to the delivery of health care and it has proven somewhat successful in the area of physical health, but it has not provided the same success in the area of mental health. Mental health is still being treated as a separate and less important aspect of health care despite the fact that some mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, have shown higher success rates than those of common medical procedure, such as angioplasty. (Etheredge, 2002, ¶ 6)
Saraceno, B.; Ommeren, M.V.; Batniji, R.; Cohen, A.; Gureje, O.; Mahoney, J.; Sridhar, D.; and Underhill, C. (2007). Barriers to improvement of mental health services in low-income and middle-income countries. Global Mental Health Series 5, 370: 1164–74.
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.
Roughly three-quarters of the global disability burden are carried by low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) (WHO 2015); yet resource allocation towards mental health services has been relatively low. Only 15% to 24% of people with mental disorders receive treatment in poor income settings (WHO Fact Sheet 2017a). To revise this treatment gap and to ensure that people are able to “realize their potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their communities” (WHO 2013, p. 5), mental health must be given further priority on the global and national health agenda. The aim of this essay is to give reasoning for prioritizing mental health in LMIC.
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
Today, the numbers of people with mental health issues are considerably high. The problem increases the national and global social and economic burdens as governments try to find means of empowering the people with the issue and solve the problem. Today, one in five adults in the United States has a mental health problem (“Mental Health Facts,” 2016). “Mental Health Facts” (2016) also states that the adults that received mental health services are about 60%. Only 50% of the youth with mental health issues received mental health services in the previous year. Further, mental health issues are also related to drug use and addiction. Of all the mental illnesses and disorders, depression affects the most people and has the biggest burden globally. Due to the increasing burden and the gap in service utilization, the mental health policy seeks to address several factors. Some of the key issues to address include early diagnosis of mental disorders, provision of appropriate and adequate intervention a particular problem, education and counseling for the family members, and research to help reduce the numbers and reverse the trend. Another key area of focus is the use of mass media to create awareness about mental health issues and help clear the