What is a social problem? A social problem is a subject that affects a group of people in a concerning way. In a world filled with diverse matters there are multiple issues that social workers would identify as social problems. One prime example of a social problem would be mental health in the child welfare system. The child welfare system is a system that is designed to ensure the safety of children and that families have resources to take care of their children (Child Welfare Information Gateway). With that being said, many social workers raise concern that children within the welfare system are not receiving mental health services. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, estimated five million children were involved in the child welfare system. And out of those five million, half of them were suspected of needing mental health services. These were children who had a high probability of being exposed to sexual assault, battery, neglect, poverty, and substance abuse (Levitt 2009). After researching this topic, many believe that the scope of the social problem would be mental health within the welfare system. Mental health is a subject that spreads across the world, and impacts millions of individuals. Estimated one in five individuals experiences some form of mental …show more content…
Social workers, psychologists, doctors, psychiatrists, and mental health advocates would be the stake holders in regards to this scenario. These individuals invest time, money, and interest in aiding those who deal with mental illness everyday. Social workers involved in child welfare are the individuals who will implement the benefits. They will use the Code of Ethics in regards to the children’s well-being in the welfare system. With time and awareness, these children will work to overcome barriers that they may face, and contribute to the
According to the Objectivist view, a social problem is something that is a real threat to human life (Goode and Ben-Yehuda 1994). That meaning, if something does not harm a large group of people, the threat and therefore the social problem does not
A social problem is an issue that is defined by society to be exactly that; an issue. This can range from issues such as murder; which is commonly agreed on in Australia, or to issues such as smoking or loud music being played in parks, where only certain individuals in society see it as a problem. Unemployment in Australia is considered to be a social problem, due to it affecting around 6 percent of Australia’s population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014). If unemployment only affected a few people then it could be said that those individuals being lazy or could not hold down a job, but due to it affecting a majority of society it then becomes a social problem.
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).
Mental illness is more common than one would like to believe. In reality, one in five Americans will suffer from a mental disorder in any given year. Though that ratio is about equivalent to more than fifty-four million people, mental illness still remains a shameful and stigmatized topic (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). The taboo of mental illness has an extensive and exhausting history, dating back to the beginning of American colonization. It has not been an easy road, to say the least.
This essay examines why mental illness has not been given the priority in our system that it needs and it
First off, clinical social workers work one-on-one with individuals by utilizing psychosocial casework to improve their client’s lives. Social workers at the micro level typically provide case management by coordinating and monitoring services, developing a treatment plan, advocating for new services, providing psychoeducation, and by helping clients learn more about their specific disorder (Marx). They also provide psychotherapy through three major therapeutic approaches- psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic (Marx). When it comes to the mezzo level social worker work with groups and families. They may initiate therapy groups, support groups, psychoeducational groups, and socialization groups all in order to uplift their clients about their mental disorder (Marx). On top of that, social workers also offer family therapy with the goal of helping families learn and function effectively by meeting the needs of a family member with a mental illness (Marx). Finally, social workers also work on a macro level through advocacy and policy changes, and in an administrative setting. Through advocacy, social workers may lobby for policy changes on a local, state, or national level in order to promote positive
Mental illness is a lot like having a psychical illness, and more than sixty million Americans suffer from some type of mental disorder every year. Most people who suffer from a mental disorder are unaware that they even have a mental problem until they seek some type of medical attention. The evolution of Social Work in Mental Health, has been influenced by development of different types of psychiatric care. Mental illness causes a lot of emotional pain and that pain causes us to push for a solution. Social workers do many things some of the important work that social workers so is help people who have a range of issues that includes eating disorders, mental illness, financial problems, substance and mental abuse, along with marriage and
The play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare tells the story of two very young lovers who die. It just appears that fate controlled the outcome of the story. But if you really study and interpret the story you will realize it is a series of a few simple coincidences, which made the outcome so tragic.
There’s a myriad of mental illnesses out there; in fact over 200 classified forms. The most common being anxiety, stress, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia,
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...
Child welfare ensures “that children are safe and protected from any harm” (Berg-Weger, 2013). Social workers in this field “protect vulnerable children and help families in need of assistance”, “intervene when children are in danger of neglect or abuse”, and some even arrange “adoptions, locate foster families, or work to get families back together” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). This is the second largest area of social work, especially for those with a bachelor’s degree in social work (Berg-Weger, 2013). The primary purpose of child welfare is to keep children protected and safe from harm (Whitaker, Reich, Reid, Williams, & Woodside, 2004). The secondary purpose is to “provide necessary services to the families of children at risk, to improve conditions in their homes and bring stability to their family units” (Whitaker et al., 2004). According to the National Association of Social Workers, “this system includes both public and private agencies, and works in close partnership with – and relies on – many other community systems, such ...
What is a social problem? A social problem is a problem that affects more than one person in a society. A social problem disrupts the daily life and well being of people in a society. Ryan described a social problem as a problem that affects humans. If a problem affects a human being than it is a social problem. “’What human problem is not a social problem?’” (Ryan 9). Social Problems affect a major part of many individuals’ rights. Some examples of social problems are: sexism, racism, homophobia, and income inequality. In this essay I will be focusing on income inequality and whether this issue is a social problem or an individual problem.
Social problems are a rising problem caused by population growth. One of most well-known problems is the overcrowding of an area. Cities like New York and Washington D.C. are ridiculously crowded. Due to the increase of population in the city, the cost of living is much higher. The unemployment rate is also higher due to the lack of jobs over the amount of people living in the city. This causes for an increase in the crime rate. Criminals all have different motives, and one of the main motives is survival. Banks and stores are constantly robbed due to the high amount of unemployment. Families are stealing just to be able to put food on the table and clothes on their
Social issues are very broad and diverse and are usually made up of factors or consequences which directly or indirectly affect a person or many members of a society and are considered to be problems, controversies or both and are related to moral values, therefore their immediate social environment may become vulnerable in some respect which may also effect several individuals environment and in turn society.
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.