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Reducing mental health stigma
How stigma affects mental health patients
How stigma affects mental health patients
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Are mental health services underfunded in Australia? In fact, the whole mental health services are underfunded. People experiencing mental health problems and sicknesses aren't getting a fair deal. They have to face money/giving money shortages, limited access to services, unfair treatment based on skin colour, age, etc. and the services that still do exist are finding it impossible to successfully deal with demand. Every single day, Two hundred Australians attempt to take their own lives, but around seven Australians succeed. This is more than 2,500 people lost to suicide each year. Western Australia shows that many suicidal people are suffering. The crowded and blocked public hospitals are often forced to release mental health patients too early, and sometimes people are being refused care. According to the Age Newspaper some young people have committed suicide after being refused help. Western Australia is not the only state where people are losing their lives due to the underfunding of mental …show more content…
health services. Years of under-investment in mental health has left many Australians without the help that they need. Mental health services are suffering in Australia. They are not getting enough money to be able to afford to look after people with mental health sicknesses. The Barret Mental Health Youth Facility in Queensland is planned to be closed down without any replacement. With a huge waiting list this facility has to turn young people away often. A huge $16 million dollars has been cut from the State Mental Health budget. The Tasmania state budget has been cut by $14 million dollars and in Victoria $5 million in Money from the government has been cut from the extremely important drug and alcohol services. A further $1 million per year, over three years has been cut from Regional Community Health Centres. In New South Wales most people with mental health issues are being forced to pay for their own care. Almost half of the Australian population will experience a mental health issue at some stage in their life. Around 3.2 million adults per year have a mental health problem; which is one fifth of the population. We need mental health services which can help support people with mental illness to live full and healthy lives. Mental health illness is underfunded, even though governments know this causes lives of not having something needed and preventable deaths. Not many people are getting treatments for their mental health problems, but if mental health services get the money that they need, they can get more people into treatment and then the mental health population should improve. Australian mental health centres are slowly refusing to take on new clients and they are ending sessions in advanced, due to staff shortages and high demand. With mental health centres full, and private mental health specialists charging overpriced rates, there aren't many options available for people looking for mental health support. Instead of dealing with issues at an early stage, those with worse mental health concerns are attended to first. This is going to cause more problems for the years to come. Statistics show that the unemployed and poor earners are more affected by mental health issues than those on larger incomes. Continued underfunding of mental health services will only serve to expand this gap between the mental health of rich and poor. In discussion, there need to be more mental health services to help support people with mental sicknesses, and stop the high suicidal rates.
More services, a stronger focus on bad situations, successful plans, ways of reaching goals, access to free services, as well as putting millions of dollars back into the Mental Health budgets and into research. This would help find better solutions for serious mental sicknesses. Instead of putting money first it would make much more sense if they put people's health first. So why is it that both state and federal governments are doing the completely opposite? In small governments they are slowly seeing healthcare as a money-making business instead of a basic service that should be afforded to all. Mental health services are underfunded in Australia, that's why mental health services need help to get the Australian governments to act fast on mental health. So will you help put a stop to mental health being underfunded in
Australia?
Critical to understanding the extent of the problem is a clear definition of mentally ill, “a person suffering from mental illness and, owing to that illness, there are reasonable grounds for believing that care, treatment or control of the person is necessary for the person’s own protection from serious harm, or for the protection of others from serious harm” [Mental Health Act 2007 (NSW)]. Noting that the statute specifies the ‘control’ of this group which adds to the notion that people with mental health problems are inherently more dangerous members of our society. Furthermore mental health problems within the prison system (inmate population) are estimated to be three to four times higher than in the general Australian popula...
Poverty in mental health prevents patients from seeking out medical attention due to lack of insurance. “insurance coverage disparities make mental health care less accessible than other forms of health care” (Safran, 2011). Due to lack of insurance patients are not receiving adequate care, such as being evaluated, receiving the appropriate treatments, and not going to doctor follow up appointments to ensure proper care. Without receiving proper treatment, it can cause the patient condition to get worse and would not have a chance of a successful outcome. Also, poverty can cause additional stress and anxiety making the mental illness progress. “The stresses of living with someone who has a mental health problem may be particularly pronounced for families who live in resource poor areas where treatment options, accurate information, and social support may be limited.” (Bischoff, 2017). Lack of attention is another health disparities, due to lack of attention, there is limited funding sources to help mental health patients. Since there is a lack of funding these individuals are not getting the appropriate help that is needed. As well since mental health lacks attention and funding, there are limited mental health institutions, so people who need to be institutionalized may be required to be relocated to another city/state. We must try our best to provide all resources for our patients and
Mental Health Funding Mental health is a subject a lot of people prefer not to talk about, which is a main reason that it is so underfunded. The severe underfunding affects not only the people suffering from mental illness, but also the government, the economy, and society as a whole. It is in the government's best interest to put more funding into mental health due to the health consequences on patients, including weight issues, drastic effects on bodily functions, and difficulties in pregnancy. As well as this
Calma, T. & Dudgeon, P. 2013, Mental health gap must be addressed, The Australian, .
Mental Health treatment disparities amongst under-class white and African American women. Mental health used to be a taboo topic to discuss in public, or even to the people closest to you. Now it is becoming more acceptable to talk about some aspects of the once controversial topic. Everywhere people look now they are being constantly reminded about how important mental health awareness is, whether it be a suicide prevention hotline posters, celebrities raising awareness on social media, or even in movies. Mental Health is an upcoming social topic that is rightfully becoming more socially acceptable to discuss rather than sweep it under the rug. It is very important that awareness is being practiced whether it be for more common illnesses like depression , or something more serious like schizophrenia it is important that people are educated about mental illnesses so they know how to cope with them, and treat them Although the solution sounds easy it isn't because not everyone has equal access to mental health treatment.There are invisible barriers in the way for some people when it comes to access to mental health treatment. Race and class are two variables that are huge
The right to mental health is a fundamental human right. The World Health Organization reflected this right as the utmost achievable standard of health in its constitution of 1946. In 1991, the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution embraced the “Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care”. This doctrine constituted the foundation of devising mental health strategies around the world including Australia. The United Nations in 2007 formulated “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”; a treaty to promote, protect and ensure the rights and freedoms of people with disabilities. Mental health in NSW is governed under the NSW mental health act which came into operation in 2007.
The development of mental health policy has gone through many changes in the course of the twentieth century. Today, mental health policy is totally different from the policy hundreds of years ago. Because of this, it is important to emphasize the fact that mental health policy has shifted from the indifference and isolation of people with mental illness, to the delivery of social services and community integration. In other words, mental health policy has experienced a serious change that has changed the attitude of policy makers, health care professionals, ordinary people, and also to people with a mental illness. Today, people with mental health problems are no longer outsiders as they used to be. Instead they are seen as people who have different needs and social geared towards their integration into the community. The federal government now has a policy that addresses the problems faced by people with mental illness, gives the community a chance to understand these people, and sets a standard in providing mental health services. There are over seventy actions in The Federal Mental Health Action Agenda. “It offers an unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally alter the form and function of the mental health service delivery system in this country to one that puts individuals-adults with mental illnesses, children with emotional disturbances, and family members-at its very core” (The Federal Action Agenda: First Steps. Web. 24 Mar. 2014).
Labor Party would also like to address mental health in Australia, wanting to increase the access of clinical and non-clinical services for those experiencing mental health. The main focus is to make service available to all Australians from regional, rural and remote areas. They want to begin early intervention and prevention of mental illnesses to decrease suicide rates. Over the next ten years Labor targets to decrease suicide rates by 50% and make sure that people who are living with mental illnesses are able to receive the support and service that they require.
The human brain is a unique, complex and a beautiful piece of art; thus driven me to gain interest in Mental Health. I am obliged to have the opportunity to study a stimulating course. Being able to help individuals in need would be rewarding and fulfilling, I have always had a positive attitude towards caring for others. I believe I have the qualities needed to be a Mental Health Nurse. My communication skills are of high standard, I have patience and compassion which I developed during my work experiences.
The American Health Care Act doesn't want to expand anymore money towards mental health. Mental health treatment services need to be maintained but also expaned in order to keep the country's mental health needs. Melissa Warnke explains, "The House and Senate verisons of Trumpcare would both phase out funding for that expansion and cut Medicaid spending by almost a trillion dollars over a decade.
Another problem is the lack of support and participation that Healthy Ireland has had in the Mental Health Division Operational Plan 2014. Healthy Ireland developed the framework but did very little in the promotion of the importance of mental health and the effects it has on the public.
The American health care system is segmented. When someone has a heart problem they go see a cardiologist. When someone has a skin problem they see a dermatologist. When someone has a mental health problem they go see a Psychologist, Psychiatrist or a Counselor. The health care industry has broken up the body into separate parts treating each part like its own entity when really a problem in one area has an effect upon the rest of the body. According to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride the author of “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” “One area of medicine is particularly prone to look at its organ separately from the rest of the body. That area is psychiatry.(50)” The mental health field has successfully found medications to suppress the symptoms of mental health disorders yet has failed to treat the body as a whole and treat mental illnesses holistically. Mental health i is a complex and serious issue that is seldom approached holistically. People deserve the chance to heal their bodies and minds. There is a considerable amount of research that shows a correlation between nutrition and mental health. Mental health treatment should include diet change, exercise and supplements for every patient.
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several
Do you take time from your day to take care of yourself? I’m not only talking about physical health, but more specifically on mental health. Often our own mental health is overlooked. However, it is very important to learn about your mental health. Having knowledge about different mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, can change the way you live your everyday life. It can help not only yourself, but also your perspective for people around you. I believe in taking care of your mental health.
Do you take time from your day to take care of yourself? I am not only talking about physical health, but more specifically on mental health. Often our own mental health is overlooked. However, it is very important to have knowledge about your mental health. Having knowledge about different mental illnesses like depression and anxiety can change the way you live your everyday life. It can help not only yourself, but also your perspective for people around you. I believe in taking care of your mental health.