In 2003 President Bush’s created the, New Freedom Commission on Mental Health which outlines a plan to move forward in increasing early intervention and screening for children and adolescents. The report suggests that no one body or organization is charge of mental health care of children and adolescents. However schools and teachers are in the best position to provide support to young people because of the consistent exposure teachers have with their students. The report also suggests that because one’s mental health is so tightly intertwined with one’s educational success, that teachers play a vital role in identifying warning signs and linking students to services (Hogan et al., 2003, p. 58). These school based services have the potential to reach more vulnerable and potentially underserved populations with better opportunities to engage parents and the community in services. In order to provide optimum services, care, and proper interventions in schools things like stigma attached to receiving mental health services need to be addressed as well for students to feel comfortable obtaining care. The other necessity is also providing the teachers and counselors in schools the proper training and support based on evidenced based practices (Mills et al. 2006, p.155). In 2010, the President Obama announced that the Affordable Care Act would extend its coverage to preventative mental health care coverage. This coverage would include depression screenings for adults and behavioral screenings for children and adolescents. In addition to this the President announced that the 2014 federal budget would include $130 million dedicated to aiding teachers in identifying the signs and risk factors of mental illness in their students, and r... ... middle of paper ... ..., 67-75. doi:10.1007/s10826-012-9686-x Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. (2012). 20 percent of US adults experienced mental illness in the past year, report says. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1211273220.aspx The National Academies. (2009). Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people progress and possibilities. (). The Secretariat. (2011). Global burden of mental disorders and the need for a comprehensive, coordinated response from health and social sectors at the country level . (). Turning Point Community Programs. (2011). Prop. 63/MHSA makes A difference!. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.tpcp.org/news/27 World Health Organization. (2004). Prevention of mental disorders effective interventions and policy options summary report. (). Geneva, Switzerland:
In the letter written to the Senator of Colorado, I urged him to use his influence in the house to get this bill passed into law. I also like to urge other senators as parents and our government officials to work hard and ensure that this bill of ‘Mental Health in Schools Act’ passes and fully becomes law. It is true that this piece of legislation will give our youths and children the futures that they really deserve.
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.... ...
...e people advocating for better mental health care. Parents and teachers are more likely to recognize the development of depression and should be educated on what they can do to help their student and child. Since it is proven that depression can lead to violence, qualified psychologists should be readily available on campus to help students faster than outside of the school. If not that, then schools, like George Mason University, can spread awareness of depression and sponsor programs or info sessions where their students learn of depression and what they can do to help others who may be victims of depression. Baby steps like these, as well as implementing a solution practical in the modern technology-era, can accumulate and develop into a strategically effective means of preventing school shootings caused by depression across the country in each and every school.
Tolan, P. H., & Dodge, K. A. (2005). Children's mental health as a primary care and concern: a system for comprehensive support and service. American Psychologist, 60(6), 601.
NASMHPD. (2014, Accessed April 27). Retrieved from NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM DIRECTORS: http://www.nasmhpd.org/About/AOMultiStateDisaster.aspx
...row WE, Rae DS, Manderscheid RW, Locke BZ, Goodwin FK. The de facto US mental and addictive disorders service system. Epidemiologic catchment area prospective 1-year prevalence rates of disorders and services. Archives of General Psychiatry. 1993 Feb;50(2):85-94.
Although about 450 million people in the world currently are suffering from a mental illness, many untreated, the topic still remains taboo in modern society (Mental Health). For years, people with mental illnesses have been shut away or institutionalized, and despite cultural progression in many areas, mental illnesses are still shamed and rarely brought to light outside of the psychiatric community. The many different forms in which mental illness can occur are incredibly prevalent in the world today, and there is a substantial debate about the way that they should be handled. Some people are of the opinion that mental illness is merely a variance in perception and that it either can be fixed through therapy or should not be treated at all, and that treatment can have negative side effects. Other groups of people believe that mental illness is a very serious affliction and should be treated as a disease through a combination of counselling and medication because people suffering from an untreated mental illness are a danger to themselves and society as a whole. This debate is a popular one, discussed everywhere from the medical field to the dinner table, and it is such because of the numerous lives it affects on the well-being of fellow members of society and the economy. People suffering from mental illnesses are afflicted with anything from delusions, to manic periods, to periods of deep emotional darkness due to experiences and brain chemistry (Johnson). Due to the negative effects untreated mental illness has been proven to have on the human well-being and society as a whole, medication should most certainly be seen as a valid and sometimes necessary way to treat those who suffer from mental illnesses.
In order to support mental health especially in children and adolescents several legislatures have been created. The current legislative issue that is being debated is the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013. This bill has been created to strengthen the mental health system, reauthorize, and improve programs related to mental health and substance abuse. Title one of the legislation focuses on promotion of school wide prevention and the development of positive behavioral plans and support systems. Title two of the legislation focuses on suicide prevention, mental health awareness for teachers and helping children recover from traumatic events. ("US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Newsroom, 2013) The bill has been introduced and referred by the Committee on April 9, 2013. On April 10, 2013, the bill had been sent to the House for consideration. The bill has been app...
Although physical health is not directly effected by the status of a child’s mental state, children with mental health problems are more prone to having a chronic health condition, which will follow them into adulthood. Out of all the children with a mental illness forty percent of them have two or more mental illnesses. A child with a mental illness has a greater chance of developing even more mental illnesses as an adult. An adult with one or more mental disorders are less likely to work or participate in the community in a positive light (cdc.gov). The abundant number of children who had trouble in school, getting along with their peers, and shying away from their family because of a mental illness are not likely to be attending further schooling or working in their adulthood. Since these adults do very little there a greater chance that they turn to substance abuse (NHPF.ORG). According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the population of people with mental illnesses consumes thirty-eight percent of alcohol and forty-four percent of cocaine (dual diagnosis).
The NSDUH reports that individuals with a mental illness is more like to also have a chronic health condition and are more likely to use hospitalization and emergency room treatment (NSDUH, 2014). According to SAMSHA (n.d.), 50% of Medicaid enrollees have a diagnosable mental health condition. Individuals with a diagnosed mental health condition have health care cost that is 75% higher than those without a mental health diagnosis (SAMSHA, n.d.). For an individual with a co-occurring disorder the cast is nearly three times higher than what the average Medicaid
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.
Mental illness can impact every aspect of one’s life, destroying the buoyant life they once lived. Often the individual doesn't know why their life is crumbling, drowning them in despair. This happens far too often in teens and children, and without anyone noticing, it makes death seem like the only option. Consequently, suicide has risen 50% for teenage girls and 30% for teenage boys, so it's no surprise Americans want a fix. But how do you reach out to 74.2 million children? Every American child is required to go to school. By making mental health screenings mandatory in schools, it would help thousands, if not millions of children.
In today’s society, high school students are held to high standards. They are expected to be able to keep up grades, perform in extracurricular activities, keep up a social life, consider scholarships and colleges, and volunteer within the community, among other tasks. For most students, these tasks are not a problem. However, all of these things in combination are too high a task for children with mental illnesses to reach. Many students with depression, ADHD, anxiety, and OCD are put in positions where they are unable to perform to the standards that their able-minded peers are held to. These mental illnesses can cause a decrease in work ability, focus in classrooms, and general school performance.
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