Free Research Paper Sample on Social Exclusion of People with Mental Illness: A Global Issue

Introduction

Social exclusion for people with mental illnesses is one of the public health issues that has remained unresolved. In every place in the world, social exclusion has remained an issue. The World Health Organization revealed that social exclusion is considered a dynamic, multi-dimensional process where an unequal power relationship is targeted towards a group of people (In this context, people with mental illnesses). Social exclusion is evident at all the social levels of life. Social exclusion of people with mental health is included in the household, a family, a group, a community, and global levels. In the discussion below, the thesis shows how social exclusion continues to be the leading cause of mental health illnesses in Australia. The discussion at the final phase also discusses ways Australian government agencies are trying as much as they can to reduce the effects of mental health illnesses through the introduction of social inclusion of every individual and every group within the Australian community.

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Mental Health Illnesses Common in Australia

Mental health illnesses are defined as conditions that inhibit the state of well-being. Through their potential, individuals are mentally limited and cannot cope with the normal stresses of life (Bentley et al., 2016). Those affected with mental health illnesses can, in turn, not be productive and fruitful enough. They cannot make an essential contribution to the country and society.

The most common type of mental health illness in Australia is depression. Depression affects almost half of the young population in Australia (Van Spijker et al., 2019). Most suicides in Australia are caused by depression, which is the leading mental health illness among young people. The other type of mental illness is anxiety. Anxiety and anxiety disorder attacks affect people of middle age than any other group. The last form of Mental Health illness is the schizophrenic disease.

One of the most common causes of mental health is poverty and the inability to cater to one need. However, this only applies to low income and middle-income countries, which Australia as a continent is not part (Cook, 2019). The causes of mental health illnesses in Australia are those that affect developed nations. These two different causes of mental illness created by social exclusion are discussed below:

Causes of Mental Health in Australia Related to Social Exclusion

Difference in Sexuality

The recent debate in the media about same-sex marriage and government programs in the national safe schools' program is proof of how sexuality is a cause of seclusion, which leads to mental health illnesses. Discrimination subjected to the LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Intersex Transgender and Queer) populations is one of the leading causes of mental health illnesses in Australia (Awaworyi et al., 2019). These groups of people are secluded from a lot of national conversations because of the sexualities. People of different sexuality receive discrimination, and abuse bothers verbally, and physically than any other group in Australia. This assumption was made during research by the Department of Mental Health Australia (Zhu, 2016). The department further analyzed that heterosexuals, homosexuals, and bisexuals are likely to experience anxiety attacks in Australia more than any other group. For this group, social exclusion, and prejudice are key contributors to them having mental health illnesses.

Racism

Aboriginals in Australia felt another cause of mental health illness as a result of social exclusion. Aboriginals also considered indigenous people from outside Australia had undergone a racist act, which has continued to affect their mental health (Astell-Burt & Feng, 2019). Contemporarily, the Aboriginals are subjects to institutionalized racism. They cannot access government jobs, and if they do, they are limited to accessing certain things as insurance covers, and other benefits that other ethnic groups. Aboriginals are accused of being politically non-compliant, and therefore suffer neglect from the government and its agencies. Being unable to access government facilities like hospitals, insurance covers, and having no jobs due to racism, the aboriginals are depressed from racial, social seclusion that any other group in Australia. An aboriginal in Australia is likely to be depressed, leading to mental health illness than any other group (Barry et al., 2019). Having identified the two most popular groups that are socially excluded in Australia and having learned that their social exclusion has led to their mental illness, below are further analysis of the types of social exclusion. The analysis also includes the mental health effects it has caused the people of Australia.

Types of Social Exclusion for Mental Health

Types of Social exclusion experienced by people affected by mental health illnesses in Australia come in different forms, with some groups of people affected than the rest, as explained in the paragraph above. T

First social exclusion for mental health is done by looking at those affected subjectively rather than objectively (Rickwood et al., 2019). Those with mental health are not analyzed and considered for what they are going through. They are kept out of mainstream society. Being kept out from the mainstream society subjects the mental health to cultural prejudice. Prejudice creates a cultural devaluation where mentally healthy persons are not perceived to be capable of contributing to society (Slade et al., 2017). It is what they are perceived to be that is used to exclude them, which is quite demeaning. For example, a Lesbian discriminated against for her sexuality is subject to exclusion, which leads her to acquire a mental health condition, such as depression. Instead of government agencies or employment agencies to employ the lesbian because of her academic qualification as a way of helping her, the agencies focus on her subjectively as a lesbian thereby creating social exclusion, which instead increases the mental health disease burden in Australia (Gardner et al., 2019).

Another method of social exclusion is the stigma against those with mental illnesses. Stigma is a painful experience against those with a mental health condition (Kinner et al., 2017). It is a type of exclusion where those with mental health conditions are perceived as potentially dangerous, and not people that one can directly interact, and communicate (Ford et al., 2017). In Australia, the degree of stigmatization varies depending on the mental health condition that the individual being stigmatized against has. Those from the Aboriginal community, and happen to have mental health conditions like depression are assumed to be harmful, and contagious (Gilson., 2018). They are rarely interacted with. Most people view them as people unable to hold employment positions. Australian people, in general, have unfavorable attitudes towards those with mental ill-health. There is a stigma within the Australian community because a good number of public members rarely have information regarding mental health and mental health illness (Stanley et al., 2019).

These two types of social exclusion discussed above are the most ones common in the Australian community (Bowman et al., 2017). However, there are other forms of social exclusions that people with mental illness are subjects. After the above discussion, which highlights the form of social exclusion that people with mental health are subjects, below are further analyses of the effects of social exclusion on people with mental health conditions and illnesses.

Effects of Social Exclusion on People With Mental Health Illnesses in Australia

The first common effect of social exclusion in Australia among the people affected with mental illnesses and conditions is homelessness. With limited inclusion and representation in the government, people with mental health illnesses rarely access essential social amenities (McKenna et al., 2017). When most people feel they cannot be accommodated, they end up homeless. By homeless, it does not mean that they end up in the streets. Most socially excluded persons with mental health illnesses end up in prison to attempt suicides, rendering them homeless. Others having mental health issues visit places of social help, and they stay there for their lives, making them homeless. Australia's mental health illness department has recognized the state of homelessness and has agreed to develop a solution in regards to the same issue.

The other effect of social exclusion of those with a mental health condition is fear among the mentally ill so that they do not seek mental health treatment. In Australia, it is estimated that 45% (Ma et al., 2018) of those with mental health conditions are the ones in mental health facilities, and are seeking psychiatric services. The larger 55% are afraid to seek psychiatric services because of social exclusion (Ma et al., 2018). Each time government agencies call for this public health issue, not many people show up for help because of the stigma surrounding it. It is important to realize that this fear and people refusing to show up for psychiatric services is because of the stigma and the social exclusion of people with mental health illnesses.

Steps That the Australian Agencies Are Taking to Reduce Social Exclusion for People With Mental Health Illnesses

The Victorian Ministry of Mental Health realized the effects of social exclusion on people with mental health conditions. In their mental health plan, they included several ways of dealing with social exclusion, which include. The plan contained a mental health promotion program meant to sensitize the community about mental health conditions. The Ministry of Health, Department of Victoria, partnered with a school-based program to raise awareness of mental health conditions among children and young people (Filia et al., 2018). The program focused on young people because the ministry believes they are the most diverse group in the nation.

Another plan by the Victorian government to limit social exclusion for people with a mental health condition is engaging leaders from the Aboriginal communities and those from the LGBTI community (the two communities that are affected the most). These leaders should develop a social and emotional well-being framework that will see most of them as important protective factors to reduce the existing national stigma (Filia et al., 2018). Through the reduction of stigma, it can be a sure way of maintaining proper mental health as well as social inclusion.

Conclusion

Having discussed the two most common effects of social exclusion in Australia on people suffering from mental health illnesses, it is important to recognize that the Australian governments are putting effort to help tackle mental health as a public health issue. Below are ways in which Melbourne and Victorian government agencies of Australia are dealing with social exclusion as an aspect that accelerates mental health conditions among the Australian people.