Research Paper on Mental Healthcare

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of mental health. Although the problem started to exist for centuries, efforts to create awareness in the society regarding its prevalence, effects, and treatment began in the late nineteenth century. Thus, many people have become disabled or died because of the disease without even discovering they had it. Therefore, this paper provides findings on the background of mental health, factors that make it a public health concern issue, prevalence among poor people, treatment, and effects of incarceration.

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Background of Mental Health

The current concept of mental health has origins back in the early nineteenth century. During this period, there was an increase in the concerns for the psychological and emotional well-being of the community. This section describes the origins of mental health based on mental hygiene movement, world health organization, the International Congress of Mental health, and recent developments in the field of mental health.

The Mental Hygiene Movement

The movement is considered to be the pioneer of the mental healthcare system in the country. Clifford Beers, USA, started the campaign back in 1908 (Gunia 229). Initially, he published a book that explained his own experience after being admitted to three hospitals for issues related to mental health. The book elicited a lot of reactions. For example, it made the society understand aspects of mental well-being that had not been highlighted (Mathews 66). Also, it showed how mental health contributed to the general welfare of an individual and how lack of it could make life difficult. Consequently, in the same year, the Mental Hygiene movement was developed. Adolf Meyer suggested the name.

The National Commission for Mental Health Hygiene was established in 1919. The body initiated activities that targeted improving the quality of life among people living with mental disorders (Mathews 67). During a conference on mental health, the founder, Beers, said that the primary concern for the movement was to humanize the care for the people who were seen as insane and beyond treatment (Scholten et al.7). He highlighted the brutality and negligence that people with mental disorders had been subjected to and advocated for the need of change in the way the affairs of people with mental disorders were being handled.

Being that the organization participated in international activities, it spread its influence beyond the borders of the USA. Consequently, there was the establishment of other organizations related to mental health in other countries. Countries like South Africa and France established their national mental health associations in 1920 while Hungary and Italy established theirs in 1924 (Gunia 231). Later on, the organization enlarged its scope of work to include other activities. Initially, it had a predominant para-psychiatric nature. Hence, started working on defensive work in mental health and analyzing mild forms of disability. The organization began working on the preventive measures on mental health because of research evidence that showed that most of the mental health condition has started at an early age.

The World Health Organization

From its inception, The World Health Organization has always had a specialized mental health department because of the need communicated by the member states. For example, in 1961, the organization published researched and published an article on mental health (Pega and Jaimie 58). The paper was written in both English and French since the member states aligned to either side. In the article, WHO defined mental health to include a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. The definition was important because, during that period, people determined mental health based on the absence of a disease. Hence, through the new meaning, WHO overcame the then great dichotomies of physical vs. psychic, or body vs mind.

International Congress of Mental Health

In 1948, the British National Congress of Mental Health Hygiene organized the world's first International Congress of Mental Health. The event took five days (Pega and Jaimie 59). Some of the things discussed during the conference included a reflection of the post-war situation and four levels of mental health work (Gunia 234). The post-war discussion involved analyzing the state of mental health among both civilians and people in the army service. The debate on the levels of mental health work involved categorizing the dynamics of mental health. As such, the delegation further classified mental health based on positive, therapeutic, custodial, and preventive.

The highlight of the Congress was the 17 pages of recommendations. It involved solving the tensions between the pragmatic approach to mental health that was developed by the Mental Hygiene Movement and politically-oriented approach which was designed by people from other European countries who were concerned on the effect of the World War II on mental health (Pega and Jaimie 60). One of the significance of the International Congress of Mental Health is that it led to the transformation of the Mental Health Movement into a National Institute of Mental Health.

Recent Developments in Mental Health

Mental health continues to be regarded as a dimension of health that is crucial to the overall well-being of an individual. However, many people still view it as a mere discipline and use its name interchangeably with psychiatry. Nevertheless, there have been significant steps made by organizations to increase awareness of the importance of mental health. In 2001, WHO published an annual report and it dedicated it to mental health. The report provided findings on how to prevent and treat mental health issues, plan and provide services to people with mental health disorders eliminate stigma and discrimination, solicit funds to cover the prevention and treatment of mental health problems. Similarly, the World Health Theme was formulated to reflect the need to stop excluding people with mental health issues (Gunia 235). Although the steps have significantly influenced how contemporary society views mental health, people suffering from mental health disorders are still subjected to abuse and discrimination. Further, the cost of preventing and treating mental health problems among poor people is still so high that the prevalence of mental health is relatively high among poor people.

How Mental Health is a Serious Public Issue

Mental Health affects a large population of people. According to a report by WHO, at least 450 million people are suffering from at least one of mental health disorders (Santiago 120). The findings also show that 75% of mental health cases are from developing countries (Gunia 239). Further, 85% of people suffering from mental health disorders in developing countries cannot access treatment because of the cost (Gunia 238). For those who can afford treatment, the standards of care are often low and ineffective in ensuring a better quality of life. Consequently, mental health victims are often abandoned and subjected to inhumane restraints.

Also, mental health disorders are among the largest contributors to deaths and disability. Admittedly, most national governments have recognized mental health as a public issue. However, many people in society are still ignorant about mental health. A large part of the world population is still unaware of the dynamics of mental health because the most focus is placed on combating infectious diseases, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and heart diseases. However, in 2012, WHO conducted a study on the prevalence of mental health. The findings show that 14% of the worldwide disease burden is contributed by neurological, mental, and substance abuse (Pega and Jaimie 60). Further, WHO projected that by 2030, mental health disorders would be the leading cause of global disease burden (Pega and Jaimie 61). The results show that mental health has become one of the largest contributors to disability and deaths in the world.

Mental health is a public health issue because of its magnitude in economic terms. The cost of research, treating, and preventing mental health has become too heavy to bear especially among poor people. Initially, organizations like Grand Challenges Canada, National Institute of Mental Health, and DFID. However, the prevalence of the disease makes the funding to be grossly inadequate. Similarly, the cost of preventing mental health has become too high to poor people. In 2010, the World Economic Forum showed that global expenditure on mental health had reached $ 2.5 trillion (Pega and Jaimie 61). Additionally, the forum projected that by 2030, the amount would have increased to $6 trillion (Scholten et al. 7). When compared to the cost of infectious disease, the findings showed that the burden cost of treating mental health was more than the cost of treating cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, or cancer.

Additionally, mental health is complex based on its causes, the population affected, and treatment. Initially, research evidence failed to acknowledge the dynamics of mental health. Instead, it was viewed using physical and emotional factors. Later, research showed that mental health is caused by a myriad of factors which may be related to family genetics, environmental factors, and brain structure. Further, the findings connected the presence of a particular mental health condition could put one at risk of developing other mental health problems. For example, anxiety disorders put one at risk of developing Bipolar Disorder. Another factor that makes mental health a complex public health issue is the population affected. Initially, mental health disorders were associated with people who had experienced traumatic events. Hence, it becomes a public concern after World War II because it was established that people who had served in the army during the war remained traumatized and lived an abnormal life (Pega and Jaimie 62). However, later research established that mental health affects the general population. For example, it was established that the number of children who have autism, young adults who have Bipolar Disorders, former military service men and women PTSD had significantly increased (Scholten et al. 12). The results showed that there was an urgent need to formulate specific strategies that could help in addressing the health needs of people suffering from different mental health disorders. The prevention and treatment of mental health also make it a complex public health issue. Currently, most mental health issues are treated through medications and therapy. However, only people middle and high-income people can afford. Hence, regardless of the efforts made in increasing treatment options for mental health, poor people cannot still access them.

Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Among Poor People

According to WHO, many people who have mental health disorders are poor and living in deplorable conditions. Hence, the organization insists that problems of mental health cannot be addressed in isolation of other development problems. Additionally, research evidence from high-income countries shows that a strong relationship exists between socio-economic factors and the prevalence of mental health problems (Santiago et al. 116). Therefore, this section provides findings on the prevalence of mental health disorders among poor people based on income, security, hopelessness, social change, education, gender, and commodity.

Income

The level of income determines the level of risk to mental health problems. People who earn high income are at lower chances of suffering from mental health disorders. Also, when an income level of individual decreases, it puts him/her at risk of developing mental health problems. In 2003, V...