Research Paper on Mental Healthcare: Leading Causes of Disability

Introduction

Mental and substance use disorder have been presenting as the leading cause of disability. The issue of substance abuse is usually closely linked to mental health disorders as the dependence on drugs triggers the need to self-medicate, which, in turn, causes mental health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2014 states that mental health has become a global burden of disease, which also increases the global burden of disease for other related ailments. Statistical research findings show that almost 70% of mentally ill people globally lack access to mental health services (WHO, 2014). The current global mental health situation has been largely influenced by a number of economic, social and cultural factors which are, however, being addressed through altruistic organizations and implementation of evidence-based interventions on a global scale as well as in specific target areas. With that in mind, this article explores the global mental health issue by highlighting the factors affecting mental healthcare delivery, the impact of altruistic organizations on mental healthcare practices and evidence-based interventions to prevent and address mental health.

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Background on Global Mental Health

Before delving into the factors and evidence-based interventions, it is prudent to first understand what mental health is. The definition of mental health given by WHO has considerably changed the perception of public health issues. According to WHO (2014), good and desirable mental health is not defined as the absence of mental disorders. Nonetheless, mental health is often determined by a range of biological, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. These factors determine the mental health experienced by different individuals. Statistical and scientific research data show that at least one in four people globally suffers from negative mental health (WHO, 2014). This data shows that the general human well-being is under considerable threat from mental health conditions.

On another note, one of the main mental health issues globally is common mental disorders (CMDs). CMDs comprise of anxiety and depressive disorders, which have been considered by the WHO as leading causes of disability worldwide. Anxiety disorders that are under the CMDs include phobias, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. An estimated 300 million people have been reported to have suffered from depression in the year 2014 (WHO, 2014). These numbers are alarming as 300 million people represent at least 4.4% of the global population. Further scholarly findings show that just as many people experienced anxiety within a five-year period (Kessler et al., 2015). Additionally, extensive comorbidity has been observed between depression and anxiety.

Factors that Impact Global Mental Healthcare Delivery

According to a systematic review conducted by Roberts et al., (2018) on the low utilization of health care services for common mental health disorders, there are three kinds of factors that influenced the current mental health predicament. These factors include predisposing factors, need factors, and enabling factors. The predisposing factors are those factors that influence one to seek mental health services. Need factors, on the other hand, are involved with both the objective and subjective perceptions of one's needs in regard to mental health. Lastly, the enabling factors are those that either impede or facilitate service utilization in the global population.

Roberts et al., (2018) revealed an association between the increased likelihood of the use of mental health services and the female population. Female mental health patients, who were of Caucasian ethnicity, unmarried and with a higher education level, were more likely to utilize mental health services than male patients (Roberts et al., 2018). The study also showed that the male gender, especially of any other ethnicity rather than Caucasian, married and have a lower education level would have a decreased likelihood of mental health service use. The predisposing factors show that different demographics are bound to utilize mental health service in a different way.

With regards to the need factors, Roberts et al., (2018) found a strong association between self-evaluated mental health status and service utilization. The self-evaluated health status included certain aspects of mental health, such as panic symptoms, disability, comorbidity, and duration of symptoms. As such, service utilization on a global basis was found to increase as the severity of the symptoms increased. However, associations of service utilization with symptom severity were less consistently but frequently evaluated. The findings of the study illustrated that individuals were more likely to seek mental health services in situations where the severity of the symptoms had increased.

The enabling factors were, however, found to be inconsistent throughout the entire global population (Roberts et al., 2018). In low-income countries, there was an association between income and mental illness and the utilization of mental health services. The countries with the highest rates of unemployment were associated with mild suicide rates while those with a low rate of unemployment and high-income disparities were involved with high rates of suicides and related mental illness (Travasso, Rajaraman, & Heymann, 2014). Furthermore, access to medical insurance and mental health facilities was indicated to be a significant factor in aiding the utilization of mental health services.

Going by the above findings, it is evident that mental health illness highly depends on demographics. As such, the mental health problem needs to be approached from a specific rather than a global perspective (Roberts et al., 2018). According to Kessler et al., (2015), the United States has the highest rate of mental health disorders, which is 26.4%, with countries such as Italy following closely with 8.2%. The widespread nature of mental illnesses is extremely worrying considering the prevailing treatment gap that has been increasing over the years. Besides, only 42%-44% of those affected have been able to seek treatment from health care professionals such as mental health specialists and non-specialists (Kessler et al., 2015).

Several factors influence people's decisions not to seek mental healthcare services. Such decisions are irrespective of the effective treatments for common mental issues that have already been designed and implemented. The secondary effects of mental illness have included disability, increased criminal activity, and increasing suicide rates (Scott et al., 2016). Existing socio-economic and cultural factors, for instance, have resulted in increased suicide rates, which have often been linked to a history of mental illness. Therefore, mental health problems can only be solved by addressing political, cultural and socioeconomic issues such as the stigma associated with mental health, lack of access to mental health services and low health service utilization for common mental disorders.

Influence of Altruistic Organizations on Eradication of Global Mental Health

One of the major issues affecting global mental health is cultural stigmatization. Conversations on mental health and mental illness are usually not supported in the modern cultural environment. In most cultures, mental health has been considered a taboo rather than a priority that needs to be directly addressed by the public. However, altruistic organizations have been successful in trying to change the perspective of mental health across all communities. Global altruistic organizations involved in mental health care campaigns include non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, charities and foundations, private associations, and governmental organizations (Wahlbeck, 2015).

The global community of altruistic organizations has fostered positive global mental health by increasing its awareness across various societies. Due to the social and cultural issues that stand in the way of mental health treatment, altruistic organizations consider it important to educate people on the negative impact of mental health and the need to seek healthcare from professionals whenever one suffers from a mental condition (Wahlbeck, 2015). Increased awareness of mental healthcare has cultivated positive perspectives on the issue in people, which guarantees support for patients suffering from mental illnesses as they seek healthcare services.

Moreover, a majority of these altruistic organizations also offer resources that would enable people to get treatment for any mental illness. Some of these organizations offer support services such as counseling, free mental health care, suicide hotline centers, life skills education, and community education (Wainberk, 2015). In view of these, one can infer that altruistic organizations play a crucial role in the promotion of mental health by changing the narrative and cultural perspectives on mental illness. The impact of altruistic organizations on global mental health care will possibly become more pronounced with time.

Healthcare Decisions and Practices at the Local Level

One of the healthcare practices that has significantly influenced global mental health is patient education. Healthcare providers who decide to educate patients on the importance of mental health as part of their well-being, as well as the need to seek mental health care, help in saving lives at the local level (Wahlbeck, 2015). Additionally, patient education at the local level is associated with an enhanced awareness of mental health care, especially with regards to the benefits of promoting mental health. In this line, more people are receiving counseling and subsequent treatment alternatives.

Similarly, families of mental health patients are becoming more supportive and involved in treatment and interventions thereby accelerating the recovery process faster and enabling the patients to live a healthy life after healing. The clinical decision to conduct patient education at the local level has, in turn, developed knowledge of mental health to grow globally (Wainberg et al., 2017). This shows that global mental health can be achieved through cumulative results from local interventions rather than global efforts that are not specific and targeting a given affected population.

Evidence-based Interventions Implemented to Address and Promote Wellness of the Global Mental Health Problem

As indicated above, mental health cannot be considered as a global issue with a single cause and the same range of influencing factors. Evidence-based interventions have, therefore, been developed from specific approaches with regards to the mental health needs in a specific demography or community. Nonetheless, the negative cultural perspective on mental illness is a common issue worldwide (Tirintica et al., 2018). The work of altruistic and public health organizations in creating increased awareness of mental health care is bound to change the negative cultural and social narrative in time. As such, increasing awareness of the undesirable impact of mental illness on society and the importance of utilizing mental health services is one of the interventions implemented globally.

Another intervention that can be applied from a need-basis point of view is by enabling access to mental health services. Numerous studies show that inadequate or understaffed mental health care facilities have often been the reason for low utilization of mental health serviced due to low quality. By increasing the number of healthcare staffs who are qualified and increasing the number of institutions offering mental health care services, utilization...