Research Paper on Mental Illnesses and Special Treatment

Introduction

Mental health problem is social issues that affect a significant number of people globally. In the United States, it impacts the lives of many people in prisons, in hospitals and other institutions. Mental health problem arises from diseases and other social problems that lead to depression. In many cases, the government in collaboration with the health care system have the mandate to provide services geared towards protecting and treating patients with mental health illnesses (Fuller et al., 2014). However, there are many cases when the government has neglected those suffering from mental health problems by not providing enough resources required when it comes to the provision of the medical services to the mentally-ill patients. The mental health patient in the United States of America has continuously and repeatedly faced injustice due to misappropriation and negligence of many public and health institution. Despite the mental impairment problem affecting individual victim's judgment and decision making, most have been consistently absorbed to institutions that cannot handle or rectify their situation. For instance, many mentally ill individuals have been continuously sent to correctional institution and prisons rather than mental health hospitals (Weinstein & Perlin, 2018). It influences an individual's behaviour, feelings, thoughts and perception, which are often associated with the functioning of a specific region of the brain. The criminal justice system's negligence to recommend and send the mentally ill individuals to the mental institutions have contributed to approximately 500 inmates with a mental disorder.

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Mental disorder requires special treatment which is basically found in the psychiatric institutions. Further, according to the World Health Organization, the United States prison systems have witnessed a massive explosion of the mentally ill populace in such correctional facilities. While the prison systems have a dedication and a goal of eradication crimes, antisocial behaviours, and deliquescence, they provide a little solution to the mentally impaired inmates. Nevertheless, the decrease of mental health hospitals in the country leading to psychiatric deinstitutionalization and imprisonment among other factors, have excessively contributed to the high population of mentally ill victims in prison. Therefore, the investigation focuses on the diverse reasons for the shift of mental health care from hospitals to jails in Ohio and its multidimensional implication.

Methodology

While conducting research on mental health problems, there is always the need to find a solution for different problems impacting the provision of health services. Through undertaking the quantitative approaches, one is able to obtain elaborate results that best explain the methods that need to be adopted while undertaking the research. While gathering the data for describing the need, there is the need to adhere to specific guidelines that will ensure the collection of accurate information.

This research methodology covers different sections including the formulation of the research questions, identification of the research design, identifying the research population and formulation or research design and the description of the research instrumentation. Additionally, there is the incorporation of procedures involved in the data collection processes (Kerle, 2016). The process of data collection involves the participation of study participants earlier identified; as a result, every study participant is presented with the questionnaire so that they either mark or write their opinions concerning questions raised. In every quantitative research, the process of data analysis is always important as it enables the researcher to answer the research questions by carrying out the tests of hypothesis. In the chapter, data analysis will be conducted in accordance with the types of data collected. Some of the tests that will be conducted include student t-tests, the normality tests, descriptive analysis and analysis of frequencies. In addition, there will be the formulation of graphs to show the trends. Chapter three, therefore, outlines the data collection processes and analysis with the aim of answering the research question. The data for studying the above mental health problem will be based on social surveys. The questionnaires will be designed to aid the data collection processes. Before the actual process of collecting data, the questions need to match the actual variables that will be tested in the process of data analysis. The choice of survey method of data collection is important because it gives the raw that that is essential for the quantitative data analysis processes.

The social survey leads to greater objectivity because there is close contact between the surveyor and the study participants, a researcher is able to observe the situation individually thereby leading to greater objectivity. Besides, the social survey method provides an opportunity for the researcher to have full knowledge of the mental problem as well as the viable solutions available. The social survey method, when it comes to mental illnesses, is essential for the policy makers and administrators, it is capable of revealing the causes of the problems and the available remedies. In many countries or according to many researchers, a social survey is essential in the formulation of legislation or even the formulation of guidelines in the conducting quantitative research about mental health problems among the people in a given population. As a result of a social survey, there is always the determination of patterns of social change. If these trends are controlled and developed, then there will be an understanding of social changes. Social surveys are the main sources of more information and facts. It leads to the collection of facts concerning the problematic situations as well as the available information.

Social surveys also have limitations while conducting social research. While undertaking social surveys, it is usually difficult to provide certain training, on the other hand, a layman is not capable of undertaking the surveys since there are specific forms of training that are required. Social surveys methods in data collection are time-consuming; in most cases, there are some respondents who may not have interest in the process. Additionally, the social survey methods are associated with sampling errors, the process is costly and there is no application of historical problems; besides, there is no uniformity of data. Data is often collected from a huge field where there is a diversity of respondents.

General Population for Study

The study of mental health as a social issue will be undertaken in Dayton, Ohio inside Montgomery jail where there are many instances of mental health issues. The above area of study is suitable for the research because it consists of the target population or respondents for the study. With the high population of the mentally-ill patients, the investigator will be able to conduct interviews with much ease and this will enhance the collection of primary data relevant for the quantitative research. The study of mental health problem as a social issue is highly specific, in other words, it the process is interdisciplinary and Dayton, Ohio inside Montgomery jail, consists of participants who are proficient in the basic requirements needed in the research. As a result of specificity and the interdisciplinary nature of the above research, the area of study consists of participants with a technical understanding of the demands of the study. During the social survey, the prevalence data will include the number of individuals or the study participants affected by mental health disorders. The data provided will also entail the different attributes of the population such as the correlation between the variables formulated during the process of data collection.

The At-Risk Population

In the study area, the majority of the study population are at risk of mental health disorder. The population will involve 20% of the individuals in the prison who may have had a problem with a mental health problem (Kim, 2016). Both male and female participants will be involved in the study each group will contribute an equal proportion of the participants, i.e. 50% (Milliken, 2015). Some of the attributes of the population that will be considered include occupation, marital status, and religion, death rates caused by mental health disorders, the age of the population and the education level of the respondents. Currently, there are 800 inmates in Montgomery County Jail and 30% of them are suffering from mental health illnesses. However, close to 100% of individuals suffering from mental illnesses are able to get treatment and fully recover. In some cases, there are rare instances when patients cannot recover.

The Target Population

The target population impacted by the problem of mental health are the prisoners in Montgomery County Jail. Through this study, these people may become consumers of the information obtained. Additionally, there are other groups of people who may become consumers of the above information. Patients in mental hospitals, for instance, may apply the information acquired to enhance their treatment processes. The entire population of mental-ill patients in the Montgomery County Jail will become consumers of the information obtained.

The Consumer Population

The program research anticipates serving people or mentally-ill patients in Montgomery County Jail. The respondents will be identified through sampling processes. The number of people to be served by the above program is 800. With the high population of the mentally-ill patients, the investigator will be able to conduct interviews with much ease and this will enhance the collection of primary data relevant for the quantitative research.

Comparing the Needs

Need Percentage

The variance of the data contained in the population funnel is small. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, more than 16% of the inmates in America can be classified as having a chronic mental illness that requires special attention but the county has inadequate professionals within the scares psychiatric institutions (Richard & Linda, 2005). According to the Ohio mayor, John McNally, many mentally ill offenders are charged on criminal offences, which is not only inappropriate but also results in the extensive expenditure of the taxpayers' money. Ohio Sheriff Jerry also echoed that more than One-third of the inmates takes psychiatric medications since they were booked from prison even after the court realized that their offences and deliquescent behaviour were as a result of mental impairedness. The criminal justice system's negligence to recommend and send the mentally ill individuals to the mental institutions have contributed to approximately 500 inmates with a mental disorder.

Fuller T., Mary T., Aaron D., Richard Lamb., Donald F., & Doris A. (2014). The treatment of persons with mental illness in prisons and jails: a state survey. Treatment Advocacy Centre. Retrieved from < https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/treatment-behind-bars/treatment-behind-bars.pdf>accessed on 29th January 2019.

Kerle, K. (2016). The mentally ill and crisis intervention teams: Reflections on jails and the US mental health challenge. The Prison Journal, 96(1), 153-161.

Kim, D.-Y. (2016). Psychiatric Deinstitutionalization and Prison Population Growth: A Critical Literature Review and Its Implications. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 27(1), 3-21

Milliken, P. (2015). Mental health care in Ohio shift...