8 page due April 12th

People Diagnosed with Mental Illness

Barbara Seifert

HCA 430 Special Populations

Jennifer Maves

March 23, 2019

Introduction

The chosen population is people diagnosed with mental conditions. I believe that this is a critical population in most societies as they face many challenges in their lives. Ranging from seclusion among other forms of abuse in society, these individuals go through hard times as they interact with other normal human beings who may not understand the challenges they face. All people from all age groups can have mental conditions. The degree of suffering, however, differs from age to age because of various factors. Research shows that seniors are the most affected as a result of mental conditions when compared to the younger generations. While this is the case, it is important to note that even younger individuals especially those that are in their early to mid-thirties also undergo immense mental mishaps without people noticing. Zis et., (2017) argue that individuals in this age bracket become victims of mental health because, at this age, they usually tend to have shifted in their normal lives, some of them trying to focus on their careers, getting into serious relationships and building their families among many other forms of activities that make their minds continually occupied.

Factors that impact vulnerability

Factors such as culture/ethnicity and income influence the vulnerability of one getting a mental condition. First of all culture/ethnicity impacts in various ways. One way that culture impacts the vulnerability of mental conditions is in the way that society treats those that are living with a given type of mental illness. For instance, most people in the society tend to think that mental illness is an individual thing and hence they end up secluding the person affected not knowing the mental illness is affected and influenced by a combination of factors that can either be biological, psychological and or those of genetic makeup. As a result of this, it is evident that mental illnesses are usually pronounced in some societies than others due to the differing societal norms on the issues. On the other hand, income also impacts vulnerability in that the less fortunate folks tend to lack the cash to finance the various types of treatment for the condition which include expensive medications as well as psychotherapy sessions with psychology experts.

Analysis the intersection of social, political, and economic factors

Social factors impact the vulnerability of an individual to mental illnesses. One or a combination of social factors such as social class, gender, patterns of households influence the chances of one getting a mental condition. For instance, when one suddenly changes their social class, especially towards the lower level, they may end up becoming depressed and hence getting a mental illness. Political factors entail the various legislations that leaders put in place to ensure that mental illness is curtailed in society. For instance, in a society where there is legislation to protect and care the mentally sick individuals, those that become sick will definitely get the required support from the society. Finally, economic factors to influence the vulnerability of individuals to mental health. In most cases, those from poor backgrounds are more vulnerable when compared to individuals from backgrounds that are more affluent.

Proposed Program Description

In my potential program, I wish to offer two services for the identified population. In my community, mental health centers have been set up to provide mental health service to the affected people. However, transportation is needed for the homeless and those living far from the health centers. The program will provide transportation for those who do not have access to these services. This service will ensure that everyone in my community has access to appropriate mental health care. Another service that will be offered by my potential program is access to information. Despite the fact that mental health centers have been set up in my community, mental health disorders such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, and dementia continue to affect people due to lack of information that can be used to prevent these disorders. The program will have an awareness team that will be talking to community members on ways of preventing mental disorders. This way we will reduce the number of people who suffer from mental disorders. According to Network of Care (2018), a number of community mental health centers have been set up in Philadelphia. However, transportation and awareness services are not provided adequately.

There are a number of issues and risk factor associated with people diagnosed with mental disorders. One of the risk factors is genetic makeup. An individual who has a relative that has a mental illness has a likelihood of suffering from a mental disorder. Another risk factor is drug abuse. Drugs affect the brain, and excessive use of some drugs may result in mental illnesses. In addition, people who go through traumatic experiences have a higher risk of suffering from mental illnesses (Firdaus, 2017). Traumatic experiences include witnessing the death of friends during military combat, loss of loved ones through a traumatic accident and child abuse. A significant health need in the community is the issue of mental disorders among adolescents in my community. Most mental health programs that have been set up do not address mental health issue among adolescents. This is because of the assumption that adolescents are rarely affected by mental disorders. My program will provide services for diagnosing and treating mental illnesses among adolescents.

My program will provide long-term care as far as mental health is concerned. Mental illnesses are complex and may reappear at later stages of life. Therefore, long-term care is needed to ensure that appropriate care is provided for mental health patients.

Conclusion

Mental health challenges affect a considerable percentage of the world’s population. Despite the many approaches that have been used to address the issue; mental disorders continue to affect many people. In the paper, I have suggested a potential program that can be used to address mental health issues.

References

Zis, P., Daskalaki, A., Bountouni, I., Sykioti, P., Varrasi, G., & Paladini, A. (2017). Depression and chronic pain in the elderly: links and management challenges. Clinical interventions in aging, 12, 709.

Network of Care. (2018). Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services Retrieved from http://philadelphia.pa.networkofcare.org/mh/services/subcategory.aspx?tax=RM-6500.1500

Firdaus, G. (2017). Built environment and health outcomes: Identification of contextual risk factors for mental well-being of older adults. Ageing International, 42(1), 62-77.