Eliminating Health Care Disparities

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Eliminating Healthcare Disparities

Tolulope I. Moses

Master of Social Work, Walden University

SOCW-6204: Medical Social 1

Dr Kristie Abbs

October 2021

Eliminating Healthcare Disparities of Teenage

mental health Issues

Teenagers are the most affected when it comes to mental health challenges. The adolescence phase comes with extreme responsibilities, some which the teenager is not prepared to experience. The phase is a transition between childhood and adulthood and most of the young adults are confused about the path they should follow. For instance, the teenager is confused between clinging to the parents and breaking free to explore the new life stage. Some of the possible mental health challenges are depression and severe anxiety (Blakemore, 2019). An individual contracts the difficulty as a response to activities happening in their primary environment. Most parents attest experiencing difficulties in raising a child in the teenage phase. However, they fail to understand how transitioning to that level where they are experiencing body transformation is extremely confusing and they might contract mental challenges. Their emotional health has been discarded and no individual has expressed the required concerns.

Change is inevitable and it might bring positive and negative reactions. However, most adolescents perceive change as a negative face contracting mental health challenges. Suicide rates have increased in teenagers because of the challenges in trying to live through societal and individual pressure. Moreover, most of the adolescents affected by psychological disorders will be challenged during the adulthood level if it goes untreated or given the proper attention (Kazdin, 2019). The primary way they are affected by such disorders is growth in a negative environment. Children exposed to violence and other forms of abuse will transition in the teenage phase with mental challenges. They will try to incorporate what they have learned in their childhood thus become victims of circumstances. Parents and guardians are more focused on nurturing the physical health and ensure that their children are not constantly sick. However, the emotional and mental health is discarded thus most children face challenges in fighting unknown battles by the parents. The most common battle they experience is struggling to fit within an environment where they are considered different. Experiencing negative instances like discrimination and alienation from their peers will accelerate the damage in their mental health.

Determinants of Mental Health

Various determinants have accelerated the prevalence of mental health damage on adolescents. The first determinant is growth and development in a depressing environment. It is one topic which parents are not ready to discuss especially on how their nurturing style causes teenage mental disorders. The contemporary world parents are extremely busy to try and create a comfortable life for their children and in the process mess their mental health and leave the individual struggling for a lifetime (Levenson, 2017). A depressing environment is filled with physical and emotional abuse. Parental conflicts are inevitable but happening before children’s presence will affect their perception towards a peaceful home. Such an adolescent will develop communication problems when in the adult face since the primary way they have learned to express their thoughts is through anger and shouting or violence. Therefore, the teenage will go through that life level suffering through every type of disorder.

Additionally, the second determinant of the mental health in adolescents is increased peer pressure. Families have different social economic backgrounds and how people are raised. However, the concepts become apparent in the teenage phase where they have learned the gap between wealth and poverty (Sapiro & Ward, 2020). Adolescents raised from poverty struggle in trying to fit in with the extended community. The pressure results from lacking some of the luxurious items which will place them on the same scale levels as their age mates. Therefore, most of the teenagers will feel isolated because they have the minimum requirements which pass them as the present-day teenagers.

Mental disorders can be inherited suppose the parent lived through life without seeking consultation. Such parents and guardians will experience difficulties in bonding or forming healthy relationships with their children (Stephen, 2018). additionally, technology has become a weapon which promotes psychology disorders among adolescents. Parents expose their children to the social media platforms where they experience different forms of abuse. Cyber bullies target such naïve groups and negatively impact their lives through insults and unnecessary negativities. Lowering a teenager’s self-esteem while they are striving to accept the new changes and transitions will only facilitate increase in mental health challenges.

Social work interventions and Teenage Mental Health Challenges

The first implementation I will incorporate as a social worker is creating awareness regarding adolescent mental health challenges. Parents and the extended community need to be educated that not only physical health is significant when raising children. The primary benefit for creating awareness and educating the parents is that they will be more responsible for their children’s mental wellness. For instance, parents and guardians will ensure they provide more peaceful environment and develop excellent relationships with their children. It is the only way adolescents will strike conversations with the parents and express various challenges they experience in school and other places (Rogers & Pilgrim, 2021). Moreover, community awareness will ensure that all members unite to make mental health a priority. The best way is to educate them on the challenges faced during the adolescent phase and ensure that community members collaborate to help children have a smooth transition. Ignorance will be eradicated and will be focused on raising an emotional and mentally healthy generation.

Additionally, adolescents require the mental health education. The strategy is essential because most of such children have minimal knowledge on the condition. Educating them will ensure they understand all the psychological disorders with their signs and symptoms. Therefore, those affected with the disorder will ensure they approach the required organization to get help in the early stages (Blakemore, 2019). Furthermore, adolescents will ensure they form groups which support one another through the challenges experienced in the life level. The primary objective is to minimize the population suffering from the disorder due to parental and community negligence.

Learning institutions need to be part of the implemented programs which will help eliminate the challenges which cause mental health disorders. For instance, schools should develop a section in the curriculum where students are addressed about mental health challenges and how it can be eliminated (Kazdin, 2019). It means that the school administration should develop guidance and counseling officers where children can have adults to confide in regarding their psychology situation. The primary objective for implementing the multiple programs as a social worker is ensuring that children have minimal struggle with their mental health. They deserve to grow and develop in areas which support physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

Challenges and interventions.

The first challenge I may encounter when working to implement the interventions is language barriers. Social workers are dispensed to different locations and sometimes I might be sent to a community who has minimal understanding of the common language. It will be difficult to address the mental health challenges and explain the concepts (Levenson, 2017). Moreover, people within such places are not ready to trust a stranger and confide about their children. Therefore, I tend to struggle in convincing the community members about the significance of my services to ensure they nurture a mentally stable future generation. The primary solution for such a problem is ensuring that I find a translator understanding the common language and ensure they help me engage the community. The strategy is significant since it will help them in building trust and opening up about some of the psychological disorders witnessed and treatment approaches taken.

Additionally, another challenge experienced is the stigma and stereotypes created around psychological disorders. Most of the community members believe that children dispensing mental challenges have been cursed and should be excommunicated from society (Sapiro & Ward, 2020). The stereotype has been passed through generations and is extremely challenging to convince the community that most of the disorders are treatable with the best medication plans. Furthermore, it is challenging to convince the potential customers to use their resources and take their children for treatment. Parents believe they need to be tough to ensure that the teenagers grow and develop according to the harsh environment provided.

Social workers also experience financial constraints when moving through communities and creating adolescent mental health awareness. For instance, the social worker is required to develop posters and flyers to be distributed to the community members and help them comprehend the topic. However, it is pretty challenging because the activity is costly and the social worker will be hindered from delivering quality services (Stephen, 2018). The best solution for financial constraints is the government acknowledging the efforts made by social workers and ensuring they have received the much-needed support. The social workers are essential part of the community and should be given the required help for their services.

Advocacy roles a medical social worker in Teenage Mental Health Issue

The primary role of a social worker is to ensure that they help in diagnosing the mental health disorder. Social workers working in the mental health department have been trained to discern the psychological disorders and provide a diagnostic. After that, the social worker will recommend the best medical institution and health professional to offer high quality services. The social worker will reassure the patient to take on the treatment plan ensuring they stick on the recovery path (Rogers & Pilgrim, 2021). Additionally, the individual is obligated to provide follow up activities which will keep the patient busy and focused to reduce the disorder damage on their mental health. Social workers understand that mental health clients require constant attention thus ensure they provide quality services. The primary objective is ensuring that the client is placed in an excellent medical plan and supported throughout their recovery period.

The social worker is obligated to educate parents and guardians on their teenager’s condition. The major goal is to ensure that the adolescent receives full parental support and love to help them through the recovery period. Educating the family is essential since they will be taught on some of the triggers and how they should be avoided. For instance, if the patient’s psychological illness is caused by a violent and abusive environment, the family is educated on the significance of ensuring they maintain peace and serenity (Blakemore, 2019). The social worker and the family will collaborate in ensuring that they push the adolescent to taking their medication and attending all of the guidance and counseling therapy sessions. The social worker will ensure they have received medical attentions despite the financial constraints faced. They respond to all of the raised complaints and ensure that adolescents have an excellent growth and development surroundings thus minimizing psychological disorders cases.

References

Blakemore, S. J. (2019). Adolescence and mental health. The lancet, 393(10185), 2030-2031.

Kazdin, A. E. (2019). Annual research review: expanding mental health services through novel models of intervention delivery. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60(4), 455-472.

Levenson, J. (2017). Trauma-informed social work practice. Social Work, 62(2), 105-113.

Sapiro, B., & Ward, A. (2020). Marginalized youth, mental health, and connection with others: a review of the literature. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 37(4), 343-357.

Stephan, U. (2018). Entrepreneurs’ mental health and well-being: A review and research agenda. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(3), 290-322.

Rogers, A., & Pilgrim, D. (2021). A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness 6e. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).