Basis of Mental Health
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Basis of Mental Health
People’s general well-being from a health perspective has always been a critical factor in humanity’s history. Various specialists in research and health care institutions, over the years, have strived to ensure the general health of human beings can be attained to the best standards possible. However, healthcare services have concentrated on addressing physical ailments that arise from time to time. Healthcare providers have hitherto paid delimited attention to an individual’s psychological, emotional, and social well-being. According to Walker, Cummings, Hockenberry, and Druss (2015), mental health is an unmet need that continues to rise in the United States of America. Mental health is as essential to the overall well-being of a person just as much as physical health.
In some cases, mental health has been seen to influence the extent of a person’s physical health. The present essay sets out to provide the basis of mental health. The paper contends that the basis of mental health illness is a major health burden in many countries due to prevalence.
Rising mental health issues such as depression and anxiety provide a justification for addressing mental health in modern times. A study by WHO (2020) indicates that depression is the leading cause of disability, yet it is either undiagnosed or inadequately treated. The cases of depression have increased by a significant figure in recent times for various reasons. Unfortunately, the rise in mental health cases does not correspond well to the rise in treatment methods and centers around the world. From this point, it emerges that mental health issues have not received adequate attention. It is for this reason that over 264 million people with mental illness across the globe find it difficult to cope (WHO, 2020). With depression on the rise, it is high time to come out strongly and address mental health as a reality in order to avert cases of suicide. Against this backdrop, mental health is justified because healthcare providers set out to diagnose and treat illnesses associated with mental health. This is very crucial both in the present times and also in the future where various factors such as technology and cultural changes may lead to an increase in mental health disorders.
Another basis for mental health is improving human dignity, respect, and equality, as well as the elimination of discrimination across the globe. Over the course of human existence, there has been a variety of discrimination and marginalization in terms of the quality of life available to different people. Various factors have contributed to this reality, such as race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, among others. In recent times, however, the issue of mental disorders has also been viewed to cause some people to have less quality of life and have limited access to opportunities (Draine, 2013). This has bred discrimination and imbalance in society. Additionally, factors such as poverty, illiteracy, unstable communities, and violence have been seen to contribute to having some people with mental disorders. Addressing mental health is thus a necessity to solve issues of inequality and discrimination and also provide healing to people with a dark past.
The reduction of stigma is another basis of mental health services. In other words, mental health should receive more attention presently. Scholars on mental health issues continue to stress that mental illness is common, but victims are often stigmatized to such an extent that their conditions worsen. Stigma encourages the use of negative adjectives that isolate mentally ill patients, thus making it difficult for them to seek resources and professional help. Clement et al. (2015) undertake a study on stigma and observe that “individuals often avoid or delay seeking professional help” because of discrimination (p. 11). From the above quotation, it emerges that a majority of mental health patients suffer in silence because of the fear of stigma. This implies that their situations may worsen if they are not speedily assisted. For this reason, the move to talk about mental health is justifiable. Particularly, professionals in the nursing field should move with speed to create awareness so that individuals who have been stigmatized can come out strongly and have their plights alleviated. Addressing mental illness in its entirety makes people feel comfortable and empowered to seek support and resources.
The fact that some mental health disorders can be preventable and well managed is also a major basis for mental health (Fernandez, 2015). It is imperative that preventive measures be put in place where necessary in order to secure a good future. This is true in various aspects of life, including the general health of a person. It is thus important to apply efforts for the sake of securing the future and improving the quality of life in people. Some of these disorders, such as depression, can be a result of continuous exposure to stressful situations. In some cases, socio-economic and environmental factors for children and adolescents may be traumatizing for them when they get into adulthood. Addressing mental health would then mean that some of these factors could be solved in order to ensure children and adolescents are not exposed to very traumatizing conditions (Fernandez, 2015). Furthermore, some mental disorders can also be solved by community education where people in society are taught how to handle various situations in life and also living healthy lives with regards to mental health.
Another basis for mental health is that it has adversely affected the lives of children and adolescents. Many children who show mild and severe symptoms may develop depression if their cases are not addressed urgently. It is important to point out that children are at higher risk of engaging in dangerous activities that may lead to death. According to Olfson, Druss, and Marcus (2015), adverse childhood experiences may lead children to short-sighted and foolish decisions if their mental health issues are not prudently addressed. From this argument, it comes out that many mental health issues among adolescents and adults are traceable to ignored childhood symptoms. Children’s and teenagers’ brains are not fully developed. For this reason, they may be unaware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness. It is at this point that professional care providers come in handy to diagnose and treat emerging symptoms. WHO (2020) observes that deliberate measures should be taken to treat mental illness in childhood and adolescence to avoid depression and suicidal thoughts in adulthood.
The final basis for mental health is that it saves lives. The need to save lives is a fundamental part of human beings. Through the ages, man has devised ways to survive and has always strived to improve available remedies for life-threatening conditions. I fundamental health, mental health is as important as physical health in the life of an individual. According to Clement et al. (2015), some physical ailments threaten life at the same rate as mental health. Therefore, it is important to look at health issues holistically instead of concentrating on physical health only. In some cases, mental disorders could lead to physical illness if not addressed in good time. A mentally ill person is also likely to make rash decisions, irrespective of their age, that may endanger their lives and those of others around them. To save lives, healthcare providers should devote their attention to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness at all ages. Walker et al. (2015) contend that the well-being of every individual depends on their mental health. For this reason, it is necessary to concentrate on mental health as a way of saving the lives of those who may engage in dangerous activities due to depression.
Conclusively, this paper has investigated the basis of mental health. The essay has established that mental health is justifiable due to low awareness, discrimination, stigma, socio-economic factors, lifesaving mechanisms, and prevalence among adolescents and children. The paper has equally pointed out that mental health is particularly important among children and adolescents because if it is addressed in these stages, the world can prevent many depression cases among adults. From the foregoing discussion, it is thus crucial to address the factors that aggravate mental disorders. The involved authorities, including the government and health care institutions, need to mobilize resources and efforts towards addressing some of these issues. This is necessary in order to adequately address the issue of mental health at present and in the future. This will ensure a higher quality of life and inclusivity where everyone is available to make positive contributions to society. Given that mental illnesses are a major health burden in many countries, mental health deserves as much attention as physical health. The implication is that healthcare providers should devote their energy to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health cases before they worsen.
References
Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., Maggioni, F., Evans-Lacko, S., Bezborodovs, N.& Thornicroft, G. (2015). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 11-27.
Draine, J. (2013). Mental health, mental illnesses, poverty, justice, and social justice. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 16(2), 87-90.
Fernandez, I. T. (2015). A Social Justice Perspective on Children’s Mental Health: A Borderlands View. Communique, 43(6).
Olfson, M., Druss, B. G., & Marcus, S. C. (2015). Trends in mental health care among children and adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(21), 2029-2038.
Walker, E. R., Cummings, J. R., Hockenberry, J. M., & Druss, B. G. (2015). Insurance status, use of mental health services, and unmet need for mental health care in the United States. Psychiatric Services, 66(6), 578-584.
WHO (2020). Depression. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact- sheets/detail/depression