Basis of Mental Health
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Basis of Mental Health
The provision of healthcare services has concentrated on addressing physical ailments that arise from time to time. However, healthcare providers have hitherto paid delimited attention to the psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing of an individual. According to Walker, Cummings, Hockenberry, and Druss (2015), mental health is an unmet need that continues to rise in the United States of America. 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 cases of depression and related mental health issues 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. 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 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.
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.
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. 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. The justification of this argument is premised on the fact that a mentally ill person is likely to make rash decisions irrespective of their age. 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, stigma, 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 it is addressed in these stages, the world can prevent many depression cases among adults. The paper concludes that mental illness is a major health burden in many countries. 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.
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