Mental Health as the Most Neglected Sector of Health - Essay Example

Name : Prof : Subject : Date : Mental Health: Is No Longer the Most Neglected Sector of Health Physical health improvement programmes in various parts of the world have had significant success, but regrettably, mental health has been neglected. It was ignored despite the large and rising encumbrance of mental disorders in our society and its apparent negative effects to our economic development. Mental health is one of the most significant “social and health problems in Western countries” (Lawson and Bauman 1998, 151). The evidence presented by 2001 World Health Report (Herrman 2001, p.1) that in all countries, regardless of economic and political standings, mental illness is more often correlates with scarcity and the underprivileged. This only proves that being a first world nation is not an assurance and for that reason, mental health should be the business of everybody (Herrman 2001, p.1). Mental health is the groundwork of the well-being and efficient execution of an individual. The ability to think, learns, and appreciates life. To live and understands his own and others emotion. It requires a delicate balance involving physical, psychological, cultural, spiritual, and social contributions. Although there are advanced and effective treatments in mental illness such as modern medicines for psychosis, depression and epilepsy, and therapies for psychological and social behavioural disorders, they do not reach the majority of the populace who needs them. In most cases, suicides that are predominantly associated to mental health, is the foremost cause of death particularly those with mental disorders caused by the negative effects of social and economic stress, alcohol, and drugs. The rapid change in social and economic conditions, predominantly insecurities in life, negatively or positively affects every individual in the community and therefore is vulnerable to mental disorders. The increasing insolvency, aggression, calamity, dislodgment, urbanization, joblessness, and family struggle and “fragmentation” (Lawson and Bauman 1998, p.152) are evident in many countries. In Australia and other western countries, about 30% of population will develop mental illness (Lawson and Bauman 1998, p.151). A person’s discontent, behavioural disturbance and intolerance are also contributing to the increasing rate of mental disorders resulting to depression, anxiety, abuse of substances and alcohol. Consequently, people are more vulnerable to sickness, and developing less resistance to stress resulting to noticeable decrease in their overall mental health. More importantly, these factors are making access to health services difficult because of high medication cost, distribution of services, and lack of cooperation from affected families who are averting disgrace (Herrman 2001, p.2). Mental heath is important and serious mental illness “consumes mental health care services, specialist management, and medication” (Lawson and Bauman, 1998, p.151). It is therefore necessary for the national government and the community to work together and ensure the effective and constant enhancement of mental health services. An effective mental health requires promotion, prevention, and treatment of disorders. Although the activities for each method are dissimilar, these activities are still relying on the planning and evaluation of local authorities based on the information and results of their research. The process and activities for physical and mental health is closely associated and relevant to various aspects of public health planning, and this will help considerably in the formulation of an integrated national strategy. This national strategy would advocate the value of mental health services and promotion, and would extend full support for local research. Mental and general healthcare should work together and provide more emphasis on early intervention and prevention, since disabilities often cause problems to people from a younger age and develop into later life. There is a need to monitor the psychological health of the community, and let us not wait for another Paul Hester tragedy to happen again (Sydney Morning Herald 2005). Moreover, mental health professional and services should have a direct role in primary care to recognize and get involved with groups they think are at risk of depression and alcohol abuse. Mental heath will improve if government and other important sectors of our community create and implement a plan that would result in better social connection (Herrman 2001, p.3). In Australia, the approximate occurrence of mental illness is one per five adults according to National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing in 1997 with 10, 600 participants age 18 years and above. The most common mental health problems found are anxiety and substance abuse related disorders. The survey reveals that some Australian adults (18%) had experienced a mental disorder in the last 12 months before the interview and the occurrence of mental disorders decreased with age as only 6% of participants aged 65 and above was found mentally ill. The highest recorded occurrence (27%) is with participants ages 18 to 24, where substance use disorders are relatively high. The report also says that females (aged 45-54) are more likely to have anxiety than males. Moreover, males (aged 18-22) are more likely to have substance use disorder than females. In children, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders are to be expected at age 16-17 which is about 11% or 355, 000 children and adolescents (AIHW 2005, p.14). The Australian government recognizes the disabling effects of anxiety and depression to the performance of any person at home or in the community. This is the reason why the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted the (SDAC) Survey of Disability, Ageing, and Carers in 2003. The result says that with 926,000 participants, 4.7% of all ages suffer from psychiatric disability. It is estimated that 18% of these mentally ill participants are 18 years old and above and the occurrence of disability in the same bracket is 7.8%. Compared to 3.7% of younger participants, the frequency of occurrence is much higher at aged 65 and above at 11.8% (AIHW 2005, p.15). Overall, considerable fraction the Australian population from all occupations and ages are indeed suffering from mental health disorders thus the need to finance mental health services is high priority. The analysis of total health services expenditures by disease category for 2000 to 2001 reveals that mental health care was receiving only 6.7% ($3,861 million) of the total recurring health care expenditure. For Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the expenditure was estimated at $2,679 million or 4.7%. In contrast, the health care expenditure for mental health disorders including community health expenditure of $408 million for 1993–94. If this is converted to 2000–01 prices, the cost will be at $2,697 million or 6.6% of periodic health care expenditure. The expenditure was predominantly for hospital services, which is 40.5%, and 19% for out-of-hospital medical services. Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive malfunctioning expenditures was only 2% of the periodic health care expenditure in 1993–94 that is lower than the 4.7% expenditure in 2000–01 (AIHW 2005, 15). The Australian reforms in mental health services have been guided by the Plans of the National Mental Health Strategy since 1993. As a result, there have been significant changes in the level and kind of activity associated in mental health services. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW 2005, p.1), mental health related encounters in 2003-04, is about 10.4 million and it has remain reasonably stable over the years. This figure is encouraging since encounters of this type were recorded at a rate of 522 per 1,000 populations. In the same year, following a pattern of decline since 1999, there were about 2 million Medicare funded psychiatrist turnout at a rate of 100.6 per 1,000 residents. There was also an increase of 11.4% (1998-1999 and 1999-2000) in the number of medical officers functioning in the community mental health services. Psychiatrist in both public and private sectors notably increased by 9.9% from 1998 to 2002 . These figures was presented by the AIHW as part of their commitment to the National Mental Health Strategy where the aim to increase the provision of community-based mental health care is of the highest significance. Consequently, there were about 4.7 million mental health service contacts in public hospital out patient clinics and community based mental health services in 2002 to 2003 at the rate of 236.5 service contacts per 1,000 residents. The responsibility and funding for disability support services such accommodation, residential care, employment and other community access support is in the hands of CSTDA or Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement. There were 55-60 residential and ambulatory services per 100,000 residents recorded in 1999 to 2002. In 1999, the rate of individual with psychiatric disability increased contrary to the overall drop in 2002 (AIHW 2005, p.1). The considerable reduction in the size and number of detached psychiatric hospitals, and the growing role of psychiatric units in general hospitals to provide mental health-related care to admitted patients, is another objective of the National Mental Health Strategy. This strategy is following the principle that admittance to a specialist psychiatric hospital is not at all times the most suitable cure for all psychological and behavioural unrest, since some of them do not require specialized psychiatric care. The strategy includes separation of mental health-related cases in public and private hospitals to control and monitor the patient-day (all cares received during hospitalization), and average length of stay (AIHW 2005, p.3). Mental health care, in general, were being managed at a rate of 10.4% of encounters and responsible for 7.4% of all problems solved. These are mostly patients in the middle age groups (25-44) at 31% and 31/5% for groups of higher age. The females dominated the patient’s turnout at 60.5% of the total encounters. Patients requesting prescription took the highest rate of encounters at 25.1 per 100 encounters. Next are patients with actual depression at 16.8 per 100 encounters. The most frequently prescribed medications like Temazepam and diazepam were managed at a rate of 9.0 and 6.8 per 100 problems respectively. Psychological counselling is at 25.2 per 100 problems managed, and referrals to psychiatrist are at 2.2 per 100 problems solved. Overall, there were 144,674 problems managed in 2003 to 2004 at a rate of 146.3 per 100 encounters. General Practitioner’s (GP) managed 10, 176 mentally related health problems at a rate of 10.4 per 100 encounters. Depression is 33.7% while anxiety is at 15.8%, and sleep disturbance at 14.9% of all mental health problems managed (AIHW 2005, p.49). Mental health is everybody’s business (Herrman 2000, p.1). Dedicated to deliver mental health treatment at the early stage of the mental disorder, the worlds first Mental Health First Aid Course for the public was launched by the Centre for Mental health Research at the Australian National University in Canberra. In the report filed by Goodyer (2004) at Sydney Morning Herald, this unique programme is enabling the public to provide first aid for people with mental disorders and is now in use in Australia, Hong Kong, United States, and Scotland. This Mental Health First Aid is not the usual CPR or treating minor cuts and wounds. The programme teaches the public to detect signs of depressions such as low energy, sadness, and unusual lost of interest. It provides the capacity for the first aid giver to cope, and being supportive and encouraging in crisis like suicide attempts, psychosis, or anxiety attacks. Many believed that this kind of preliminary treatment can change or save lives and consequently reduced the risk of mental health disorders (1). The figures presented by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare are encouraging and it only shows that the various sectors of our society are indeed doing their job to enhance mental health services. Most of all, mental health is no longer a neglected sector of health since integrated physical and mental health diagnostic is already a part of general practitioners responsibility. Furthermore, psychiatric works are no longer limited to treatment as it is now providing greater emphasis on early intervention and prevention. The increasing rate of treated patients as reported by AIHW (2005) is a product of physical and mental health worker’s coordination and dedication, and more importantly, the valuable support of the public. Finally, with the unremitting crusade of the local and global community in fighting this threat, we can honestly claim that mental health is no longer the most neglected sector of health. Works Cited List Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2005, Mental health services in Australia 2002–03. Canberra: AIHW (Mental Health Series no. 6), ISBN: 1 74024 445 1, available online at www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10101 Goodyer Paula, 2004, First Aid for Mental Illness, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 25, 2004, Australia Herrman Helen, 2001, Mental Health Improvement Involves Educators, Among Others, United Nations Chronicle Online Edition, http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2003 /issue2/0203p38.html Lawson and Bauman, 1998, Public Health Australia: An Introduction, Chapter 19, Mental Illness, McGraw-Hill Book Company, ISBN: 9780074708781 Read More