Mental Illness: Service System

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lonnie R. Snowden
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Service System ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
System P ◽  
Public Recognition

This entry describes the extent of the mental health problem in the United States, trends in treatment rates, and evidence that public recognition of mental illness and related interventions is increasing both in the United States and internationally. Emphasis is given to the structure of the mental health system's major sectors, to the key roles that social workers play, and to the challenges they face, outlined at the conclusion of several sections, in providing effective and quality care against the complex backdrop of this system.

scholarly journals Bibliotherapy for Mental Health

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Jennifer Yontz-Orlando
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Uk

The United States is facing an epidemic of mental illness, affecting nearly 60 million Americans annually (http://www.nami.org/ ). The World Health Organization describes mental health as “a long neglected problem” and has established an action plan for 2013-2020 (http://www.who.int/mental_health/action_plan_2013/en/). One way to combat mental illness is through bibliotherapy, which is the use of written materials including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to support emotional and psychiatric healing.Bibliotherapy has been in existence since ancient times, but began in earnest in the United States in the 1850’s during the “Great Awakening.” At that time, mental illness began to be seen as a medical condition rather than a supernatural phenomenon. Since then, due to the changing nature of our institutions, interest in bibliotherapy waned until the 1950’s when there was a slight resurgence in its practice. However, in the last 20 years, bibliotherapy has gained a stronghold in the United Kingdom. To relieve the stress of an overcrowded mental health system, public policy in the UK has supported the use of bibliotherapy in a variety of its institutions. There are many ways to conduct bibliotherapy, but studies show that when the process is interactive, such as in a support group setting, the results are better. Also, bibliotherapy can be conducted by many sorts of professionals, including doctors, therapists, social workers, teachers, and librarians. Studies also show that when the bibliotherapists are trained in the best practices of bibliotherapy, results improve. Bibliotherapy is an effective, low-cost alternative for people in need of therapeutic assistance. The UK model should be studied and implemented in the United States and in other nations to help solve the mental health crisis.

A brief history of the criminalization of mental illness

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 638-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel A. Dvoskin ◽  
James L. Knoll ◽  
Mollie Silva
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses

This article traces the history of the way in which mental disorders were viewed and treated, from before the birth of Christ to the present day. Special attention is paid to the process of deinstitutionalization in the United States and the failure to create an adequately robust community mental health system to care for the people who, in a previous era, might have experienced lifelong hospitalization. As a result, far too many people with serious mental illnesses are living in jails and prisons that are ill-suited and unprepared to meet their needs.

Confronting 60 Minutes’ “Imminent Danger”: The Evidence on Schizophrenia and Psychotropic Medications, Violence, and Forced Orders to Treat

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby T. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychotropic Medications ◽  
Television Show ◽  
Imminent Danger ◽  
The World

Recently, considerable attention has been given to individuals labeled “mentally ill,” with the possibility that they too often go untreated with psychotropic medications and in turn, commit disproportionally higher rates of violence. The world-known television show60 Minutesbroadcasted a special on this topic in the United States on September 29, 2013; however, they created a disturbingly inaccurate picture of those who suffer with what some label as “mental illness.” There are decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrating that individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness, labeledschizophrenia,and given psychotropic medications are in fact less likely to recover from their disorder and more likely to be rehospitalized. Additionally, although mental health commitments, often calledforced orders to treat,are quite common and now being supported more so due to such programming, the research on mental health commitments has not shown they are actually effective.

scholarly journals Employer costs of mental health claims and how psychologically healthy workplaces align with successful DM programs

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Coduti
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Emotional Disorders ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Claims ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Impact

Mental health (MH) and disability management (DM) businesses and DM professionals are proficient at addressing employee physical health, yet promoting employee MH is often ignored. Individuals claiming long-term disability (LTD), 85% identified MH conditions as their primary disability (Carls et al., 2012). Mental health LTD expenses are often higher due to longer recovery and challenges in return to work (Salkever, Goldman, Purushothaman, & Shinogle, 2000). Financial burdens of depression, anxiety, and emotional disorders are among the greatest of any disease condition in the workforce (Johnston et al., 2009). Globally, a fifth to a quarter of employees go to work everyday with a mental illness (Lorenzo-Romanella, 2011). Health care research has shown the impact of mental illness on work performance, however many employers and researchers are unaware of the value quality MH care has on employees and costs (Langlieb, & Kahn, 2005). The American Psychological Association (APA) identified five categories of workplace practices that promote psychological health in employees including: employee involvement; work-life balance; employee growth and development; health and safety; and employee recognition (APA, 2014). Organizational benefits of the five elements include: improved quality, performance and productivity; reduced absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover; fewer accidents and injuries; improved ability to attract and retain quality employees; improved customer service and satisfaction; and lower healthcare costs (APA, 2014). The presenters will discuss employer costs of MH claims and how psychologically healthy workplaces align with successful DM programs, decreasing MH claims and costs. Opportunities for future research include the United States Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its impact on MH (Mechanic, 2012) through provisions that encourage employers to adopt health promotion programs (Goetzel et al., 2012) and opportunities for research including comparisons of multinational employers regarding MH costs in countries with single payer systems, and in those without (United States), (Tanner, 2013).

Mental Health Courts

2019 ◽  
pp. 83-112
Author(s):  
David DeMatteo ◽  
Kirk Heilbrun ◽  
Alice Thornewill ◽  
Shelby Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Court ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Mental Health Courts ◽  
Current State

This chapter focuses on mental health courts, a problem-solving court that developed in the wake of drug courts to address the needs of offenders with mental health diagnoses or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse concerns. In this chapter, the authors first review the overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system. They then describe the history and current state of mental health courts in the United States. The chapter then provides a detailed summary of the research on mental health courts. Although there is considerably less research on mental health courts than on drug courts, the available research provides reason to be cautiously optimistic. Within this discussion, the authors also note the limitations in mental health court research. Finally, the authors conclude the chapter with a discussion of innovative mental health court practices and the future of mental health courts.

Breaking Out of the Mainstream: The Evolution of Peer Support Alternatives to the Mental Health System

2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. Adame ◽  
Larry M. Leitner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health System ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
The United States

The consumer/survivor/ex-patient (c/s/x) movement has been instrumental in the development of a variety of peer-support alternatives to traditional mental health services in both the United States in Canada. This article explores the role of the c/s/x movement in the creation of such alternatives and discusses the various ways peer support is defined and has been put into practice. We also discuss the potential for future alliances and dialogues between progressive mental health professionals and the c/s/x movement as both groups seek ways to reconceptualize mental illness and recovery outside of the medical model paradigm.

scholarly journals Learning the Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 in the United States With Explainable Artificial Intelligence: Observational Study

10.2196/25097 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. e25097
Author(s):  
Indra Prakash Jha ◽  
Raghav Awasthi ◽  
Ajit Kumar ◽  
Vibhor Kumar ◽  
Tavpritesh Sethi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Bayesian Network ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Key Factors

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health, economic, and social fabric of many nations worldwide. Identification of individual-level susceptibility factors may help people in identifying and managing their emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Objective This study is focused on learning a ranked list of factors that could indicate a predisposition to a mental disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this study, we have used a survey of 17,764 adults in the United States from different age groups, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. Through initial statistical analysis and Bayesian network inference, we have identified key factors affecting mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Integrating Bayesian networks with classical machine learning approaches led to effective modeling of the level of mental health prevalence. Results Overall, females were more stressed than males, and people in the age group 18-29 years were more vulnerable to anxiety than other age groups. Using the Bayesian network model, we found that people with a chronic mental illness were more prone to mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new realities of working from home; homeschooling; and lack of communication with family, friends, and neighbors induces mental pressure. Financial assistance from social security helps in reducing mental stress during the COVID-19–generated economic crises. Finally, using supervised machine learning models, we predicted the most mentally vulnerable people with ~80% accuracy. Conclusions Multiple factors such as social isolation, digital communication, and working and schooling from home were identified as factors of mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular in-person communication with friends and family, a healthy social life, and social security were key factors, and taking care of people with a history of mental disease appears to be even more important during this time.

Parity and Difference: The Value of Parity Legislation for the Seriously Mentally Ill

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 185-201
Author(s):  
John V. Jacobi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Seriously Mentally Ill ◽  
People With Mental Illness

Mental illness affects the health status of about one in five Americans each year. More than five percent of adult Americans have a “serious” mental illness—an illness that interferes with social functioning. About two and one-half percent have “severe and persistent” mental illness, a categorization for the most disabling forms of mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. All mental illness interferes to some degree with social activities. Left untreated, serious mental illness can be disabling—disrupting family life, employment status and the ability to maintain housing. Nevertheless, privately insured people in the United States (that is, the majority of insured people in the United States) are not covered for mental health services to the same extent that they are covered for physical health services. Second-class coverage of mental health services reduces access to care for people with mental illness because cost becomes a significant barrier to service. The resulting lack of treatment fuels the disabling potential of mental illness.

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