scholarly journals Community Mental Health Practice in the United States: Past, Present and Future

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-13
Author(s):  
J. A. Hamm ◽  
S. Rutherford ◽  
C. N. Wiesepape ◽  
P. N. Lysaker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Colonial America ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
History Of ◽  
Major Shift ◽  
Mental Health Practices ◽  
Mental Health Centers

Similar to trends in Europe, approaches to mental illness in colonial America and recorded in early United States history were commonly characterized by incarceration and the removal of individuals from communities. In the mid-20th century, a major shift began in which treatment was offered in the community with the aim of encouraging individuals to rejoin their communities. In this paper, we will provide a brief history of community mental health services in the United States, and the forces which have influenced its development. We will explore the early antecedents of community-based approaches to care, and then detail certain factors that led to legislative, peer and clinical efforts to create ‘Community Mental Health Centers.’ We will then provide an overview of current community mental health practices and evolving challenges through to the present day, including the development of services which remain focused on recovery as the ultimate goal.

Innovation in Mental Health Policy; Community Mental Health in the United States of America, 1965–1980

1983 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
C J Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Reagan Administration ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Centers

The Community Méntal Health Centers (CMHC) legislation in the early 1960s was the first real attempt at a national mental health policy in the United States of America. Federal funding was made available for the establishment of 1500 centers across the country. The goal was to provide access to quality mental health care for all US citizens by 1980. As a result of prolonged criticisms, the legislation was repealed by the incoming Reagan Administration in the early 1980s, In this paper, the twenty-year lifespan of this ‘innovation’ in mental health policy is reviewed and an evaluation of some of its most pervasive criticisms are presented.

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.

Formulating another’s report of troubles in peer support

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Pudlinski
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Mental Health System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Telephone Support ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Professional Perspective

This study stems from an interest in peer support talk, an underexplored area of research, and in how supportive actions such as formulated summaries function in comparison to more professional healthcare settings. Using conversation analysis, this study explores 35 instances of formulations within 65 calls to four different ‘warm lines’, a term for peer-to-peer telephone support within the community mental health system in the United States. Formulations can be characterized across two related axes: client versus professional perspective, and directive versus nondirective. The findings show that formulations within peer support were overwhelmingly nondirective, in terms of meeting institutional agendas to let callers talk. However, formulations ranged from client-oriented ones that highlight or repeat caller reports to those which transform caller reports through integrating past caller experiences or implicit caller emotions. These tactics are found to have similarities to how formulations function in professional healthcare settings.

Pregnant Victims of Intimate Partner Homicide in the National Violent Death Reporting System Database, 2003–2014: A Descriptive Analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052094372
Author(s):  
Penelope K. Morrison ◽  
Chelsea Pallatino ◽  
Rachel A. Fusco ◽  
Tanya Kenkre ◽  
Judy Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Violent Death ◽  
Intimate Partner Homicide ◽  
Service Engagement ◽  
History Of

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. However, very little information exists as to the circumstantial factors associated with IPH during pregnancy. We conducted a descriptive study of the demographic characteristics, psychosocial service engagement, and crises experiences (i.e., life and relationship stressors) among pregnant and nonpregnant victims to understand what differences, if any, exist in their risk profile for IPH. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) were used for this study. The NVDRS is a national opt-in tracking system of all violent deaths in the United States. Pregnant victims ( N = 293) were significantly more likely to be 5 years younger than nonpregnant victims, African American, and never married. Pregnant victims were more likely to be seen in the emergency room following the fatal incident. Nonpregnant victims ( N = 2,089) were significantly more likely to have suspected alcohol use at the time of their death. In strictly proportional terms, we also observed higher rates of mental health problems, a history of mental health treatment, and a reported history of intimate partner violence (IPV), crisis, or family problems among nonpregnant victims. A wider range of IPH-related risk factors (e.g. substance abuse) need to be included IPV assessments. Future studies should seek to develop effective interventions to prevent IPH, particularly among reproductive aged women.

scholarly journals IS BEING A PREMATURE OR HAVING ABNORMAL BIRTH WEIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH DEPRESSION AMONG 6 - 17 YEARS OLD U.S. CHILDREN?

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. e51-e51
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Bahassan ◽  
Colin Depp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Very Low Birth Weight ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
History Of

Abstract BACKGROUND Reports in 2015 showed that premature birth rate in the United States increased when compared to 2014 data, and this was the first increment since 2007. Major complications of prematurity and birth weight abnormalities are well known, but other complications including mental health abnormalities require more investigation to understand their association well. OBJECTIVES We aimed in this study to determine if prematurity and birth weight abnormalities including very low birth weight (VLBW) and low birth weight (LBW) are associated with depression among United States children aged between six and seventeen years old. ​ DESIGN/METHODS This is a cross sectional study using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) 2011–2012. When we applied our selection criteria, 84,182 children out of the total 95,677 NSCH population were selected. Our exclusion criteria were: age less than six years, child’s history of cerebral palsy, and mental retardation. Multivariable logistic regression was done to control for confounding effects when studying the association of prematurity, birth weight abnormalities and depression. ​ RESULTS Our results reveal that 3.6% of our population had history of depression, 11% were born prematurely, 7.4% had low birth weight, and 1.5% had very low birth weight. Depression was more frequent in children who were born prematurely (prevalence 4.3%) when compared to children born at term. Different models were built to analyze the association between prematurity, birth weight abnormalities and depression. There was no detectable statistically significant association when controlling for demographic data (age, gender, race, family structure) and mental health risk factors (parental poor mental health, chronic health conditions) as well as other factors. Results reveal that children who had chronic health conditions or had adverse family experiences have greater odds of having depression. On the other hand, African-American, male, and younger (6–11 years old) children have lower odds of depression. ​ CONCLUSION Further longitudinal studies are required to establish a causal relationship of behavioral and psychological complications, and to determine the biological mechanisms of brain development that could be associated with depression among premature infants or those who have birth weight abnormalities.

Human Rights Progress in Psychiatry: More Apparent Than Real (Observations and Reflections on Life in the Texas Mental Health Courts)

2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-254
Author(s):  
John Breeding
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Other ◽  
Mental Health Courts ◽  
Modern Psychiatry ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One

The history of modern psychiatry includes a legacy of coercion and infamous physical and mechanical treatments, on the one hand, and progress in human rights, particularly patient rights, on the other. The purpose of this article is to remind readers that this modern progress in psychiatry is more apparent than real. The author’s experience with recent cases in the mental health courts is discussed in order to demonstrate the ongoing abuse of human rights in psychiatry. A brief look at other aspects of the current mental health climate in the United States is also provided, along with considerations of informed consent.

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