Mental health in adults is considered a very critical topic in society because it affects a significant portion of the world’s population. Older adults who are above 40 years of age make positive contributions as family members and active participants in society and the economy. Whereas some have good health, there are many others who are at risk of developing mental and neurological disorders as well as other health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, hearing loss among others. The development of these conditions makes it hard for these individuals to lead normal lives as they age, they continue to become weaker beings due to the accumulative conditions that they encounter as adults. Research from various sources has shown that at least one in every four adults suffers from some kind of mental health problem. Some of the main challenges here include financial constraints, social stigmas, and lack of awareness to communities regarding the condition.
Training
Adults who suffer from mental health conditions need to be trained on social skills because these will help them to shape their behavior and improve their ability to learn, adapt, understand and cope with life under different circumstances. Training is vital for purposes of facilitating interactions, recognizing and reciprocating emotional cues and communicating effectively with others in social situations. It is important for adults with mental conditions to be trained because research has shown that they may lack social some social skills or have a hard time expressing their thoughts, emotions, and feelings appropriately ( Danquah & Berry, 2013 ). These deficits may have come either as a result of the illness or because the condition restricted the development of the skills. Mental conditions such as anxiety and depression have been proved to interfere with the development and utilization of a person’s social skills.
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Mental health conditions come with cognitive deficits such as incoherent speech, poor attention, and difficulty comprehending and retaining information ( Patel at al., 2016 ). Social skills training, therefore, provides a platform for such individuals to get help by learning specific skills that are needed to live, socialize and work with others in society with minimum support. Addressing these skills serves as an essential component as far as the treatment process is concerned. Training must be tailored to meet the individual’s needs as well as the family’s in a stepwise and organized manner. Group training can also be organized depending on the culture of the community where a facilitator leads and encourages the participation of members in a rehabilitative setting.
Skills improvement families
At the family level, the development of some skills is vital for existence and connection with other members. Loved ones need to realize that mental health conditions are just like any other ailments and as such, they can be treated with the proper attention. They will have to come to terms with the fact that the affected member may exhibit a change in behavior, communicate at a lower level and have less compassion as compared to the past ( Zarit & Zarit, 2011 ). Patience is, therefore, a critical element at this time because some actions may seem unusual. Proper verbal skills also need to be polished so that the structure, form, context, and duration of speech are well suited during conversations. Family members will also have to work on their tone and conversation skills whenever they are communicating with their loved one. If the condition is new to the household, training and counseling sessions will be of importance because they will provide a comprehensive session on how to interact with them. According to Danquah & Berry (2013 ), family plays a very important role as far as the identification of social skill deficits is concerned. They, therefore, have a bigger role to play by ensuring that they establish a safe environment for the affected person.
Comparison with developed countries
According to the World Health Organization, one in every four people is affected by either mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives ( Patel et al., 2016 ). This translates to around 450 million people worldwide with the condition, thus placing it among one of the leading causes of disability and ill health worldwide. Even though treatments have been made available, statistics indicate that three-quarters of people who suffer from this condition do not seek any form of assistance from health professionals. Some of the factors that deter them from getting help include discrimination, stigma, and lack of preventive care and treatment programs in some communities. Areas, where mental health has been neglected, tend to have a higher prevalence of this condition.
Data shows that 24.8% of adults in the U.S. have a mental case that has lasted for more than 12 months. Moreover, an estimated 44 million adults suffer from a mental health condition with data showing that one in five adults experience it every year ( Peate & Chelvanayagam, 2016 ). The number translates to 18.5% of the entire population in the country. The situation may become worse over the coming years based on the fact that one in every five youth between the ages 13 to 18 (9.9 million) will experience mental disorders at some point in their lives ( Peate & Chelvanayagam, 2016 ). In Australia, almost half of the country’s population (45%) are affected by some form of mental health condition ( Peate & Chelvanayagam, 2016 ). It is also imperative to note that some are affected by more than one condition with the most common ones identified as depression and anxiety disorders. The latter affects 26% of the adult population whereas the former affects 15% ( Peate & Chelvanayagam, 2016 ).
Method to solve
Psychiatric residential treatment. This type of treatment is offered when the mental health needs of a patient exceed the kind of intervention that is offered in inpatient care ( Zarit & Zarit, 2011 ). The possible reason for this may be that the condition has aggravated to a bad stage and as such, the affected adult needs 24-hour support and care.
Specialty residential treatment. Here, care is offered to adults who require some special kind of attention that would warrant for a greater level of expertise during treatment ( Danquah & Berry, 2013 ). A variety of therapeutic interventions are available here based on the medical needs of the patient.
Medication. After the diagnosis of a condition and determination of its stage, physicians can tell whether the condition can be managed through other programs. If the condition seems to be at an advanced stage, medication is recommended and prescribed to the adult for effective treatment.
Individual Therapy. Personal attention is provided through private therapy sessions so that adult patients can get a chance to process their emotions, feelins, and experiences ( Mendes, Rui & Pedro, 2011 ). Based on these aspects, a medical professional offers guidance and support to the person.
Group Therapy. Research has shown that this is an invaluable intervention approach because it provides a variety of benefits to mental health patients ( Zarit & Zarit, 2011 ). Through these sessions, they are able to give and receive the needed support from people who have been through similar challenges in the past.
Analysis of data barriers to improvement and how the result is to be measured
The challenges of collecting and analyzing data affect the quality and reliability of information that is provided regarding mental health statistics. One of the main barriers to the process is lack of knowledge as to where exactly one would access accurate data in electronic and non-electronic form. According to Mendes, Rui & Pedro (2011) , the fear of misinterpreting data is also a big barrier to the collection procedure because it may lead a person to provide the wrong findings. In some cases, copyright and privacy issues arise thus hindering the results to be achieved. Measuring the results can be a big problem, depending on the type of data that is collected. For the research topic (mental health in adults), qualitative analysis will be used through the administration of surveys and questionnaires. Cross sectional comparisons will be done thereafter to extract significant information for the improvement programs.
References
Danquah, A. N., & Berry, K. (Eds.). (2013). Attachment theory in adult mental health: A guide to clinical practice . Routledge.
Mendes, Rui & Rodrigues, Pedro. (2011). Main Barriers for Quality Data Collection in EHR - A Review.
Patel, V., Chisholm, D., Dua, T., Laxminarayan, R., & Medina-Mora, M. E. (2016). Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders: Disease Control Priorities, (Volume 4) . The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank.
Peate, I., & Chelvanayagam, S. (2016). Caring for adults with mental health problems . Chichester, England: Wiley.
Zarit, S. H., & Zarit, J. M. (2011). Mental disorders in older adults: Fundamentals of assessment and treatment . Guilford Press.
