Part 1
This article by Carey Goldberg is about the beginning of mental screening among Massachusetts children. The writer talks about the new annual checkups requirement for Massachusetts children. According to the new checkup guidelines, doctors must offer questionnaires aimed at detecting the possibility of mental health challenges facing the teens ( Goldberg). The checklists to be used in mental screening are varied based on the age groups of the teens. However, the questions are entirely based on children's behavior. Some of the questionnaires' critical problems are associated with the children who have trouble sleeping, whether they have less or spend most of their time in loneliness.
The questions asked can be related to behavioral theory because they touch on children's behaviors. The behavioral theory describes human behavior by examining the consequences and experiences that one has with their environment or the one which has been acquired through previous experience ( Molinillo et al.). It is believed that children's behaviors are primarily influenced by their environmental expertise, which can significantly affect their mental state of health. Therefore, it could be easy to predict the possible mental health status by gauging the children's environment and action.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The writer indicates that the questionnaires have been in use for years and have become a significant pediatric practice indicator. Massachusetts is making one step ahead of other states by calling for the screening of all young Medicaid recipients in the country. Despite the call, an alarm is being raised by the skeptics that screening could affect many children because of the heavy-duty medications they are being exposed to. The writer of this article is concerned about the current state of mental health in Massachusetts, where there are mental health patients who have not been attended. The question is how the state government will cope with the likely increase in mental illness cases, given that they have not been able to handle the current situation successfully.
Part 2: Essay #1:
The issue of providing American children with mental health screening has been controversial for the past years. People have had divergent opinions regarding the case, with the majority opposing American children's mental screen. Numerous articles and books have also been written on the same topic. Regardless of how good or bad the children's mental screening may appear, we must engage in an open dialogue concerning the issue and argue our points based on the facts. Cases of mental illness among teens in the United States continue to rise, an implication that the condition may worsen when nothing is done. But it is also essential to consider the impact that the precautions against mental health would bring to the entire population if it is not appropriate. I would term the two online articles a bit confusing because they seem to support and criticize both sides of the argument.
Based on my knowledge of children's mental health screening and the resources I have read about the issue, I would not allow my child to receive mental health screening. Screening is indeed very crucial, particularly in situations where a child is found to have a disorder. Still, at the same time, it is essential to consider a child who has gone through the screening process, yet he has no mental illness. In my view, if a child has not been found with the disorder, he or she may end up being affecting and even developing psychological problems in the long run. Therefore, there would no need to screen all children knowing very well that not all of them have the disorder. It is essential to consider the previous data on children with mental disorders in the United States. According to de Moraes Ferrari et al. (24), out of 74.5 million children in the US, 17.1 million are estimated to have had or have a mental disorder; that is about 30 percent of the total children the United States. It would be insane to sacrifice 70 percent of the children's population at the expense of 30 percent.
Works Cited
de Moraes Ferrari, Gerson Luis, et al. "Anthropometry, dietary intake, physical activity and sitting time patterns in adolescents aged 15–17 years: an international comparison in eight Latin American countries." BMC pediatrics 20.1 (2020): 24.
Goldberg, C. "Mental screening for young to begin: mass. doctors to offer questionnaires for children on Medicaid. The Boston Globe." NY Times Co., Boston (2007).
Molinillo, Sebastian, Rafael Anaya-Sánchez, and Francisco Liebana-Cabanillas. "Analyzing the effect of social support and community factors on customer engagement and its impact on loyalty behaviors toward social commerce websites." Computers in Human Behavior 108 (2020): 105980.
