Incidences of mentally ill members of the society have increased rapidly in many American cities. Mental illnesses are characterized by a variety of health condition. They are disorders that affect individual conduct, mood and judgment. In recent years, understanding mental disorders has been tremendously facilitated by the use of new and advanced technology. Research revealed that mental illnesses could begin in children ranging from autism and schizophrenia (Bota, Fraser & Groysman, 2017). People from different backgrounds hold different conceptions depending on the circumstances under which it is raised. Early treatment and prevention are hampered because the diagnosis is nearly impossible until the patient is much older. Additionally, disabilities arising from mental illnesses are hard to prevent. As a result, Science is pursuing ways to diagnose these problems in early age to facilitate complete treatment. Further, scientists define mental disorders as a psychological syndrome that occurs in a person that is linked with present suffering or disability or an increased risk of pain, inevitable death or a significant loss of freedom. Researchers continue to uncover that mental illness can be genetic or caused by environmental stressors. Concerning gender, current statistics show that while more men are likely to be diagnosed with autism, women are likely to develop less genetic mental illnesses such as eating disorders and depression. Recovery from these diseases varies depending on a variety of factors. Chronic mental illness patients can only manage the symptoms and will enjoy life. This paper seeks to establish that prisons and jails are gradually transforming into modern day asylums for the mentally ill patients.
Marginalized Population
The mentally challenged population has increased tremendously in correctional facilities in recent years. There are about 50,000 patients in prisons as compared to approximately 5,000 in mental institutions. Persons with mental disorders often roam the streets with nobody watching over them, hence wandering far away from their homes and eventually committing crimes with grave consequences. The police arrest them to maintain law, order, and safety in the streets. While in prison, they are locked up in metal cages causing them to harm themselves by banging their heads against the walls or injuring their body parts in other ways. The following are factors contributing to the transformation of prisons and jails into asylums:
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Marginalization
Different mental illness situations require diverse responses from family members. However, due to the patients embarrassing behavior sometimes in public, they often secretly give care, isolate or even abandon the patient altogether. People living with mental illness have needs, feelings and like everyone else. Therefore, it is essential to treat them with respect despite their confusing conduct. Also, lack sufficient information on how to interact with the patients with violent tendencies discourages family members from seeking the appropriate treatment (Suresky, Zauszniewski & Bekhet, 2013). Consequently, they turn the patients to the police custody where they sometimes get brutal treatment beyond necessary.
Mental Institutions
Numerous state-run psychiatric institutions have continually been closed down citing that they are costly, inefficient and ineffective hence marginalization of the mentally ill. In June 1991, Massachusetts Governor, William Welder formed a special commission which recommended close down for several mental facilities. In 1991 to 1993, residents from 10 of the institutions were transferred to other hospitals after a quick shut down of the facilities (Chikaodiri, 2010). Similarly, more states in America have closed down regardless of the growing number of mental treatment and management facilities. Accordingly, a significant number of the patients with complex mental health issues have ended up in prisons.
Mental illness patients have been stigmatized and discriminated against for years. Besides health and social costs, mentally ill persons are also victims of human rights violations, stigma and discrimination both within and outside mental institutions. More awareness of the potential mental health gains has been created. However, plans and initiatives are yet to be established to promote and support mental health. Moreover, to provide quality care to these patients, more human resources need to be deployed. Also, it will help to prevent chronic disability and premature death.
Socioeconomic Status
Mental health and socioeconomic status largely determine the general wellbeing of a person. Education attainment, income, financial security, Social status perceptions opportunities and privileges accorded to people in the society are the significant aspects incorporated in as attributes for a quality life. Poor mental health adversely affects the above factor either negatively or positively. To reduce the socioeconomic gaps, increased focus on foundations inequities benefits society. Socioeconomic status affects both men and women variable. There is a substantial bias towards men in many societies compared to women. Women with low socioeconomic status are reported to experience more depressive symptoms. Data shows that 1 out of 9 mothers suffer from severe depression. Comparably, psychological health in women is profoundly affected by their socioeconomic status. In 2014, over 3 million women aged 65 and above lived in poverty compared to over 1.5 million men. Therefore, women of low socioeconomic status face more problems than their male counterparts.
Social, Environmental and Economic Justice and Human Rights Issues
Mental illness is associated with numerous environmental factors. For example, Death, divorce, changing schools and financial problems contribute significantly to poor mental health. Also, chronicle mental disorders are known to be caused by exposure to toxins, alcohol, drugs and nutritional deficiencies. These are factors portrayed in the video since the patients featured are young and older men and women. There are also human rights issues depicted in the way the violent mental patients are handled. The police locked them in metal cages in which the patients feel isolated and even paranoid.
Practice Implications
Several challenges are affecting smooth delivery of support to the mentally ill. First, families living with them opt to secretly give care to the patients than seeking help from relatives and the authorities hence very little knowledge about their existence. Also, the patients require constant supervision, and it may be necessary to stop working or hire a caregiver to look after a patient from home. Furthermore, after recovery, mental patients often need social support from family and the society. However, many people fear and lack information on how to support some of these patients especially if they had violent episodes during the illness.
My personal biases towards people with a mental health condition are that regardless of the treatment offered, they may subsequently stop seeking treatment after being discharged from the hospital. They are also incapable of taking consistent care themselves because they sometimes forget to take medication as scheduled. As a social worker to one of the patients of the video, I would study their individual case and their behavior over time then invariably consult with a psychiatrist. This will ensure the most appropriate medication, and treatment is offered. The significant components of assessment include the patients' behavior before during the illness, possible causes of the disease and most viable treatment plan hence facilitate timely treatment and recovery. Health promotion can be efficiently managed with the activities of mental health in the society and transform care giving into community responsibility. The role of advocacy can be fulfilled by dissemination of information about psychiatric disorders, causes, treatment and support for the patients.
Conclusion
The video divulged that the number of people with a mental health condition is growing rapidly and that the prisons and jails are not most appropriate facilities, but they are the most common option. Therefore, the critical solution to achieving optimum care for people with a mental health condition is the protection of human rights in the delivery of care to people with a mental health condition suffering from both the short term and long term disorders. This includes access to individualized treatment, protection of human poise and access to appropriate services. Besides, more medication facilities should be built and equipped with the advanced treatment machines and human sufficient human resources to ensure quality service delivery. Also, it is essential to safeguard and expand the current accomplishments correcting long-term mental health care into societies and distinguish it as a part of local community development. Further, organizations and sectors that directly or indirectly impact psychological health should collectively conduct mental health promotion activities. Apart from the medical and community support aspects, the Government policies should also be amended to create an ethical foundation which will guide shape the existing programs.
References
Bota, P., Fraser, S., & Groysman, R. (2017). Beyond schizophrenia: living and working with a serious mental illness. Mental Illness , 9 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/mi.2017.6782
Chikaodiri, A. (2010). Health professionals’ familiarity and attributions to mental illness. Mental Illness , 2 (1), 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/mi.2010.e1
Suresky, M., Zauszniewski, J., & Bekhet, A. (2013). Factors Affecting Disruption in Families of Adults With Mental Illness. Perspectives In Psychiatric Care , 50 (4), 235-242. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12047
