Health policy analysis
Introduction
Unquestionably, health is an essential part of life without which human existence is under threat of extinction. According to McLaughlin & McLaughlin (2007), maintenance of mental wellness is fundamental to achieving mental sobriety among the members of the society. Unfortunately, the number of people with mental disorders is growing almost in every society (Walt et al., 2008). In America, adult population with mental illness is over 60 million, the majority of who are Africans Americans. The main barrier to access proper mental health care is the soaring costs and people’s perceptions of mental health (America’s Health, 2016). The government of the United States spends over 100 billion dollars in the treatment of mental health. This amount constitutes more than 50% of the total funds allocated to health care expenditure. Nevertheless, poor access to mental health care hinders most of Africans Americans from full benefit of health services offered (Pincus, Druss, Marcus, & Olfson, 2002).
Addressing the problem of mental illness is one of the key goals of the government of the United States. Cooperation among the stakeholders is one of the ways to facilitate quick recovery from the mental illnesses. Also, the formulation and efficient implementation of mental health policies to ensure effective health services delivery to people with mental disorders would help a lot. This paper will affirm the lack of access to proper health care as the major challenge facing Africans Americans. Also, it will identify the role of key stakeholders in health care services, the available options to solve the problem, and recommend the best options to address the problem.
Africans Americans and their inability to access to proper medical services
Poor access to proper health services is a major problem that Africans Americans face. This problem has led to increased number of Africans Americans with mental illness and acceleration of the severity of mental suffering (American College, 2014). According to Snowden, the established systems to deal with mental health problem are not sufficient to satisfy the diverse needs of people with mental problems (2001). Mental health care services are among the most expensive health care services in the United States (Snowden, 2001). Peoples’ attitudes toward mental health and the soaring health care costs contribute significantly to the inability of Africans Americans to access proper mental health care (America’s Health, 2016).
The majority of Africans Americans are poor. The high levels of poverty coupled with high costs of medical services pose great difficulties to the access to proper health services to most of Africans Americans. As a result, the number of people with different mental illnesses is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the recent research, about 70% of Africans Americans cannot afford access to proper health care services (Snowden, 2001). The accessibility to proper health care services is only possible to a small number of Africans Americans and the majority of Native Americans who have access to a variety of employment opportunities as well as favorable wages. The research clearly shows that the highest percentage of adult population with mental illness in America is made up of Africans Americans because they are highly prone to negative feelings such as hopelessness and sadness due to the high levels of discrimination and stigma they face (Snowden, 2001).
Options for solving the problem
The soaring costs of obtaining mental health care services are the main obstacle to the recovery. Thus, reducing treatment cost as well as other costs related to recovery from mental health illnesses is an efficient way to reduce cases and severity of mental health disorders and conditions. According to Snowden, subsidization of costs of health care services will enhance the affordability of treatment as well as the accessibility to effective mental health care (Snowden, 2001). As a result, the management of mental health will be made easy and the number of people with mental disorder will decline.
The government and non-governmental organizations can intervene by providing funds to create community-based health centers and encouraging professionals in health care provision to volunteer mental health care to the community. This will help to make the accessibility to health care easy, enhancing the recovery and preventing circumstances likely to lead to mental illness among the members of the community. This will result in improvement in the welfare of the people which contributes to the overall health status of the country (Walt et al., 2008).
Background information on health problem and the available options for addressing mental health problem
The government of the United States has invested a lot of money in mental health care (Pincus, Druss, Marcus, & Olfson, 2002). However, the number of health institutions as well as the amount allocated to mental health care services does not keep pace with increasing demand for mental health care. The main barrier to accessibility of metal health care is the rising costs of treatment as well as rehabilitation of individuals with mental problems. Various public policies have been adopted to manage mental conditions, but the challenge remains. Recovery from mental illness is centered on the individuals and aims at restoring mental wellness. The main principle behind recovery programs is that people with mental disorders have the capacity to live joyous life and contribute positively to the society despite their conditions.
Mental Health America adopts policies meant to restore wellness among people with various forms of mental illnesses. According to this association, overcoming mental challenges and facilitating recovery will restore the health status of the entire society (Goodwin, Kogler, Khalsa, & County, 2013). They believe that the most important thing in life is to allow people to live joyous life and participate actively in the activities of the society. Therefore, addressing the problem of mental illness is crucial for any society.
The failure to solve the problem constitutes an injustice to the victims. The inability to access proper mental health care among Africans Americans denies them the chance to enjoy contributory life which is an injustice to them (Goodwin, Kogler, Khalsa, & County, 2013). Health policies should aim at improving access to health care to all without discrimination. Unfortunately, the health policy adopted dictates the class of people who can buy health insurance, the amount of money they pay, and the reimbursement for health care providers (McLaughlin & McLaughlin, 2007). Thus, some people, particularly Africans Americans are denied access to proper medical services.
Health policy prohibits certain actions like discrimination and abuse to regulate the treatment of people with various conditions. Also, the policy advocates for accommodation of people with mental disabilities in various places of work. However, this policy does not apply since most people with mental disabilities are discriminated against and they usually find low paying jobs away from those without mental challenges.
Adverse conditions such as slavery, social exclusion from basic facilities like health and education, are among challenges that lead to social-economic differences which cause mental problems among Africans Americans. Low social status, impoverishment, and feeling of worthlessness cause distress which leads to substance abuse among Africans Americans resulting in mental illness (Goodwin, Kogler, Khalsa, & County, 2013). Ironically, Africans Americans continued to suffer mental problems even after the election of African American president. However, the impacts of negative stereotypes and feelings of rejection reduced since 2008 though Africans Americans still experience considerable discrimination (Snowden, 2001).
Mental illness is more common among adult blacks because they experience psychological stress due to high poverty levels than whites. Unlike adult whites, blacks in America are more likely to commit suicide due to feelings of desperation and hopelessness (Snowden, 2001). Similarly, deaths from suicide are more common among black teenagers than whites. Inability to access proper mental health care among Africans Americans is the main cause of stigma, negative stereotypes, and feeling of worthlessness. Also, the problem exposes the blacks to the risk of more severe mental conditions, hence the urgent need to address the problem.
Key stakeholders in mental health
There are numerous stakeholders who take active part in facilitating the provision of mental health. Consumers of mental health constitute key stakeholders who contribute significantly to the implementation of programs formulated to serve them. Consumers are the main focus of every health policy. They constitute the patients, their families, and advocates. These people play a central role by being the ultimate consumers of mental health services.
Government agencies, as well as policy makers, are major stakeholders in mental health. The federal and states administration play an active role in the formulation and implementation of policies that serve all other stakeholders (Goodwin, Kogler, Khalsa, & County, 2013). All public institutions established to provide mental health services use public funds; thus, they must be answerable to the government. The federal government provides funds needed to support the implementation of mental health programs. Also, the government supports the training of policy maker and mental health service providers to enhance the generation of more knowledge needed for handling different mental conditions. Additionally, the government regulates health institutions to ensure that medical services provision is well coordinated for efficient delivery of treatment and care of people with mental illnesses. The policymakers formulate strategies and integrate them into the mental health scheme which facilitates the achievement of stakeholders’ objectives that ultimately lead to mental health recovery.
The governing boards in all mental health centers represent the government at local and counties levels. These boards contribute significantly to the achievement of the main goals of mental health institutions. They enhance participation of other stakeholders and implementation of the formulated scheme which defines all the objectives that the government set to achieve (Goodwin, Kogler, Khalsa, & County, 2013). Also, the governing boards coordinate the operations in mental health centers to ensure efficient delivery of services and adherence to the regulations and ethics by the medical practitioners.
Options and their relevance to solving mental health problem
The main cause of the inability of Africans Americans to access proper mental health care is the rising mental health care costs. Thus, reducing costs is one of the options that can be used to solve the problem. Costs reduction will enhance the affordability of mental health care. As such, majority of Americans with mental disorders will have access to treatment. Most importantly, Africans Americans, who constitute the majority of adult population with mental illness, will be able to obtain treatment. Consequently, the overall welfare of people will improve. Additionally, cost reduction and consequent ability to access mental health care facilitate the recovery from mental illness (McGregor, 2011). Reducing costs will make the mental health care affordable, enabling Africans Americans to obtain medical services. As a result, the feeling of hopelessness and negative stereotypes regarding the ability to recover will reduce.
Creating a community health center where professional practitioners can offer voluntary mental health services is another option for solving the problem. Recovery from mental illness requires the participation of all stakeholders concerned (Anthony, 1993). Also, recovery depends on patient’s perceived ability to reform. Thus, creating a community health center is relevant to facilitate mental health care services because it ensures that medical services are brought within the reach of the consumers. Also, the establishment of health centers in the community will enhance the treatment of mental illness through community and peer support.
Cost reduction is an effective way of solving the problem of inability to access mental health care by some groups in the society. However, it has some limitations though its benefits surpass weakness making it very useful. Reducing costs means that limited funds will be available to mental health institutions. Therefore, the government will have to step in by increasing funds allocation to health institutions. As a result, the government will increase tax which will increase the burden to other citizens. Creating a community- based health center is another option for addressing the mental health care accessibility problem. However, the establishment of mental health centers in the communities may not fully address the problem since there may not be professional medical practitioners to offer voluntary services. The viability of each option can be assessed in terms of its effectiveness in facilitating mental health care services delivery. Evaluation of the options also requires the consideration of its impact on the society and stakeholders in mental health. Cost reduction may trigger reactions from the public due to increased tax as the government strives to raise the required revenue to subsidize the mental health services. Therefore, a critical analysis is essential before a decision is made as to which option should be used.
Recommendations of the options
Despite the limitations associated with the above options, they still stand out as the best options for solving the problem. Cost reduction ensures the redistribution of the cost burden to other citizens, enabling Africans Americans and the Native Americans who cannot afford mental health care to have access to the medical services. Additionally, the subsidized health cost helps to improve the welfare of people and facilitate recovery from mental conditions. Thus, the feeling of worthlessness and desperation reduce among the members of society. Also, the number of active citizens increases as a result of increased recoveries, resulting in reduced cost of treatment and establishment of rehabilitation centers.
The establishment of community- based health centers has numerous advantages apart from facilitation of treatment of mental illnesses. Provision of voluntary services by professional does not only help to rehabilitate people with mental disorders but also create opportunities for mental health practitioners to grow their experience in medical care. Most importantly, community- based health centers make the health consumers to feel more appreciated which is fundamental to their recovery (McGregor, 1993). Additionally, these health centers enhance the recovery from mental illness through community and peer support. Mental health care is essential for the well-being of both individual and the society as a whole. People with mental disorders will continue to increase in number, and the devastating impacts of mental illness will continue to be experienced in America and other parts of the world. Thus, failing to remove barriers to access to proper medical care among the blacks will expose them to a higher risk of adversity of mental health problems. Therefore, the problem should be addressed with urgency.
Conclusion
Africans Americans are indeed facing serious challenges which lead to some of them committing suicide. The number of unnecessary deaths will continue to rise if the government and other stakeholders will not take effective measures to facilitate accessibility to proper health care. The soaring cost of health care is a serious factor that deters most of Africans Americans from accessing proper health care. Therefore, reducing health care cost would be an effective strategy for solving the problem. Community and peer support are an essential mental therapy which helps to facilitate recovery. Thus, the establishment of community- based health centers can also be an effective approach to management of mental illnesses. The inability to access proper health care among the Africans Americans is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with urgency. Failure to provide a solution to this problem will lead to greater adversity of mental health conditions and other associated costs.
References
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