Introduction
The Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-2014 resulted from a collaborative action in the Australian government. The plan was aimed at developing a mental health system at the early stages of the illness to ensure efficient recovery, detection, and prevention (Lawrence et al., 2015). In addition, the plan also aimed at ensuring that all the Australian people access appropriate and useful community support and treatment so that they could totally participate in the community activities (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). The plan emphasizes the methods of reforming the mental health sections related to the policies developed by other portfolios in government. As such, helping the people suffering from mental illness and other related mental health complications in the best way. The Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-2014 advocates for the factors of social inclusion and social culture that play a role in eliminating the social disadvantages facing mental health issues (WHO, 1990). Most adults suffering from mental health problems and other disabilities face exclusion in the majority of community setups. Consequently, their ability to function and enjoy their lives are significantly impacted.
The document detailing the Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-2014 reflects on the contemporary understanding of social inclusion and sociocultural factors in different dimensions (Lawrence et al., 2015). Social inclusion is always followed by recovery and both take up the first priority area. According to the document, social inclusion is important in ensuring that the wellbeing and mental health of the community are inclusive of the whole spectrum of the people suffering from mental illnesses (WHO, 1990). Additionally, social inclusion affects both the mentally ill people and their families due to the prevalent discrimination and stigma. The elements of social inclusion help in the self-determination and recovery of the patients suffering from mental illness. Thus, social inclusion ensures that all the members of a community are valued and that they are also in a position to make choices on their way of life (WHO, 1990). Furthermore, service and policy development recognizes the importance of socially including the promotion of mental health as well as establishing connectivity and engagement within the community. As such, sessions of economic downturns are eased due to having all the members of the society participate actively in the promotion of economic activities (Lawrence et al., 2015).
Social inclusion of the mentally ill members of the community ensures health promotion in different ways (Pelling, 2015). For example, it affords that all the findings from research on how to promote social inclusion are used in the prevention and advancement of healthcare in the community. As a result, prevention and early strategic interventions become the second priority area. On the other hand, social inclusion helps in implementing the approaches that are population-based in addressing the practices of discrimination and inequity.
The third priority area involves continued care, service access, and coordination of the health issues of the excluded members of the society (Senate Select Committee on Health, 2015). It is important for communities to always provide advice and support to those that are marginalised. As such, tangible facilities need to be availed such as childcare facilities for the children who are mentally challenged. In addition, rehabilitation services with quality health care should be set up for the adults that suffer from various mental challenges. Such services not only provide healthcare but also ensure that appropriate training and education is availed to the mentally challenged (Pelling, 2015). They also help in ensuring that there are constant efforts of advocating for the provision of services for the people with learning difficulties due to mental challenges. As a result, the community develops a culture where everyone values the competency levels of all members of the society.
The reflection of sociocultural factors, on the other hand, sees to it that all the members in the community bond well with the new arrivals from different backgrounds. As such, the people with mental illnesses will not suffer from being excluded from the society due to their diverse linguistics and culture. The family is also reflected on due to its role as the fundamental unit of promoting culture in society (Pelling, 2015). Families that have members suffering from mental illnesses can partner to campaign against discrimination and stigma of the affected members in their different aspects of life. Promoting a culture that accepts and appreciates the presence of the mentally challenged individuals ensures cohesiveness in the event of adverse occurrences and transitions such as the loss of employment, domestic violence, and breakdown of families. Appropriate culture ensures that the mental illnesses are managed easily and efficiently in connection with the factor’s aspects of specialised health care and treatment and quality physical health (Senate Select Committee on Health, 2015).
The other sociocultural factor that the Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-2014 reflects on is the provision of information that is culturally accessible and appropriate to the young members of the society (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). The young generation is mainly targeted due to its flexibility in accepting and implementing change in the community. Improving the awareness and comprehension of the different mental illnesses diverts the exclusion culture and ensures that the probability of discrimination in the workplaces and areas of housing goes down. Such attitudes should also be eliminated in the health sector (Bledsoe, Porter, & Cherry, 2014). As such, the mentally challenged patients are respected and provided with an efficient recovery philosophy in the provision of the health services. Consequently, mental relapses of the recovering patients are prevented and at the same time, the community-based recovery setup is established and strengthened.
The Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-2014 details culture as an important aspect in shaping how psychiatric problems are expressed and recognized (Basit & Tomlinson, 2014). As such, the fourth priority area comes in to ensure that there is quality improvement in the matters involving mental illness. For instance, the open display of emotions in some philosophies and teachings is discouraged so as to avoid the display of personal weakness (Pelling, 2015). As such, most patients living under such cultures end up holding back their emotions and fail to discuss their moods and psychological states due to the resulting shame and stigma. Additionally, opening up and seeking community support in dealing with factors such as mental illnesses by the family would lead to public reflection of an underdeveloped lineage (Basit & Tomlinson, 2014). In some cases, the families stigmatise their patients to avoid questioning on the suitability and sustainability of marriage from a family with such as lineage. Changing the sociocultural factors in the communities that have gender bias also reduces the prevalence of psychological disorders. For instance, in communities where men make the final decisions, and women have little or no say, the women suffer from anxiety and other mood disorders that could end up in more severe complications (Lawrence et al., 2015). Men that suffer from the disorders also may refuse treatment to safeguard their self-esteem resulting in fatalism.
It is important that there be accountability in reporting on the progress of the health conditions of the mentally ill patients bringing about the fifth priority area (Basit & Tomlinson, 2014). With the social inclusion of the mentally ill patients into the society, cultures such as full participation, diversity, equal opportunities, and implementation of rights help communities grow toward achieving goals aimed at societal progress (Taket et al., 2014). With the high rates of mental illnesses and the different impacts on the communities, economies, and societies, the community needs to initiate processes that cultivate cultures that have positive effects on the people living with any psychological disorders. There should also be the advocacy of having more professionals in the areas of mental health. Social inclusion goes to the extent of ensuring proper compensation for such professionals, especially those working in low-income areas. The increase in the wages of such professionals will result in an increase of their number.
A different sociocultural factor is the advent of tendencies that guarantee multipurpose and integrated health programs to be used as models to favour most of the strategies that are community-based (Taket et al., 2014). The communities also have to be always sensitised on the importance and advantages of early mental illness detection so that they can participate in their care through appreciation of the affected and advising them to seek health care.
Conclusion
Unless the community develops a community-based strategy, it would be difficult to achieve the goal of inclusion and continued care to the people that are mentally ill (Senate Select Committee on Health, 2015). The strategies could have several facets that facilitate active inclusion of mentally ill individuals with no conflict of the sociocultural factors. In summary, the community-based strategies should focus on improving how the community understands the service provision as well as the attitudes toward the affected individuals (Dutrénit & Sutz, 2014). As such, the strategy of stigma reduction will be firmly founded. The procedures should also ensure that health is coordinated in line with employment and education sectors to cover all the programs under the jobs and vocational areas.
Improving the coordination between the specialised health care providers and the primary caregivers is also an aspect addressed in the Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-2014 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). It ensures that the consumer’s choice is considered during medical service provision. The plan also seeks to adopt a plan that will ensure recovery of the culture within the healthcare sector of mental health service by reinstating the right service models and values. As such, there arises the need to have integrated programs that aim at having tailored help from both the mental health sector and the housing agencies for the provision of dignified living for the patients (Pelling, 2015). Finally, social inclusion has been proved and is a tested way of building environments in the most cost effective methods ensuring that the people living with mental disabilities access their deserved entitlements as well as enjoy equal opportunities just as the other people in the community. As such, the community benefits from the full participation of its members in the building of the environment as well as changing attitudes toward the individuals and their families (Senate Select Committee on Health, 2015).
References
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