Issues Associated With Mental Health-Free-Samples-Myassignment

Questions: 1.What form does Stigmatization of Mental Health Issues take here? Give examples. 2.Are there Positive representations of Mental Health and Mental Health Care in our Culture? If so, give examples. 3.What can be done to Challenge Stigma around Mental Health? What can Individuals do? What can Communities do? Answers: 1.Mental health is highly stigmatized in various countries particularly in poor and war torn countries like Africa, Syria and India. In West Africa mental disorders are considered a form of witchcraft or black magic. People with mental illnesses are abandoned by their families. They consider mental illness to be a form of bewitchment. The families abandon the person with mental illness in the prayer centers, which are abundant in the country. The individuals are chained to trees or rocks and they are forced to fast. According to them, God can heal them and prayer is the only form of treatment. They have no food and shelter and suffer from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, among others. Syria is a war torn country, where people see their families get killed as a result of bombings. This affects their mental health, particularly the children. They suffer from depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The children have aggressive behavior, take up drugs, join gangs, drifts tow ards crime and violence and inflict self-harm upon them. In India, people with mental illness are abandoned by families and they end up in streets, where they suffer various forms of abuses. People remain chained in hospitals and this had caused the death of a number of patients when the hospital caught fire. The patients died in the fire as there were no one to unchain them. Mental illness is considered as witchcraft and possessed by spirits. 2.In Ontario, Canada, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), reports newsletters dealing with busting of social stigmas associated with mental health. Mental illnesses are depicted in a positive light and positive portrayals are highlighted. Magazines focus on depressions and reports the the personal struggles of individuals who have successfully battled various mental illnesses like depression. They also encourage the public to end discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness. Various films and television shows are created, where the characters deal with mental illness but they overcome their problems with the help of medication and therapy. Medical health providers carry out counseling sessions and educational system helps the students in coping with their illness and encourages them to achieve their educational goals. 3.Education and awareness are the most important tools to fight against stigma centered on mental health. Individuals can take initiatives to develop medical centers, where medication and counseling is provided. Moreover, children suffering from depression are subjected to various healing programs like art therapy and visualizations, which helps them to visualize a comforting and safe place. Communities can carry out education programs and awareness campaigns to educate the common people about mental illness. Healthcare providers can collaborate with non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to carry out free counseling for poor people on the streets. Moreover, volunteers can go to each and every house and provide intervention strategies like art and music therapies and exercises for individuals suffering from mental illness. Communities can be encouraged to provide safety, food and shelter for people who have been abandoned by families as a result of their mental condition. Doctors can collaborate with traditional healers to provide the best possible care to the patients. Lastly, employment can secure the lives of people coping with mental disorders.