Discussion 2 Response

Specific challenges or gaps in the mental health care system for the care of individuals with chronic mental illnesses based on the Parker case

There are challenges and gaps throughout the mental health care system that are evident in the Parker case. First, there is the idea of how many times Mrs. Parker has been “hospitalized”. As her recollection states only 3 times, because she considered the 3rd and 4th time as one, and what the therapist has accounted for is 4. This focuses on the challenges of actually treating the patients for what they come in for and setting them up for success in the future instead of just putting a band-aid providing meds and sending them out the door to find additional help on their own elsewhere. This provides challenges in maintaining the proper treatment and follow up care for the individual seeking services. As Mrs. Parker describes herself they just “sent her out the door, good riddance and good luck” (Plummer, 2014).

Another example is that there is a lack of support and resources that can be provided for or followed up by the patient while at the hospital. As Mrs. Parker states that the Social Worker, that saw her in the hospital explained, “it is only my job to make sure you have a place to go when you leave the hospital” (Plummer, 2014). This shows another challenge faced in the mental health care system is the lack of trained staff and professionals on-site to understand, relate, and provide acute therapy in crises.

How environmental stressors, such as poverty, can aggravate mental illness and make treatment more challenging.

There are many different types of “environmental stressors” that can aggravate mental illness and make treatment more challenging. These can include stigma, health-related costs, pollution, exposure to toxins, extreme weather conditions, and poverty.

Each of these can aggravate mental illness in their own way. For example, the stigma associated with mental illness could prevent someone from seeking help. The cost of medications, continuous treatment, and therapy could deter someone from being able to financially afford treatment. The outside environment that one has been exposed to (excessive rain or snow) can lead to depression. Finally, the most challenging stressor in metal illness that makes treatment more challenging can be found among the homeless, of which nearly 1/3rd are mentally ill, and in the country’s jails and prisons, where up to 1/2 the inmates have psychiatric disorders, according to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ https://www.alliant.edu

Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

• Part 1, “The Parker Family” (pp. 6–8)

Colleague 2: Marilyn

Explanation of the specific challenges or gaps in the mental health care system for the care of individuals with chronic mental illnesses. Base your response on the Parker case:

Stephanie in the video have faced some challenges, the hospital staff stated she wanted to just get away from her mother on her third and fourth visit. The staff does not believe that she is having episodes of being diagnose with bi-polar disorder. The textbook states: “ mental illness is characterized by the four “uns”-it is “undefined, untreatable, unpredictable, unpredictable, and unmanageable” , In addition to such factors as lack of precision in diagnosis, it is much harder to calculate the number of people with mental illness than those with physical ailments (Popple,Leighninger,2019). This is would be an example of untreatable, because the hospital staff believes Stephanie just wants to get away from her mother, because of the hoarding at the house. Certain stressors can contribute to episodes of bi-polar disorder, I believe both her and her mother needs helps (Plummer, Brocksen,2014). It could be a possibility that she wants to get away from her mother, but that isn’t the hospital job to state that, because they are there to assist patients during their crisis.

Also the social worker made a comment, that she’s only to make sure the patients have a place to go this is untreatable behavior, it seems like the staff at the hospital doesn’t have a great system to ensure the safety of the patients. This could be a lack in funding for mental health population, the cost of mental problems to individuals, families, and employers are high (Popple, Leighninger,2019). The hospital gives her medication but does not take further steps to her evaluated.

Then, describe how environmental stressors, such as poverty, can aggravate mental illness and make treatment more challenging. Some environmental stressors can aggravate mental illness and make treatment more challenging, for example Stephanie’s mother house is very disgusting environment., this could trigger her episodes of her diagnoses of bi-polar disorder, she is living in poverty. This would make treatment challenging from individuals suffering from mental health problems, because the hospital staff believes Stephanie is just trying to get away from her mother. Our “environment” includes both social determinants of health and physical environmental determinants of health. Social impacts on health are embedded in the broader environment in which we live (Health Environments,2020), in this case, the environment have a bi impact on the Stephanie’s health.

References:

Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2019). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Chapter 8, “Mental Health and Substance Abuse (pp. 161-191)

Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Part 1, “The Parker Family” (pp. 6–8)

https://www.healthandenvironment.org/environmental-health/environmental-risks/psychosocial-environment