Mental health illnesses affect a large proportion of the population, yet there are still contractions in the research findings and approaches to the provision of mental health services. According to Cubeiro (2018), 25% of the population is affected by some type of mental health disease. This is a large proportion of people who suffer from these illnesses and require attention from professionals, yet the issue of mental health does not receive enough attention. Moreover, there is a plethora of research on mental health issues and ways of addressing them, as well as empirical studies and other findings. The first contradiction with the mental health services noted by Cubeiro (2018) is that although one-fourth of the population is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, developed states invest only 9% of their GDP in the provision of services for these people.
The second contradiction with mental health services is the stigma that continues to exist and affect the patients, as Cubeiro (2018) argues. Therefore, the people who experience mental health problems that require help can avoid reaching for the healthcare services they need because they are affected by stigma and afraid that diagnosis of their mental health problems will affect their lives negatively. Finally, the third contradiction that Cubeiro (2018) is the contradiction between the discrepancy between mental disorders and the way society reacts to them. This issue has long been studied by social scientists and mental health researchers. The root cause of this final contradiction is the lack of literacy among the population regarding mental health disorders and the policies regarding the disclosure of mental health diagnoses. In summary, this post focuses on the three contradictions found in the literature surrounding mental health disorders.
Reference
Cubeiro, M. (2018).Contradictions in mental health: Stigma, mental health literacy and disclosure (or not) of a mental disorder diagnosis. Sociología Y Tecnociencia, 8(2), 92.