Introduction
Mental health is one of the most essential parts of a human being. It allows the person to properly function in society and collaborate with others in daily activities: working, learning, and spending free time. However, when a person struggles with mental health, the community quickly rejects them.
In his book, Pete Earley (2007) describes his experience of trying to help his mentally unstable son Mike, who had a range of diagnoses throughout the years. While communicating with different institutions, he realized how flawed the current state of mental health care in America is. The main things he finds worth readjusting are the social perception of mental illness, law enforcement protocols, and the structure of mental health institutions.
Public Perception
It is devastating how few people know that mentally ill people are still human beings. Throughout the story, Early (2007) describes how society has become desensitized to the struggles of other community members. The negative comments and inhumane behavior toward mentally ill people were shocking. The author accents the role of media in this problem and describes an example of unfair judgment resulting from TV simplifying the situation. In chapter 12, he observes how officials force Joyce Brown, a local citizen, into a van with the initiative to “remove [her] from the streets and house [her] in shelters” (Early, 2007).
However, it is heavily implied that the reporters only seem to show her aggressive behavior, which the viewers will perceive as dangerous. This casual misinformation has a cumulative effect when mentally ill people are constantly presented as threats to society. Therefore, media is one of the things that need to change to make the situation better.
The existence of prejudice limits the public discourse and the chances of actual changes in the sphere. People tend to ignore the things that they are afraid of, and this problem is an excellent illustration of this effect. Early (2007) points out the similarities between homelessness and mental health problems and provides a strong argument that these groups share many people.
According to the author, both these groups are mistreated due to the public opinions formed by the media and lack of awareness. However, he also discusses groups and communities advocating humane treatment. One of these groups, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), is a fascinating organization that aims to educate the public about the reasons for mental illness. This simple yet useful information is shown to be enough for changing views on this discourse. Therefore, participating in activist meetings and sharing accurate facts should be a common practice for addressing this issue.
Law Enforcement Protocols
Public opinion heavily influences the protocols that motivate law enforcement officers. A significant part of the book is dedicated to the actions that police officers take when dealing with mentally ill patients who cause concern (Earley, 2007). Unfortunately, most of these cases feature unprofessional behavior that leads to lethal incidents or wrongful accusations. Early tries to convey here that these people usually need medical attention instead of brutal punishment. The algorithms have to change to prevent more harm dealt with by the officials.
Some programs allow police officers to learn how to act when approaching a mentally ill suspect.
One of the most exciting terms Earley (2007) presents is crisis intervention team (CIT). It serves to educate the police officers on the tactics of handling situations where mentally ill people are involved. The main goal of CIT is to decrease the risk of unwanted consequences and tragic outcomes of these interactions while guaranteeing the safety of people who may participate in these events. It changes the officers’ perspectives and introduces them to possible methods of addressing the situation instead of using the usual protocol. Therefore, CIT is crucial in the law enforcement system to guarantee the safety of mentally ill people and police representatives.
Incarceration
Averting the crisis while preventing a crime involving a mentally ill person is not the only change needed in the legal field. The people who need professional medical help should be able to receive it. Unfortunately, according to Earley (2007), there is a shocking percentage of cases where mentally ill individuals get incarcerated instead of institutionalized. This means that they face unjust trials and may be imprisoned even if their health problems affect their actions. Moreover, prison institutions cannot provide sufficient support for their mental state, which will increase the risk of relapse. As a result, mentally ill people should receive specialized help and go through a different judicial process that will not endanger them in the future.
Mental Health Institutions
While other problems are not directly connected to the quality of help that mentally ill people receive, the current state of medical institutions dramatically affects the chances of rehabilitation. In his book, Earley (2007) describes conditions that do not affect the people who receive treatment there in a positive way. Most descriptions compare these establishments to prisons that treat patients as criminals.
One of these theses introduces the term “iatrogenic,” which means “affected by doctor’s intervention” (Earley, 2007). These patients show less potential to recover and have a higher risk of relapse. While it can be partially explained by the unfavorable emotional effects of the institution itself, it also depends on the medical professionals’ behaviors. The units with iatrogenic patients usually have worse statistics in rehabilitation and recovery rates, which is connected to unprofessional healthcare providers, outdated treatment methods, or decreased involvement strategies (Earley, 2007). Therefore, even if a patient is hospitalized in a specialized institution, they also might face inadequate medical help that will be detrimental to their state.
While the described situation is horrifying, the book presents a method of improving the situation. As with CIT in law enforcement, the medical professionals in mental health institutions should implement ethics into their protocols. They must aim to let the patients be involved in daily activities and do tasks that will incorporate them back into society (Earley, 2007). If the prospects of full rehabilitation are low, the institution should feel like a community that provides professional care and emotional support instead of being a containment building. As a result, this system will allow for improved recovery rates and guarantee a safe space for people who want to receive help.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Earley’s book shows how society’s current perception of mentally ill people is distorted and villainized. The media should change their ways of addressing this problem to achieve a better representation and destigmatize this type of illness. Moreover, the shift in public opinion should affect law enforcement and judicial systems so that people who need professional help can receive it. In addition, the mental health institutions themselves need to change from incarceration establishments to rehabilitation centers, as this is the only way to improve the situation in this field. Addressing these issues is crucial in a progressive society and necessary to solve the problems that should not be avoided.
Reference
Earley, P. (2007). Crazy: A father’s search through America’s mental health madness. Penguin.