Introduction
If present mental health statistics are any indication, New York City is on the verge of a major catastrophe. Most stakeholders have always managed to find a way to minimize the relevance of mental health as a serious problem, and the facts have not always been as scary as they are today, traditionary. Today’s dynamics are different, and mental health is more complex and diverse than it has ever been (Clark et al., 2017). It is necessary for all stakeholders, including the government, family units, healthcare providers, communities, and lobby organizations, to work together in a well-coordinated manner. The consequences of poor mental health are severe, and they have the potential to rip apart the social, political, and economic fabric of New York City society. To be able to ameliorate the present worries about mental health, both a legislative policy approach and an awareness strategy are required. To raise awareness in this specific scenario, it would be required to educate instructors with the necessary abilities to identify and deal with students suffering from mental illnesses in school.
Additionally, the general public would need to be taught on the issue of mental health as well as the dangers that might arise from it. As a consequence of the legislative framework, there are adequate funds available to treat mental health-related concerns. There has long appeared to be a disconnect between the federal and state governments on mental health. Ideally, New York City stakeholders want a city where mental health is not perceived as difficult to manage (McKiernan et al., 2018). In order to enhance management and control of mental health problems in New York City, all parties involved in the prevention and dealing with mental health issues in the city would be obliged to collaborate on improving the city’s management and control of mental health problems. There has never been a consideration of political will when it comes to mental health. However, there has been a recent rise in the importance of political will in dealing with mental health concerns, which has been facilitated by the different comprehensive programs.
Setting
Mental health parity refers to the equitable treatment of mental health illnesses and drug use disorders in health insurance programs. In the case of parity, this implies that if you are offered unlimited medical visits for a chronic ailment like diabetes, the insurance company must also give unlimited doctor visits for a mental health condition like depression or schizophrenia, among other things. As a result, parity does not always indicate that you will get adequate mental health care. Equivalent coverage, not necessarily “excellent” coverage, is required for comprehensive parity. Even in states with strong parity laws or in plans subject to federal parity, mental health coverage will be severely restricted if the health insurance plan is underfunded.
The treatment of one’s own mental health has long been stigmatized as a condition distinct from physical illness. Mental health has been largely misunderstood, with many people assuming that stress or burnout are the only symptoms. There is more to mental health than just dealing with stress and burnout, as seen by the effect and statistics that have been released. So many people in society are involved in mental health’s peripheral. All stakeholders must be included in a forthright discussion about mental health in New York City in order to move past the stereotypes that still surround the city (Clark et al., 2017). Mental health challenges transcend race, age, and socioeconomic level. As a result of current societal stigmatization of mental health and a shortage of services for people in need of professional support, both students and adults struggle with depression alone and in silence. To combat sadness, everyone needs to go from a passive to an active approach that involves everyone who has a stake in the issue.
Statement of Objectives
- To advocate for policies and initiatives to improve mental health services.
- To advocate and lobbyist for the inclusion of people suffering from mental illnesses in order to enhance their quality of life.
Argument Section
Mental Health Issues in New York City
Mental health issues are becoming more prevalent over the world. A sickness that impairs a person’s way of thinking is referred to as a mental health disorder. As a result, people’s social interactions and relationships are affected by these conditions. Depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders are just a few examples of mental illnesses (Clark et al., 2017). Mental health affects at least one person per year, either directly or indirectly (Australian Government Productivity Commission, 2020). In New York City, the overall expense of mental health care surpasses that of cancer and other diseases. Patients with mental diseases face several obstacles to receiving quality mental health treatment. Other factors include stigma, prejudice, a lack of information, and insurance limitations.
Current Status of Actions in Professional and Legislative Areas
The lack of help provided by the federal government may be a contributing factor in the rise in mental illness. Funding for mental health departments comes from both the state and federal governments. There has been a great deal of change in federal-state cooperation since the 1960s deinstitutionalization movement began. Due to decreased financing, New York’s mental health and drug addiction services have suffered, and the city’s population has seen a rise in mental health problems. Despite the fact that the state is still responsible for paying mental health concerns for those in mental institutions, prisons, and jails, the federal government’s participation has become essential.
In many American cities, including New York, determining whether or not a community has access to adequate mental health services has proven challenging. For one thing, the availability of community support and early intervention programs has become more difficult for people to get (Pope et al., 2018). People’s health suffers as a result of the high expense of living and the steep reductions in taxes. A lack of health care resources in the community means that people are unable to look after their own health, and that the community cannot look after their health. In addition, mental health services in hospitals have been underfunded by the government. Areas that the New York government is doing well at is that there is a two-hour response time for critical mental health issues citywide throughout the day and night. In order to connect New Yorkers to mental health resources, the city has also launched the first comprehensive website and public education campaign in the country.
Areas that the New York City’s government is not working well at is that it has not kept its commitment to the city’s residents. Unfortunately, there are too many people without health insurance, and the government has made far too many cutbacks to compensate for this. The government must understand that it must not only expand the number of health and mental institutions in New York, but also offer effective treatments with minimal instances of restrictive methods. Unfortunately, there are too many people without health insurance, and the government has made far too many cutbacks to compensate for this. Therefore, people with mental disorders may be helped in numerous ways by the administration of New York City; Health insurance should be a top priority for the federal government. Secondly, housing for persons who are homeless but also suffer from mental health concerns should be made available. Individuals with mental impairments will benefit from assisted employment since it will enable them to get competitive occupations regardless of their condition.
An Action Section
Resources Needed to Execute the Plan
Resources and quality measures are critical to the success of healthcare institutions and hence are needed to implement the legislative changes. The elimination of antidepressant warnings will enhance the rate at which the medicine is purchased, hence encouraging pharmaceutical firms to boost its manufacturing. For students in the area of mental health, medical schools should think about providing them with knowledge of prescribed medications as an additional resource investment (Halcomb et al., 2018). Students who learn about clinical pharmacology are more likely to provide the correct drug, which improves patient care. New courses and the quality of education will improve as a result of legislation in learning institutions. When it comes to training in psychology, clinical pharmacology might be included as an obligatory component. Due to cultural beliefs, learners have a hard time adjusting to quality improvement in care delivery systems.
The new methods will provide students the knowledge and abilities they need to cope with today’s problems in health care institutions. Instructors, laboratories, pharmacology and training equipment are all necessary resources needed for training institutes. In addition, there is a need for additional healthcare workers in order to prevent exhausting the psychology department’s current staff (Halcomb et al., 2018). Healthcare professionals must find a way to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life. As a result, they should take turns shouldering the burden of providing quality care.
Better Services from Execution of Plans
The healthcare industry will benefit if the suggested strategy is implemented. When warnings are removed, antidepressants will be prescribed at an alarming rate. Suicidal thoughts and rates will decrease as a result, and mental health sufferers will improve despite the negative effects of taking the medication. In the long run, patients will have greater confidence in psychologists and will be able to open up about their problems. Healthcare facilities perform well when caregivers provide the highest level of care possible.
Giving psychologists knowledge on prescribing drugs would improve mental health treatment, since the doctors and nurses will be well-trained and qualified. As the number of mental health experts increases, healthcare professionals may be better able to assist their patients, which will result in enhanced efficiency in service provision. High-quality healthcare facilities rely on effective management to operate effectively and efficiently. Prescriptions will relieve stress on psychiatrists, who are overburdened by their incapacity to treat patients with mental disease. Expanding health insurance coverage would make it simpler for those with mental health issues to get the treatment they need. Legislation, on the other hand, will abolish all impediments to great healthcare. All people, regardless of their financial circumstances, may access quality healthcare because of government efforts to keep costs under control.
Measurable Improvements and Metrics for Ongoing Evaluation of the Plan
There should be a New York State statistics gauge for mental health problems that provides data on the disease’s course. The removal of warnings on antidepressants should also be shown in the form of a statistical depiction. Legislative interventions are judged on the nature of patients’ responses to therapy. Antidepressant sales are correlated with buying power, which suggests that more patients are taking the medication. Prescription privileges for patients will likely lower suicide rates, which will lead to a greater willingness to accept treatment.
Patients’ comments and information about their experiences with psychiatrists should be used by analysts to evaluate the quality of therapy and the effectiveness of regulations governing the prescription of psychologists. More mental health issues have led to increased study and better treatment facilities (Gaebel et al., 2020). The expansion of healthcare personnel in the mental health department is an indicator of comprehensive and high-quality patient treatment. Improved infrastructure in healthcare institutions also guarantees adequate treatment of patients since they have access to all the necessary resources. The active participation of nurses in healthcare institutions demonstrates their dedication to patients and their ability to provide high-quality care to them.
Conclusion
Mental health concerns are on the increase in New York City, which is a major public policy concern. People are struggling to keep up with rising living expenses and tax cutbacks, and only a small percentage of the population is covered by health insurance. There may be a ripple effect across the family, neighborhood, as well as the state when one member of the family suffers from a mental health issue. Mental health concerns, such as depression, have a devastating impact on many individuals. The responsibility of caring for a loved one suffering from a mental illness may be emotionally demanding and overwhelming. Psychological disorders that are left untreated may have a detrimental effect on the whole society. Many persons with mental health issues are not violent, but they are a huge strain on society as a whole.
References
Australian Government Productivity Commission. (2020). Productivity Commission Inquiry Report. Mental Health Volume, 1.
Clark, L. A., Cuthbert, B., Lewis-Fernández, R., Narrow, W. E., & Reed, G. M. (2017). Three approaches to understanding and classifying mental disorder: ICD-11, DSM-5, and the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 18(2), 72–145.
Gaebel, W., Stricker, J., & Kerst, A. (2020). Changes from ICD-10 to ICD-11 and future directions in psychiatric classification. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 22(1), 7.
Halcomb, E. J., McInnes, S., Patterson, C., & Moxham, L. (2018). Nurse-delivered interventions for mental health in primary care: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Family Practice, 36(1), 64–71.
McKiernan, P., Ackermann, F., & Eden, C. (2018). Stakeholders in strategy: their “invisible” and yet an inevitable presence? – Strathprints. Strath.ac.uk. Web.
Pope, M. A., Malla, A. K., & Iyer, S. N. (2018). Who should be responsible for supporting individuals with mental health problems? A critical literature review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 64(3), 293–302.