In: Nursing
What are the challenges facing mental illness?
5 Challenges of Mental Health Care Today
Mental health care should be a prominent part of the health care system. The following five challenges that mental health counselors face today are:
A Lack of
Support
“Mental health professionals — particularly psychologists — do a
poor job of monitoring their own mental health problems and those
of their colleagues.” Psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors
may face the same issues as the general population, such as
depression, marital disharmony, and substance abuse. Despite these
problems, mental health professionals may not receive needed
treatment either because of stigma or a lack of access to help.
President Barack Obama’s
Health Care Law
Laws surrounding health care contain provisions for mental health
treatments. However, the laws have much room for improvement.
A Lack of
Funding
The federal government is making efforts to offer funds for mental
health care. In early 2014, an appropriations bill made the way for
$115 million to go toward mental health initiatives.
However, in some parts of the country, available mental health resources are still severely lacking. U.S. News & World Report states, “According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, 55 percent of U.S. counties, all of which are rural, do not have a practicing psychiatrist, psychologists, or social workers.”
No Minimum
Standards
For non-drug therapies, a lack of minimum standards creates
difficulty when determining whether treatments are both safe and
effective. Further, some patients with mental disorders may pass
through different systems, such as juvenile justice and other
structures that offer mental health services. These groups also do
not always coordinate with each other to give the best care
possible.
The mental health industry needs well-trained clinical mental health counselors who can educate their co-workers and strive to create guidelines for professionals across the industry.
Other
Challenges
Mental Health America reports on issues that affect the mental
health industry. Some of those issues include the following:
The health care system in the U.S. is a far stretch from perfect, and some of the toughest challenges belong to the mental health industry. However, with the continued efforts of mental health professionals and policymakers, improvement is possible.