Why the arab countries are not paying attention to the mental health issues compared to the west - Essay Example

? Why The Arab Countries Are Not Paying Attention To The Mental Health Issues Compared To The West. Why The Arab Countries Are Not Paying Attention To The Mental Health Issues Compared To The West. Studies have documented that mental disorders are widespread in the Arab countries. However, there is no single study that has elucidated on the continued negligence of different stakeholders on the issue. Nevertheless, some research has indicated that the frequency of mental disorders does not vary much across the globe Ghodse, 2011). In this regard, it is correct to argue that Arab countries are not different. However, it is critical to review why Arab countries stand out to be distinct given that there are no disparities in terms of variation in mental illnesses between Arab countries and the west. It is apparent that the only difference in mental disorders in the Arab countries and the west is how the two different regions perceive and look at the issue. Studies have indicated that the manifestations of the mental illnesses vary with culture. In fact, in many developing countries, mental illnesses are highly characterized with the culture of those particular countries. The data, believes, and attitudes of persons in these areas dictate how the illnesses are addressed. However, as Suad, (2006) stipulates, the problem in many Arab countries is not on how difficult it is to deal or treat mental disorders, it has to do with how well physicians or psychiatrists can be able to handle issues revolving around the illness. For example, there is a need to articulate on why people have negative attitude towards mentally ill persons. Basically, Mooney, et al. (2011) argues that, these attitudes have several and severe consequences to both the patient and the society. This is highly seen where even if the patient is well treated and attended to by the psychiatrist, the situation gets no better especially when the public view such patients as outcasts or inhuman. Therefore, even if the patient is treated, discrimination, which is mostly associated with negative attitudes in such societies, tends to manifest itself (Corrigan, et al., 2011). In light with this, the patient may continue to suffer psychologically as they try to contemplate that some people view them differently. There has also been a problem with how psychiatrists attend to persons with mental disorders in Arab countries. As McKenzie, et al. (2012) contends, this is highly attributed to the fact that the mode of treatment of persons with mental illnesses is not advanced. It is indispensible to have psychiatry programs upgraded in order to integrate modern teaching techniques, which would go a long way in bringing up more competent psychiatrists. Moreover, the upcoming doctors needs to be trained in such a way that they will be in a position to establish a rapport relationship with their patients in order to have in-depth analysis of the patient’s condition (Faraone, et al., 1999). Another major concern is on how psychiatrists can utilise the unique cultural traits that exists in these countries to counter any negative factors surrounding mental illnesses. For example, it is believed that religion and family settings can be utilised in reverting the negative attitudes towards mentally ill persons. This is arguably true because family ties in many Arab countries are strong. Therefore, they can be used to strengthen social support to issues revolving around positivity and support for mentally ill persons, rather than discriminating against them. In regard to religions, it is believed that religions can as well be utilised in impacting and preaching good deeds that induces good traits in their believers, and this can be used to protect mentally ill persons from discrimination and harm (Stuart, 2005). Discrimination is well manifested in situations where a certain religion belief insinuates that mentally ill persons are sort of coursed or outcasts. Therefore, if such religions are educated on severity and vagueness of such beliefs, then they can convey the same information to their congregation. In addition, good deeds instilled by such religions into their followers can help reduce rates of suicides experienced by persons with mental illnesses. The other major issue of concern is addressing the belief that mental illnesses are as a result of some certain evil spirits, which many people try to flee through seeking help from spiritual healers. This ends wasting a lot of time and unnecessary suffering. In the end, most people sought scientific methods of treatment after the spiritual healing fails. In light with this, there is a need to have an extensive intervention of all concerned stakeholders including the governments to counter such processes in order to have an effective way of dealing with mental illnesses (Dudley, 2012). In order to have a rapport intervention whilst maintain the value of culture in the Arab countries, governments should come up with incentives in treating mental illnesses. In fact, the government has a bigger share when it comes to how effective mental illnesses can be handled in these countries (Saxena et al, 2003). This is arguably true because the prevalence of cases of mental illnesses have highly been associated with political instability, which comes in terms of violence and displacements. There should be measures to subsidize treatment of mentally ill persons by the government. Moreover, it is apparent that most persons that suffer from mental disorders are poor. This means that they cannot afford expensive hospital and other treatment bills for mental illnesses. Basically, most people in the Arab countries that are at risk of developing mental disorders are the refugees and military personnel. Another group at risk is the expatriates who come from other countries to come to work in the Arab countries. All these individuals are either poor of middle class persons who cannot afford expensive mental illness treatment. It is paramount to come up with a different approach on how such groups of persons can be treated in case they develop mental disorders. This is crucial because unlike other persons who develop mental disorders due to common issues in their lives, the experiences of these groups are devastating and can have long effects (Alters, 2011). In addition, apart from other persons with mental disorders, the above groups have a double tragedy since some of them end up being homeless and probably lost their family members and loved ones. Therefore, their approach of treatment should be a bit different. In essence, the government should come up with mechanisms of not only treating such groups, but also develop a program of preventing such occurrences. Programs such as guidance and counseling should be utilised especially to persons who experience violence and wars in order to prevent posttraumatic experiences that end up developing into complex mental disorders. Interview It is evident that the Arab society is one among the societies in the world , which has a negative cultural back ground towards the mentally ill persons. In fact, society members with psychiatric cases have been regarded with low perception to the extent of not allowing such persons to have freedom of movement and or public exposure in the society. “I am not sure how to respond to this particular situation. Since my brother was diagnosed with mental illness, it has been 10 years of emotional torture for my family. We have taken him to almost all hospitals in the capital, but there has not been any improvement. At times, I think someone bewitched our family because he is our only brother , and the amount of money our family has spent taking him from one hospital to another has left our parents with no money to take me and my sister to school. In fact, with the prevalence of my brother’s condition, it is now clear that we might never go to school!” “Coping with my brother’s mental condition has not been easy. In essence, there must be someone who keeps an eye around him both during the day and the night. This is because the kind of mental illness he suffers from is destructive and uncontrollable. If left alone, he is capable of destroying things that are around him unaware. Moreover, he is not in position of feeding, bathing among other personal necessities including response to call of nature. In light of this, every member of the family looks after him on his or her own day, a practise that has been there for the last seven years.” “The society has drawn a huge line between our family, and the rest of the society. They point fingers at our arguing that we are one of the bewitched families in the society. Additionally, they have prohibited our parents from attending any form of social gathering and so has the prohibition been extend to us. One particular situation is when my brother’s condition got worse at the middle of the night and all those neighbours who owned vehicles could not assist us to ferry him to hospital. That is when I affirmed that the society really disregards our family.” “I think my family is one of the families that have sought treatment for my brother’s condition in numerous quarters. We first began with taking him to various hospitals in a span of six month. When the condition did not seem to change my parents sought religious healers who are known to chase evil spirits away. Never the less, this did not work and so we set out to look for indigenous doctors with a hope that they would work they were not able to handle the situation too. Finally, we decided to go back to professional doctors, and since then he condition has never improved, but we are hope that someday he will get healed”. “Personally, I think the government is yet to come up with proper ways of dealing with my brother’s. Hospitals should be well equipped with more medications unlike now where some hospital that claim to offer treatment for mental illnesses are mostly out of stock in terms of medication. The government should also declare the treatment of mental illness free as it is a disease that is rampant in this country”. “The society and the government should understand that mental illnesses are at times not controllable by human beings. Thus, they should play a huge part in assisting those who are affected by the disease rather than ridiculing them. In essence, the society should assist the families with patients with psychiatric cases offering the emotional support, and taking them as part of the society. Conversely, the government should provide hospital with equipment and medication and declare the disease a free of treatment. In regard to the interview, it is evident that mental illnesses in Asia are rampant as compared to the East. Several cases have been documented in magazine news papers, and other information giving articles in relation to this disorder. Consequently, the society in Asia has continuously refused to weaken their disregard to people and families who are associate with psychiatric cases , and have hence shut them for the rest of the society, a situation that has declared those families as ‘social outcasts’. Observation Having visited Yuli Veteran Hospital in Asia , which is the largest mental hospital for patients with chronic and several mental illnesses, I learnt that the level of mental was escalating especially in Asia as compared to the West. In fact, this hospital has continuously been used as a symbol of lack of hope among the psychiatric patients and their families, over and above, the unspoken shame that is associated to the hospital. In essence, the hospital has four programs that deal extensively with psychiatric cases. The four components vocational rehabilitation, holistic medical support, case management, and residential program have been put in place to assist the patients in bring back two crucial characteristics in their life, which involves vocational life and ordinary daily routines. Practically, the process of recovery for these patients entails recuperating the inner stability, solemnity, having self confidence, as well as , a sense of control. Moreover, the four components are crucial in ensuring that the order of life and structure of psychiatric patients is taken back to normal standards. Although there are numerous challenges that are facing this facility and other similar facilities in response to development and financial matters, it is clear the facility is determined in treating the mental disorders and related complications. Of importance to note is that the Yuli Veteran Hospital in one of the hospitals that is well known in the treatment of mental disorders in Asia. Thousands of patients with these disorders have visited the hospital for treatments. In relation to this, considerable numbers of patients have recovered from the disorders while others are continuously under treatment. Needless to mention, Asian society is yet to come to term with the notion that the psychiatric case can be medically treated in hospitals and have the patient recuperated back to their normal life. Essentially, the society argues that cultural beliefs are the root cause of the misery of those that are mentally challenged. These arguments are mostly used by traditional healers who have been unable to cure the disease casing heightened stigmatization to the patients and their families. Through this analysis, it is clear that the society is poorly informed on mental illness leading to misconceptions due to lack of substantial information (Saxena et al, 2003). It is thus important for the government in collaboration with mental hospitals to develop ways in which they can enlighten the society about the mental illness and encourage them to have a positive attitude towards those that are affected. Through this, the will be a more positive way of dealing with mental disorder. Conclusion There are no disparities in terms of variation in mental illnesses between Arab countries and the west. However, the only difference is on how the two different regions perceive and look at the issue. The problem in many Arab countries is not on how difficult it is to deal or treat mental disorders, it has to do with how well physicians or psychiatrists can be in a position to deal with issues revolving around the illness such as culture, attitudes, and discrimination of mentally ill persons. There has also been a problem with how psychiatrists attend to persons with mental disorders in Arab countries. There is a need to have psychiatry programs upgraded in order to integrate modern teaching techniques. In addition, psychiatrists can utilise the unique cultural traits that exists in these countries to counter any negative factors surrounding mental illnesses. Religion and family ties can be utilised to improve the situation. Discrimination is well manifested in situations where a certain religion belief insinuates that mentally ill persons are sort of coursed or outcasts. Most people in the Arab countries that are at risk of developing mental disorders are the refugees and military personnel. Additionally, in order to have a rapport intervention whilst maintain the value of culture in the Arab countries, governments should come up with incentives in treating mental illnesses. References: Saxena, S. et al. (2003). Budget and Financing of Mental Health Services: Baseline Information on 89 Countries from WHO’s Project Atlas. 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Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. Dudley, M. (2012). Mental health and human rights: vision, praxis, and courage. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press. Read More