Mental Health Services in the UK - Essay Example

Mental Health Issue in the UK Number: Due: Part Introduction For over the past two decades, there have been changes made to the adult mental health services in the UK. This has included the closure of quite a number of UK large hospitals and the number of beds in the hospitals drastically decreased. The beds in the National Health Service hospitals have been replaced by a variety of accommodation for people suffering from mental health illness. These served as the “virtual mental hospitals”. The Community Mental Health Team has been on the rise that gives care to the mental health patients. In the recent policy in the UK there have been calls to have the Community Mental Health Team disbanded so that it can give rise to some functional community teams (Liz 2000). The new teams has been argued that it would provide treatment, case management, primary care, solve the crisis through home treatment, early stages of psychosis intervention, and assertive outreach (Alison 1997). He continues to assert that the Health care in the UK has now merged with the NHS staff and other social service workers to provide common management with the same budget from the government. There have been several improvements to the way mental disorder patients are being treated; this can be seen by the rise of the psychosocial and psychological interventions. The mental health issue has seen the development of the principles of recovery by some groups such as the Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry. The objective of this group in society was to handle the problem of discrimination of the mental health patients by providing the rehabilitation services (BBC 2000). Rehabilitation practitioners now work in line with other mental health hospitals, they have come up with an innovative community based alternatives for the treatment and care of the mental health patients. Other groups have seen the mental health illness being a major concern to the British government and have embarked on coming up with policies to handle the situation. In the previous conservative government in Britain, was determined to educate the citizens on the need for social care to all the mental health patients. At that time there were rare cases of care of these patients and thus a number of changes were needed as the government wanted (Alison 2000). Several reports from the government in the years 1970s and 1980s clearly indicated the underachievement in the main aspects of delivery of health and social care, and higher costs in the areas of residence for these patients and the nursing home costs were high. The higher costs were blamed on the poor social security budget. The new Labor government that came into being in the year 1977, did not have significant changes to the policy of mental health care patients but came up with ideas on the need for quality in service delivery and the ways to achieve it to the mental health patients. With regard to this there were changes that were to be made and it was argued that there was need for user centered approach to medical care and treatment to these patients. Thus social work needs to be realized in the new British agenda for social care for the mental health patients (BBC 2000). In 1998, the Labor government came up with a new plan called Our Healthier Nation that was to promote health and the well being of the citizens. The main agenda for this new plan was in mental health as the statistics show mental health is a major issue in Britain. Statistics have it that 20% of women and 14% of men in the UK have some form of mental illness, it is also believed that stress mainly work related is a big issue in the occupational health in the UK after back problems. Further studies in the 1995 Labor Force Survey revealed that users of mental health services were mostly unemployed than other groups of disabled people (Liz 2000). Only 21% of persons who had long term physical health problems were employed or are seeking employment. Nevertheless, the NHS and the local authorities use over 6 billion pounds per year treating people with mental health problems (BBC 2000). Since the community care was introduced there have been an increase in the number people associated with mental health illness. From these studies it is clear that mental health illness is an issue in the UK (Francis 2001). The civil societies believe that the introduction of community care was important since most of the patients were denied rights and freedom to service users, the bad conditions of some of the patients. Even though this was beneficial some critics believe that the introduction of the community care was costly since it involved costs for maintaining old buildings, the patients would rely on prescribed medicines only that would be associated with damaging effects to control people. The aim of this community care was to ensure that mental health service users would stay somewhere where they would have a suitable support. This form of support would be from the local people such as the social workers, community psychiatrists, and occupational therapists (Ferriman 2000). Media Response From an international research study, mental illness problem has been taken in the negative way by the mass media in the news and the entertainment media (BBC 2000). Attitude Effect Most of the information from the mass media concerning mental health care affects the community attitude. A survey in the UK showed that most of the mass media information talks negatively about the need for community care. Since most people rely on the media information, the community care adopted in the UK for the mental health illness was negatively affected. People were affected on the attitudes towards mental health and illness. The media presented more negative images concerning mental health illness that resulted in more bad beliefs about mental illness. The presentation of positive images by the civil society activists was never in balance with the negative media portrayal. There was evidence from the media that their advertisements and campaigns had a negative impact to the community attitudes (Francis 2001). Statistics on Media Portrayal According to an Australian study, 90% of the respondents assert that mental Health is as vital issue in the UK while the Britons do not have a clear understanding of the mental health illness and how t handle it. 51% of people involved in a British survey show that the there are negative feelings of the media towards mental illness . 43% of the respondents believe that the coverage of mental illness in the media was mainly negative. 75% of mental health service users in a UK study felt that the media coverage on mental health was ‘unfair’, or unbalanced or was negative towards the illness. Nevertheless, 50% of the mental health users in the same study believed that the media response towards the illness affected their mental health in a negative manner. Many other UK studies show that the media have often less tolerant attitudes towards the people suffering from mental health. A Germany survey study revealed that people often dependent on the media for mental health illness information. However, negative reports were the ones mostly remembered than the positive reports. Further claims show that people in the UK are now avoiding watching of media programs on mental health illness (Ferriman 2000). Several UK survey show that people who read articles in the newspapers that portray negatively the mental health attitudes are less likely to develop positive attitudes. Provision for Mental Health Users: Policies and Research According to Liz (2000), the mental Health users often have to depend on a number of policies and provisions. This can be a demonstration of the government’s role in helping the people with mental illness and also an evidence that the illness is an issue in the UK. There is a need for welfare benefits and the health services for the mental health service users. The benefit of these patients is however low. These benefits are moreover difficult to get and are important so that the mental health patients are able to have a quality life. She continues to state that the mental health services mostly come from the health and social services through the ‘care’ management and the ‘care’ programs. Because of low funds and poor coordination from the givers of these funds the amount that the service users get is too little and cannot be relied on. Unlike most of the other service users, the mental health service users have limited rights and might be called for forceful treatment and control over their lives (Granello 1999). Research shows that 85% of mental health patients are unemployed. The people suffering from the mental health illness are the ones that most do not have access to jobs as compared to other disabled persons. This has been accrued to the fact that most of the mental health patients depend on the benefits from the government. Nevertheless, the patient’s level of income is low and this makes most of these patients live in poverty (BBC 2000). Moreover, the benefits policies are not the same as those for the services hence this makes it a big problem for the mental health illness patients. Therefore if the objective of the community care is to give support to the mental health patients then there should be adequate income for them rather than the system in place that leaves the people suffering and others living in poverty (Alison 1997). Influence on the Government Agenda There has been several government agendas aimed at handling the mental health illness. Some of these initiatives from the government include: Partnership in Action that creates opportunities for a common working between the Health and Social worker, also it improves the importance of having the users needs first. Nevertheless, the National Service Framework, sets out how to manage the money of the mental health illness, other agendas include Who Decides? (National Mental Health Service Users 2000) These agendas have come up as a result of the political influence and some as a result of the media in the community care. The community care had not achieved its functions since it did not have enough funds. These new agendas have enabled the people suffering from mental health illness to be treated since most of the community care no longer exists. The community care that was a government agenda for the mental health was blamed for the deaths of the mental health patients. The new government agenda is now aimed at curbing the cases where the mental health patients kill themselves or die in most unforeseen circumstances and the government thus did not want any media attacks on the incidences (Liz 2000). The government agenda has enabled people to be treated and be taken care of the most rightful manner and some have been forced for treatment. In the medical model of madness and distress, it is clear that the patients need different approaches to their illness. While the drugs used by the mental illness of a mad person cannot be applied to the distress person is a clear indication that the government need to review its policies (BBC 2000). People often want to be involved in the medical service as the government would not understand fully their situation (Paul 2001). He continues to further state that several other theories and models try to explain the mental health issue in the UK. The theories and models and the health promotions informs the public the way they think about the problems and thus provide the proper ways of predicting, thinking and changing the health behaviour. Moreover, theories such as Health Belief Model, Theory of Reasoned Action, Transtheoretical Model, and the Social Learning theory help in further explains about the health behaviour changes that focuses on the public individuals. Other theories such as the Communication for behaviour change and social marketing explain the steps taken by the non-governmental organizations in trying to talk about the mental health issue in the UK and how to promote the health of patients (Sara 1999). Media Change In the last few years, there have been changes in the media coverage of the impact on the mental health illness issue unlike in the past. There are programs by the media aimed at creating positive attitudes towards the illness and changing people’s view regarding the mental health problem. It was revealed through a study, that the medias negative attitude had greatly affected the mental health patients in the negative manner and this normally added more problems to the mental health patients (Lisa 1999). Time for Change is now the largest program in England that aims at reducing the stigma and the discrimination against the mental health illness patients. This has forced the media to now have a different approach on their old negative attitude and embark positively on inflicting positive ideas concerning the disease (BBC 2000). The web, broadcast and the print media, conferences, scientific journals, service users, televisions are now a reliable source of information for the public concerning the mental health illness. The public and the mental health patients have in the recent times been relying on the information got from the media as it advocates positivity and encouragement to the patients of the disease. The media are now used as a campaign in providing knowledge, solving attitude problems, and the behavior problem (Sara 1999). There is an annual National Public Attitudes held annually by the media to educate people on the importance of not discriminating against the mental health patients. The media moved in quickly to oppose the government policies and claimed that the policies would not be of much help. People with mental health still suffer because the resources allocated to them are scarce and they do not get them at most times (Wirtlin Worldwide Britain 2001). Public View According to a poll on the mental health issue, the public hold a positive attitude towards the same. But however some negative views exist according to the NHS Information Centre (Sue & Julia 2000). The UK public now views the mental health illness as a disease like any other. Other critics claim that the cause of mental illness is due to lack of self discipline and will to power. In a recent research of the 1, 741 people interviewed, 77 per cent believed that mental illness need to be given the attention as other diseases (Richard 1999). However, 70 percent were comfortable if they shared the mental health problem with their family, and friends, while 43 percent were uncomfortable talking about the illness to their employer. Some people still have a varied view with regard to this illness and in the same survey, only one in four people would trust someone who has been in a mental health hospital to babysit a child while 17 percent believe this is not a disease like any other (Sue & Julia 2000). Reflection There is the need to involve the mental health users in the policy making so that the exercise might be a success. User involvement in the medical practice more often increases the quality of the service given by the medical staff and they get to know the exact problem. User involvement would account for all aspects of the patient that include material, emotional and spiritual and this are important in medication. Mental health users need control of their life and not to be decided by someone else; the kind of treatment they should receive inclusive. Coming up with user strategies is vital in user acceptance, shared experience with the staff, peace of mind, and security (Ted 2000). To this end, a succession of policy documents, guidance and research on how this may be achieved should be taken into consideration by the UK government. It is therefore essential for those staff working within the NHS to have both an awareness of how to involve their patients effectively and also have an understanding of how it will ultimately improve patient services (BBC 2000) . Therefore it is vital for the NHS in the UK to view the users as patients. With this in mind the staff within the NHS can know the illness in them. On the other hand, users can also be seen as the consumers, survivors, and the providers and all these can be used to help the NHS staff to identify the roles and responsibilities of people with mental health problems and their relationship with the health care delivery services. The user involvement is thus vital for the UK government to realize its objectives (Alison 1997). Part 2: The Editor, Re: Mental Health Illness in the UK The mental Health illness is still in the present world inclusive of the medical model of madness and distress. Service users often have different modes of treatment and the issue of madness can be worse than even the distress part of it. However, with this in mind does not imply that these people should be discriminated in society. The media being the source of information rely upon by all the citizens both the sick and the public at large because they have confidence in them. However, in the past the media have been so negative about the mental health illness and therefore it is my urge to you to give the people of Britain the rightful information they need and be on the front line in helping the government in implementing her policies. The government should come up with new policies that involve the mental health users since the government itself cannot be able to tackle the problem of mental health illness without user involvement. Yours faithfully References Alison F. (1997), Knowing Our Own Minds: A survey of how people in emotional distress take Control of their lives. Mental Health Foundation, London. Alison F. (2000), Strategies for Living: A report of user-led research into people’s strategies for Living with mental distress”. Mental Health Foundation, London. BBC. (2000), Mental Health Factfile. Mind, London. Ferriman, A. (2000), “The stigma of mental health”.  British Medical Journal, 320, 522. Francis, C., (2001), Mental Health and Illness in the Media: A Review of the Literature. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing Granello M. (1999), “Relationship of the media to attitudes towards people with mental illness”. Journal of Humanistic Counseling Education and Development, 38, 98-103. Lisa B. (1999), The Fundamental Facts… All the latest facts and figures on mental illness. Mental Health Foundation, London. Liz S., (2000), From Psychiatric Patient to Citizen: Overcoming Discrimination and social Exclusion. Macmillan, Basingstoke. National Mental Health Service Users (2000), Statement on the Mental Health Green Paper. National Mental Health Users/Survivors Groups, London. Paul C.,(2001), “Media consumption and desire for social distance towards people with mental illness”. European Psychiatry, 20, 46-250; Richard W., (1999), Social Issues for Carers: Towards positive practice. Second edition, London. Sue B., & Julia M., (2000), The Daily Stigma: Counting the cost – mental health in the media. Report Mind, London. Ted C. (2000), Mad Pride: A celebration of mad culture. Spare Change Books, London. Sara D. (1999), Creating Accepting Communities: Report of the Mind inquiry into social Exclusion and mental health problems. Mind, London. Wirtlin Worldwide Britain (2001), National Mental Health Benchmark Study. London Journal 38, 98-103 Read More