Economic Climate of the Local Area of Stockton-On-Tees - Essay Example

ECONOMIC CLIMATE OF THE LOCAL AREA OF STOCKTON- ON-TEES By Location Economic Climate of the Local Area of Stockton- On-Tees Introduction According to the Mental Health Foundation, about one in every four people is likely to suffer a mental health problem annually. Mental health problems are becoming increasingly rampant in the United Kingdom. The National Health Service spends about 105 billion pounds in addressing mental health-related issues. Future projections indicate that the National Health Service spending is likely to double in the next 20 years. There is a salient need for the government to develop intervention strategies for providing mental health care to all the mental health patients. It is critical for any nation to take effective measures in promoting mental health and ensuring that there are platforms introduced to promote community wellbeing. Healthcare providers and social workers need to recognize that they need to understand the types of service users they work with. Moreover, it is imperative to analyse the effects of inequalities in the mental health of service users. This paper will offer a detailed analysis of how inequalities have the capacity to affect the mental health of patients. Determinants of Mental Health It is impossible to set aside the concept of mental health without involving other aspects of overall health. Therefore, the determinants of mental health are closely linked to factors that contribute to the overall wellbeing. Some of the factors that determine mental health are personal and may range from genetic factors, exercise, diet, relationships, as well as ones perception towards events. Other factors are both social and depend on the community, such as family structures, isolation, deprivation, as well as friends (Awayout.co.uk 2015, n.p). Other societal and environmental conditions have the capacity to affect the mental health of an individual. Such factors include unemployment levels, equalities and inequalities, health care provision, the level of education, and social connectedness. Demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, as well as age have also been characterized as potential mental health determinants. Risk Factors Risk factors denote any characteristics or attributes that increase an individual’s susceptibility to a certain disease or problem. Risk factors associated with mental health problems include drug abuse, alcoholism, homelessness, being overweight, and minimal physical activities. The population of Stockton-On-Tees is 192, 000 and includes Billingham, Stockton, Thornton, Yarm, Norton, Thornaby, and Ingleby Barwick areas. When comparing the health of the people in Stockton-On-Tees to the rest of England, it showed that life expectancy for both men and women are lower than the England average (Hartlepool & Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group 2015, n.p). The people of Stockton-On-Tees experience multiple deprivations and higher than the England average, about 22.5% (8,200) children live in poverty. The lifestyles of the people of Stockton-On-Tees is mostly worse than the England average due to more adults being obese, high rate of alcohol misuse and self-harm that results in a hospital stay and increase in smoking related death. However, in terms of people who are killed and seriously injured on roads and TB, the people of Stockton-On-Tees are better than England on average. 10.2 percent of young people between the ages of 16 to 18-year-olds living in Stockton-On-Tees are unemployed and lack education or training. These statistics are alarming, and are significantly worse than England. There is evidence that individuals with no or low employment opportunity are more likely to indulge in the excessive smoking habit, misuse alcohol and drugs. The excessive substance usage often leads to several mental health problems such as anxiety and severe depression, resulting in potential poor health and early death. Crime levels are associated with both illness and poverty, increasing the burden of ill health on those communities least able to cope (Sewell 2013, p. 65). Violent crime can result directly in psychological distress and subsequent mental health problems. Fortunately, the population of Stockton-On-Tees enjoy a low crime rate, which is significantly better than England. Economic Factors There is evidence linking certain economic factors with increased factors for the development of mental health problems. Researchers have highlighted that an economic downturn may trigger unemployment, poverty, uncertainty, stressful workplaces, increased financial burdens and deaths, and compel individuals to undergo various changes in life. Unfortunately, many people lack the capacity to handle the adverse effects of an economic downturn. For this reason, the adverse effects affect their psychological well-being as well as their relationships. These changes can contribute to the development of mental health problems. In many cases, a reduction in household income may lead to poor nutrition, alcohol consumption, debt accumulation, and other financial strains that affect the family dynamics. Economic inequalities are common among people with mental health problems. For example, mental health patients are more likely to experience poverty and other socioeconomic pressures that affect them adversely (Teesjsna.org.uk 2015, n.p). People with mental health problems are more likely to have low education levels, a factor that worsens their condition. Economically disadvantaged societies exhibit more factors for mental problems compared to the economically advantaged societies. Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity has a linkage with mental health. Researchers have highlighted that members of ethnic minority groups are more likely to exhibit the risk factors for mental health problems. Failure to have a multi-cultural perspective when offering mental health care can contribute to inequalities. Worth noting is the fact that social workers and mental health care providers need to develop culturally sensitive practice (Tunstall, Shortt, Pearce, & Mitchell 2015, p. 6). Culturally sensitive practice means that healthcare providers need to understand the contextual and experiential factors that define the culture of a group. It is important to appreciate cultural diversity and understand how it can contribute to inequalities in the delivery of mental health care. Prevention After identifying the factors associated with mental health problems, the government proposed strategies to reduce the rate of mental health problems includes the No Health without Mental Health, Department of Health in 2011. The strategy seeks to promote positive health outcomes for mental health patients using a cross-government approach. Without a doubt, the Community Mental Health Services in Stockton-On-Tees has taken the initiative of recognizing the government strategy to reduce cases of mental health illnesses (Tunstall, Shortt, Pearce, & Mitchell 2015, p. 11). Social workers in collaboration with other professionals are in the front line to support people with mental health problems in Stockton-On-Tees. For this reason, it is important that community mental health social workers are aware of the issues surrounding their service users. Mental health social workers need to indulge in monitoring and investigating the levels of mental health to target and improve mental health services at the local level. Bibliography Awayout.co.uk 2015, Statistics | A Way Out. [online] Available at: http://www.awayout.co.uk/resources/statistics/ [Accessed 27 Jun. 2015]. Hartlepool & Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group 2015, Mental Health Services - Hartlepool & Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group. [online] Available at: http://www.hartlepoolandstocktonccg.nhs.uk/clinical-guidance-and-pathways/mental-health-services/ [Accessed 27 Jun. 2015]. Sewell, H 2013, The Equality Act 2010 In Mental Health : A Guide To Implementation And Issues For Practice, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 27 June 2015. Teesjsna.org.uk 2015, Wider Determinants. [online] Available at: http://www.teesjsna.org.uk/stockton-wider-determinants/ [Accessed 27 Jun. 2015]. Tunstall, H, Shortt, N, Pearce, J, & Mitchell, R 2015, Difficult Life Events, Selective Migration and Spatial Inequalities in Mental Health in the UK, Plos ONE, 10, 5, pp. 1-13, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 27 June 2015. Read More