Impact of a priority health issue and implications for the nurse - Coursework Example

Impact of a priority health issue and implications for the nurse Name Institution Date Introduction Aboriginal people in Australia have been present for the last 45,000 to 50,000 years as demonstrated archaeological evidence. The Aboriginal people who managed to survive from the infancy were fit and were never attacked by any disease. This is according to the evidence demonstrated ethnographic evidence from the early scholars. Regarding mental health, the traditional aboriginal culture, psychology and social aspects have had various strong reinforcement factors. Failure to withstand the reinforcing factors for mental health in Aboriginal Australians in the traditional Aboriginal medical, cultural as well as anthropological accounts explain the instances of mental illness. This paper is going to focus on the impact of mental illness to the Aboriginal Australian individuals, their families, general population with regard psychological, sociological and cultural aspects and its implications on the roles of nurses (Parker 2010, p. 3). Impacts of mental health problems on the Aboriginal Australian individuals Mental health problems are associated with a number of health problems which range from the psychological, social and cultural aspects of life of the Aboriginal individuals. Psychological impacts Aboriginal individuals who suffer from mood disorders have been reported to suffer from vegetative disturbances and also restriction to emotional responses. This was reported by studies conducted by Hunter (2003) where by a 2.5% of individuals represented a population of Mornington Island Queensland, 6% from Bourke NSW and 1% from Kimberly west Australia. These individuals are more aggressive and also depict somatic symptoms. These individuals are also prone to suicidal ideations and this is one way in which they harm themselves and others especially their family members. Alcohol consumption sometimes becomes part of their life activities and this may lead them to addiction and other comorbid symptoms like anxiety and depression (Parker 2010, p. 3). Social impacts The affected individuals especially those with mood disorders have demonstrated to possess feelings of unworthiness and guilt on to other the fellow colleagues. In the event of suicidal attempts the individuals tend to run away in order to isolate themselves from others (Parker 2010, p. 3). The mentally affected individuals also face unemployment, homelessness and sometimes increased contacts with the judicial system of criminals and poor physical health (Lawrence and Stephen 2010, p. 63) Cultural impacts The affected individuals felt as if they had been subjected to sorcery or pay back. This made them depressed and ashamed (Parker 2010, p. 3). These individuals also have problems of being accepted as family members. The effect may extend to other events which are very critical in an individual’s life including marriage. It becomes difficult for the individual to be accepted in other communities as well (Robinson, Rodgers and Butterworth 2008, p.10). Impacts of mental health problems on the Aboriginal Australian families Psychological impacts Many aboriginal families are surrounded with the pressure of handling family members that are mentally ill. This causes a lot of strains and disruptions on the family unit. At times family members tend to feel like they are being burdened by taking care of the individuals who at times show that they are going to suffer the same way for a very long time in their life (Lawrence and Stephen 2010, p. 62). Family members face stigmatization and this may facilitate the development of other types of mental disorders among care givers as well as other family members especially those intimate with the mentally affected individual. Families also tend to suffer from tension, uncertainty and troubled emotions (Lawrence and Stephen 2010, p. 63). Social effects Mental disorders in Aboriginal Australian families have resulted in instances of marital dissatisfaction. Marital dissatisfaction has raised the likelihood of breakdown of many marriages. The perceived notion of stigma destabilizes the social stability status of the family. Some families may tend to feel that they are not in the right place with a mentally challenged individual among them (Robinson, Rodgers and Butterworth 2008, p.4). Family members fail to work in the full capacities and this serves as a constraint towards members` participation in other activities that keep the family fit financially (Lawrence and Stephen 2010, p. 65). Cultural impacts The experience of caring for mentally ill family members may differ among different families and cultures, the largest challenges are experienced by care givers are in the provision of care with other daily activities. These activities may include, transportation, helping with household chores, cleaning, offering financial aid and money management. There is also development of stress especially if the patient has a history of violence. Concerns may be raised on the possible culture of violence in the family, intra family conflicts and other embarrassing behaviors. For instance in extended Aboriginal family structures, there is distribution of duties of care givers but still care givers complained of distress and difficultness in offering there services because of a number of reasons including lack of medical and financial support. Caregivers also tend to miss other cultural functions including weddings, funerals and Church services while they are attending to their patients. This makes them fill culturally unfit in their respective Aboriginal societies (Lawrence and Stephen 2010, p. 63) Impacts of mental health problems on the Aboriginal Australian populations Mental illness has significant effects on the general Aboriginal population of Australia. Mental illness costs result in the loss increased expenditures and productivity loss. Psychological disorders tend to exacerbate other issues related to public health. This elevates the burden on the Australia National economy and thus impedes the efforts put in place to promote public health and wellness programs. Mental illness is also known to be associated with risks of non adherence to medical regimes with regard to other conditions of health. Considering infectious diseases for example, improper adherence to the correct drug regimes may lead to the development of resistance on the respective drugs. The issue of drug resistance has profound implications on public health for the general Australian population. There is also the issue of maternal depression which affects pregnant mothers. As a result, infants may be born with low weights, having childhood health problems and also incomplete immunization. These factors contribute to childhood mortality and which may negatively impact on the general Aboriginal population. Majority of the individuals with mental disorders don not show symptoms of dangerous behaviors, incarceration and violence may impose significant social and financial burdens on communities and even the Australian nation as a whole (Lawrence and Stephen 2010, p. 65). Implications for nurses dealing with mental health patients Psychological implications The mediating psychological processes in the care of mentally ill patients demonstrate that disruptions on the psychological processes make up the common pathways in the prognosis of mental illnesses. They include cognitive processes but are not limited to this. It can not be assumed that psychological factors tend to mediate biological processes effects or that both psychological factors and biological factors are similar components with regard to etiology of mental illnesses. These are majorly the concepts depicted in the biosychosocial model of mental health care. This approach represents the idea that physical insults or biological abnormalities and social factors like social deprivation and poverty, and life events or circumstantial factors like physical or emotional abuse, childhood sexual result in the development of mental illnesses since they affect the psychological processes (Kinderman, Sellwood and Tai 2008, 94). Psychological formulations instead of clinical diagnostics are supposed to dominate clinical planning. These formulations are also required to focus on the biological and circumstantial factors. These are the same factors which are hypothesized to result in the dysfunction of psychological process or mechanisms that underlie the development of mental disorders. Medical interventions tend to have the possibility of effectiveness if they are developed with regard to the perceived beneficial on the possible psychological mechanisms. Medication would do better if they targeted the problems and the processes instead of putative illnesses (Kinderman, Sellwood and Tai 2008, 96). Mental health nurses are required to develop further their competencies with regard to psychological interventions. There are various ways in which the duties of mental health nurses can be viewed as already evolving in this direction. Mental health nurses for the backbone of health are services regarding mental health. They act as the frontline cares and offer an extended time care. During such time, nurse can be regarded as direct care givers. They make close contact with the patients and this result in a detailed knowledge of the patient. A psychological model of approach would provide for the development of autonomous nursing consultancy, strong support for the development of competency of nurses in the psychological aspects of care including the psychological interventions (Kinderman, Sellwood and Tai 2008, 99). Sociological implications According to the theories developed by various nursing theorists, a lot of importance has been associated with viewing the patients as the ones who tend to interact with the environment in order to realize and maintain a social health among other aspects of health. Martha Rogers, a nursing theorist suggested that nursing as a an art as well as a science, should involve application of non invasive modalities including therapeutic touch, homor, gained imagery, use of colour, music, light and meditation while focusing on the person`s potential of his or her mental health. Regarding mental health of Australian Aboriginal individuals, motivational support can be very important when it is partnered with supportive psychotherapy. It is the duty of nurses to continue to include aspects of sociology among other aspects such as nutrition, psychology, ethics, and wellness as core nursing curriculum as well as that of life sciences. It is also important noting that patients might benefit from pharmacological interventions well enough if a holistic approach to patient care is adopted. The nurses taking care of patients are supposed to consider assessing the families of mental health victims and address the reactions of the families towards the need of the family member for medication. The support of the family is supposed to be under consideration by nurses since it is also increases the efficiency of pharmacological interventions (Cullen-Drill and Prendergast 2011, p. 5). Knowledge on family system theories is very essential to nurses. This enables nurses to prepare themselves well for the provision of optimum treatment in order to support the best results out of their patients. Situations in different families also have a role on the well being of family members. Nurses are supposed to take not note of family dynamics which play a major role in influencing behaviors of family members. Families which are close in terms of their relationships, according to studies, demonstrate a likelihood of decreased incidences of mental illnesses. So it is important for nurses to try and unite their patients with other family members since this may help in facilitation of the recovery process and reduction of future incidences problems of mental disorders (Cullen-Drill and Prendergast 2011, p. 5). Cultural implications Some of the theories of nursing, for instance the theory developed by Virginia Henderson emphasized the idea of culture, communication as well as human needs to be among the core aspects as far as care of all forms of illnesses in patients is concerned. Nurses are supposed to gain an understanding of the identities of patients with regard to their different Australian cultures. These cultures may tend to influence their understanding of the different medical interventions that is applied to them. The nurse may seek information on the feelings of patients about the type of medication taken, and also the take on the family regarding the medication from its cultural perspective. This is one way in which the nurses may explore their patients and the patients` families with the aim of gaining more knowledge about their cultures which may influence nursing interventions (Cullen-Drill and Prendergast 2011, p. 5). According to Leninger`s transcultural theory, there is the aspect of provision of culturally congruent care. This type of care can only be achieved when mental health nurses set their goal to involve culuturalogical assessment when working with patients and their respective families. This type of nursing models emphasizes the need for nurses to find more on the cultures of their respective patients (Sagar 2010, p. 3). Cultural orientation of the indigenous Australians with regard to the mental health state is also an important point to be put into consideration by mental health nurses. Several reasons are attached by current health practitioners to culture as a hindrance to a type of health care that is advanced. This may appear to be truth, but it is important that certain aspects of cultures of patients and their families be considered to allow for provision of patient care services that are client satisfactory. It may be difficult to determine the extent in which culture may hinder the efficiency of interventions put in place to address the problem of mental illness in Aboriginal Australians. Current researches which form the basis for evidence based clinical approaches attach a scientific basis to the development and treatment of mental disorders as also supported by naturalistic theories of disease causation. Interventions that require biological intervention rather than spiritual intervention may defiantly be hindered by culture. Such cases may arise especially when the patients attach their mental illnesses to certain practices as witchcraft which may only be treated with spiritual powers. It is thus important for nurses to educate their patients on their mental health status and possible health interventions as far as their culture are concerned (Sagar 2010, p. 3). Conclusion The mental health issue among Aboriginal Australians is an important health issue that must be addressed with a lot of care. Mental health problems have raised a number of effects which can be viewed with regard to psychological, sociological effects and cultural effects. These affects spread from through the individual patient, their families and the community at large. These effects tend to hinder the general health and well being of the respective patients, their families, and communities at large. The Australian nation also tends to face economical constraints with much of the expenditures being focused on the stabilization of health status of the Aboriginal individuals. The health issue possesses certain implications on nurses who are supposed to take good care of these patients. Nurses are supposed to consider various aspects of health delivery systems in order to realized proper health care. This is with regard to aspects of health services ranging from psychological, sociological and cultural aspects. All these aspects are supposed to be considered since they help in implementation of mental health interventions that are holistic. The roles of nurses is very critical and thus must be subjected to changes in respect to the ever advancing means of health care so as to enable provision of mental health care services that are proper and up to date (Sagar 2010, p. 5). References Cullen-Drill, M and Prendergast, KM 2001, Psychiatric Nursing: Back to Basics, Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services vol. 49, no. 12, pp. 4-6. Kinderman, P, Sellwood W and Tai S 2008, Policy Implications of a Psychological Model of Mental Disorder, Journal of Mental Health vol. 17, no.1, pp. 93-103. Lawrence, D and Stephen K 2010 Inequalities in Healthcare Provision for People with Severe mental Illness, Journal of Psychopharmacology vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 61-68. Parker, R 2010, Australia`s Aboriginal Population and Mental Health, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease vol. 198 no. 1, pp. 3-7. Robinson, E, Rodgers B and Butterworth P 2008, Family Relationships and Mental Illness: Impact and Service Responses, Australian Family relationships Clearinghouse vol 4, pp. 1-19 Sagar, PL 2010, Transcultural Nursing Theory and Models: Application in Nursing Education, Pracice, and Administration, Springer Publsihing Company, New York. Read More