Perception and Treatment of the Severely Mentally Ill in Australia - Case Study Example

Perception and treatment of the severely mentally ill in Australia Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name and Code: University: Date of Submission: Introduction Being mentally ill is a condition where an individual’s psychological status is affected or altered in some way resulting in behavioral and psychological changes and patterns that are associated with anguish in some subjective areas (Berrios 1999, p. 145–60). The perception, recognition, understanding and treatment of mental illness have changed over the centuries and across different cultures and societies. The change is still ongoing making the understanding and perception of mental illness vary across cultures and in different countries and societies. As a result of this, they are often classified differently both in how they are treated and how they are perceived. Just like in any other country, mental illness is a common occurrence in Australia. Twenty percent of the population experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime ranging from severe and crippling conditions to milder forms of mental illness (Hickie et al, 2005, p. 401-406). About five percent of people in Australia have a very severe case of anxiety that prevents them from going about daily duties as they normally would. In addition, out of every hundred Australians, one will have schizophrenia at some point in their lives. Psychotic illnesses are also common affecting about three percent of the population (Australian Rural Nurses et al, n.d.). A higher percentage of those who are mentally ill reside in remote areas in Australia (Rajkumar & Hoolahan 2004, p.78–82). Contrary to expectation, people living in remote areas are more susceptible to mental illness that their counterparts who live in the cities (Rajkumar & Hoolahan 2004, p.78–82). This is because there are additional risks like lack of access to medical and health facilities, poverty, substance abuse, unemployment, child abuse, isolation and domestic violence (Australian Rural Nurses et al, n.d.). Despite these conditions, little has been done to improve the situation. The agenda of decision makers such as politicians rarely focuses on the issue of the plight of mentally ill people. In addition, the society has not accepted them fully as part of them. In order to combat the stigmatization and the misunderstanding of the mentally ill in Australia, more action needs to be taken and this action should be what has worked in other regions of the world. Perception affects treatment of the mentally ill. If the level of negative perception is more than the level of positive perception, it manifests in the interest the government puts in developing medical facilities for the mentally ill and the condition or number of the facilities (Crisp et al 2000, p. 4 -7). History of negative perception and treatment of mental illness Mentally ill people have had a hard time living in the world for a long time. They have been subjected to negative perception most of them the result of misinformation. In the middle ages, people suffering from mental illness were often mistaken for witches and were subjected to witch hunts with dire results like being locked up in dungeons or being killed. For instance, an individual who had multiple personality disorder could have been mistaken for someone with demonic tendencies (Berrios 1999, p. 145–60). Thankfully, medical professionals in the 17th century started viewing madness as a human phenomenon that is not connected to the soul or any other forms of the supernatural. The age of enlightenment saw a change in perception by medical practitioners and other people interested in the field. The perception of most people may have changed from thinking that they are possessed to knowing that they are ill but, they are still viewed as outsiders in the community by many people and the illness is still stigmatized by many people in the society. In the middle ages, mentally ill people were taken into madhouses or jail. As the wave of enlightenment swept the European continent, the mentally ill were taken to asylums that could care for their needs. However, some of these places utilized unconventional methods of treatment like severe electroshock therapy which did more harm than good. In the nineteenth century, more asylums were built and they had a characteristic change of having classifications (Berrios 1999, p. 145–60). Psychiatry was coined at this time. In the twentieth century, more information about mental illness is available and those previously known as inmates in an asylum are now patients in a hospital. Problems with Perception and treatment in Australia There is widespread social stigma that is linked to mental illness in Australia. This is worse for people with severe mental illness because the illnesses tend to manifest physically either through behavior or deformity. Sometimes, mentally ill individuals are blamed for problems in a society or a family and are treated as hopeless cases with no chance of getting better. This stigmatization does not only affect those who are openly mentally ill, but also, those who may be ill but because of fear of stigmatization, opt to be silent about the issue. In addition, the mentally ill in Australia are discriminated against in many arenas, the most influential being employment (Townsend et al 2006, p. 158-163). An individual with a severe case of bipolar disorder may be denied an employment opportunity even if, by receiving correct medical care, they can function adequately in the workplace. Adding to the problems of perception in Australia are clergy. Some church officials often advice their congregation that their family members have a spiritual problem like demonic or spirit possession when in fact, they are mentally ill (Crisp et al 2000, p. 4 -7). This prevents a majority of the people who are told this from seeking medical help for their loved ones which worsens the situation and makes others in the church society perceive them as being vessels of evil. Women get this type of response more than men. Another fuel the negative perception of the mentally is the media (Crisp et al 2000, p. 4 -7). The Australian media rarely covers positive aspects of the mentally ill; instead, the focus is often on their problematic situations. They are portrayed as being violent and criminal. A higher percentage of films and cartoons that feature a severely mentally ill individual show them in a negative light. These types of depictions have contributed to negative perceptions. All these contribute to stigmatizing the mentally ill in the eyes of the general public. People have a stereotypical personality of the mentally ill and a strong desire to keep their distance from them. The distance is not only physical but also social. In the end, most of the mentally ill in Australia live in social isolation especially since a majority of them reside in remote areas of the country. Contrary to the truth, mentally ill individuals are associated with violent behavior and mental illness is seen as one of the triggers of violence in the Australian society. This is because the areas with the most prevalence of severe mental illnesses also have the highest violence incidences. Although the condition may be a predictor of some future violent tendencies, it is not an independent indicator of violence in the region (Stuart 2003, p. 121-124). Pregnant mother who are subjected to domestic violence are likely to have babies with mental illnesses or with a higher chance of developing them. Violence is in fact one of the causes of severe mental illnesses especially in remote parts of Australia. Since these areas are characterized by high incidences of violence and mental illnesses, an inaccurate link is often made between the two, the conclusion being that mental illness leads to violence. Owing to this mindset, mentally ill people are often on the receiving end of violence from people who claim to be defending themselves. Another contributor to this belief is high profile criminal cases that have been publicized in the media that result in fear in the individuals living in those societies. Negative perception also varies amongst different types of mental illnesses, their symptoms and their severity. Mentally ill individuals who display symptoms in the form of changing behavior are stigmatized more than those who show physical symptoms. If these patients also have a label on their mental illness, people perceive them as being more dangerous than other people with mental illness (Crisp et al 2000, p. 4 -7). Someone who is known to have schizophrenia will be stigmatized more than someone who people know to have depression. In addition, the features of the type of treatment the patient is receiving lead to higher levels of negative perception. Most people in the Australian society will socially isolate an individual from an inpatient treatment facility then one from an outpatient treatment facility. Hospitalization is considered to be more serious. Most of the patients who are hospitalized are severely mentally ill and this makes them the target of more stigmatization. The fact that these patients also go through physical modes of treatment like ECT adds to the stigmatization factor while those going through just psychiatric counseling receive less stigmatization. The issue of mental illness has been taken seriously in Australia and strategies have been employed to combat the stigmatization and negative attitude (Hickie et al 2005, p. 401-406). However, these efforts are having very little impact because they are uncoordinated and the flow of funds towards the cause is undependable. One of the reasons that this is happening is that there is little support from the leaders in the country and even if help is offered, it is not constant. The last election campaign in the country saw a lot of funds being promised and used for different causes so as to garner public favor. However, there was little to no support promised or given to the mentally ill community. The fact that the deaths of most of the mentally ill patients were the result of suicides was not considered seriously. Leaders, though it may have been unintentional, alienated the community of mentally ill individuals in Australia. Australian has made major strides in the treatment of the mentally ill; however, the problem that is evident in this area is that the prevalence of negative perception has affected the treatment centers. The response to emergency situations is reportedly slower in most areas. In addition, the emergency response teams feel less confident about handling situations that involve the mentally ill patients. Care givers of the mentally ill in hospitals have not yet developed the right attitudes and sufficient skills to be genuinely and positively involved in treatment of the mentally ill (Roberts & Henderson 2009, p. 1-3). Evidence based recommendations There have been major and effective strides towards improving the perceptions of the mentally ill people in many countries. These strategies can be applied to the Australian context to make things better for the mentally ill in the country by improving people’s attitudes and perceptions. The mentally ill in the United States (US) also face stigmatizations and negative perception. One of the action plans that have been taken by the country is to talk to the council of clergy starting from small communities then proceeding to larger ones (Insel & Wang 2010, p. 1970–1971). The topic of discussion is for them to talk to their congregation about the reality of mental illness from time to time and to offer them accurate information if they have questions about the issue. Research available about this endeavor shows that a higher percentage mentally ill people had more help and support from their families and church leader after the 2008 when the strategy was implemented (Perlick et al 2001, p. 1627-1632). This can be applied in the context of Australia starting from the remote areas and moving towards the cities. The whole society should be educated about mental illness and not just the families of those it affects and the victims. In Lesotho, Southern Africa, communities were engaged in programs that show or demonstrate to them what to expect from a mentally ill person. These demonstrations showed the lives of mentally ill individuals, their families and the effects that stigmatization has on them. The community included people of all ages to impact the whole society. In addition peer counseling sessions were included in the program and so were the forums where people could ask and discuss issues. The peer group sessions served to increase the socialization between the mentally ill and those who are not. Also, the mentally ill got a chance to tell their story (Insel & Wang 2010, p. 1970–1971). By hearing what happens in their lives and getting adequate information, stigmatization of the mentally ill in the area reduced and so did the perception. Stations for these activities were put up in the communities with literature and counselors available. This strategy would be most effective in the remote areas of Australia. There is a possibility that some of the people do not know that domestic violence is one of the causes of mental illness. If people know that some of the activities they engage in like domestic abuse may cause mental illness, they may refrain from doing so. If the whole community comes together, it will stop. The film industry in US has been changing its attitude towards the depiction of mentally ill individuals. Instead of focusing only on them being criminals or violent, there is an emerging breed of sensitive, helpful, smart and more serious mentally ill characters in the films made. People are slowly moving away from perceiving them as dangerous criminals to viewing them as clever individuals who can help in the society by, for example, helping to catch criminals (Insel & Wang 2010, p. 1970–1971). One of the movies made to this effect is A Beautiful Mind. This trend should be followed by the Australian media and most of their focus should be on showing movies where mentally ill individuals are depicted as being an asset to their families and the society. In order to raise more awareness about the issue of mental illness and arm people with information so that they make informed decisions, the Cater foundation has formulated communication partnership channels among journalists in South Africa, Romania and the US to give them the capability of adequately researching and writing positive and informative stories and articles about mental health (Lamb & Bachrach 2001, p. 1039-1045). These fellowships served not only to equip journalists and reporter with the correct tools and training to report on the issue sensitively and precisely, but also to increase the coverage of the topic in the media (Insel & Wang 2010, p. 1970–1971). Australia should have a common strategy for getting information to the public that is truthful and delivered in the best way possible through the most adequate and effective channel. There should be more coverage of the issue in the media. It should be made into one of the most common agendas in order to alter perceptions over time. Another strategy is putting up community centers in smaller areas or updating the ones that are already available to include tools that cater to the needs of the mentally ill and the whole community. Community centers were put up and the agents and staff at the centers were taught skills for problem solving (Prince & Prince 2002, p. 323-331). They were to solve problems that arose between the mentally ill and the rest of the community without discrimination. They also have a duty to monitor the mentally ill in their communities so as to make sure that they have taken their medication. Violent outbursts and behavioral symptoms became less severe because medication was monitored and the rights of the patients in the community protected by people who were closer rather than just having policies (Marzuk 1996, p. 481-486). This strategy can be applied to the Australian scene where the medical centers that are available all over the country can have these monitoring and advisory centers incorporated in them. This should be done more in remote areas along with providing other social amenities. Instead of people settling disputes with the mentally ill through physical and violent means, they will have a forum to present their problems. In addition, the care given to the mentally ill will be better because the workers at these hospitals will have to learn more about the mentally ill and as a result, they will understand them more. They will be more confident in giving help because they will be equipped with information and their attitudes will change too. This will improve the treatment centers and make them friendlier to the mentally ill. People’s lives in remote areas will be improved and indulgences that lead to mental illness, like drugs, will be reduce. Consequently, so will the condition. A study carried out in Pakistan revealed that younger people have more negative perceptions of the mentally ill. This owes to the fact that older people are more informed about the condition than younger people. Also, many of the respondents who had negative attitudes also said that they did not know much about the condition. Based on this study, it can be derived that ignorance and not knowing mental illness contributes to a majority of the negative attitudes in the society (Lehman 1983, p. 369-373). The same has been witnessed in the Australian context. People need to be made aware of everything that has to do with mental illness just as they are often aware of other diseases. They should know what to expect and think from the perspective of the patients. Care givers in treatment facilities will also improve their attitudes if they employ this approach towards handling the mentally ill. Conclusion The issue of mental illness is complex and not easy to deal with. Patients and their families cannot handle it on their own, especially because of stigmatization. The roots of negative perception of mental illness are deep in history but so are the advances that have been made. The perception of the mentally ill affects hoe they are treated socially and medically. If they are perceived positively by more people in Australia, their plight will become an agenda in the political, social and economic structure of the nation. Improvements will be made to accommodate them and their needs. The most fundamental changes in perception in the country begin with information. Awareness about the issue should be increased so that people think in terms of their plight instead of in terms of what they look like and how they behave (Corrigan & Pen 1999, p. 765-776). The numerous problem areas like clergy, inaccurate link between mental illness and violence and the media are solvable. 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