Introduction
Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which individual may realize full abilities to his activities. Being in a state of mental health means that an individual is able to cope with stress, anxiety, and tension and be productive in their daily lives. However, when the stable state of mental health is negatively affected, it results in a mental health crisis, particularly mental illness, which hinders an individual from performing their usual activities. Mental health crises not only have negative implications for the affected individual but also is costly to the economy due to high medication costs and the cost of an individual not being able to live a productive life. In an effort to contribute towards effective medication, this policy brief seeks to explore the current state of the mental health crisis, evaluate its cause, evaluate efforts invested in mitigating it, and, based on the findings, propose the most effective in address the issue.
Problem Summary
The mental health crisis is a very significant issue that has presented a big challenge to many countries worldwide. Millions of people are increasingly being reported to have a certain form of mental health condition, such as anxiety disorder, psychosis, and depression. According to the current research, in every five adult individuals, one is found to have a mental health condition. This has overburdened the country’s economy, presented challenges to the families of the affected individuals, and deteriorated the health of the affected person (Creaton, 2021). If left untreated for longer periods, mental health illness may result in serious implications to the health of the affected individuals, the people surrounding them, and the whole country at large. First, this condition may hinder someone from performing their own usual activities, prevent them from going to work, and foster a cost of the need to be taken care of by family members and medication-associated costs; it may also lead to homelessness among individuals. Following these serious implications, it becomes crucial to take crucial steps through policy implementation to address the issue before it grows into the unmanageable and costly stage.
Current Status in the Health Policy Arena
The current statistics show that for almost every five adults, two of them have a mental health crisis. Despite these alarming statistics, there are still gaps in terms of policy provision, as many countries lack the resources to support these policies. Various countries have made significant progress towards implementing policies that may reduce the widespread prevalence of mental health conditions. For instance, in the United States, President Biden has suggested allocating roughly $4 billion in American Rescue Plan cash to boost mental health and substance use programs (White House, 2022). The Biden-Harris Administration is building system capacity, connecting more Americans to care, and creating a continuum of support to advance the agenda. These include improving frontline health workers’ mental health, training behavioral health paraprofessionals, enhancing crisis care and suicide prevention infrastructure, expanding long-term care capacity, and tackling the caregiving crisis. The President also signed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (White House, 2022).
The Biden-Harris Administration is improving mental health care for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, lowering service member barriers, ensuring mental health support in schools, colleges, and universities, and strengthening the federal government’s role as a model employer for behavioral health. Telebehavioral health services and the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program are also being expanded by the administration (White House, 2022). These measures attempt to boost mental health care access, insurance compliance, and stigma reduction.
Background and History
Historical neglect and mental illness stigma underlie the mental health epidemic. Since mental health has been sidelined in healthcare systems globally, it has been underfunded and under-resourced. Mentally ill people were institutionalized in huge psychiatric hospitals due to marginalization and neglect. Social stigma and misconceptions regarding mental health have caused people to suffer in silence rather than seek treatment.
Globally, various have made significant progress towards mitigating the issue of mental health crises, such as Deinstitutionalization, which aimed to shift care from large hospitals to community-based hospitals where health issues can be effectively addressed. Unfortunately, these efforts have not been able to bear positive results in reducing the cases of mental health issues, with many countries being constrained by the lack of enough resources to support the initiatives for addressing mental health (Creaton, 2021). Furthermore, despite the increased efforts to increase awareness, eliminate social stigma, and increase healthcare practitioner’s competence, this issue of mental health persists. This calls for collaborative efforts between governments, policymakers, healthcare institutions, and local communities to develop effective policies that can effectively address this pervasive issue.
Based on the strenuous factors, the stakeholders pay attention to financing healthcare systems, which would remove the financial barriers and allow everyone to access quality care, reduce stigma within the society, which may limit individuals from seeking care, and ensure quality services are administered by well-trained healthcare personnel (Creaton, 2021). Ensuring healthcare services are based on evidence-based care would guarantee quality care. Other interventions may involve breaking poverty chains and addressing inequality and trauma as social factors leading to mental health problems. To eliminate misconceptions and early mitigation actions, it becomes crucial to enlighten people and help them understand the issue of mental health.
Stakeholder Recommendations
All critical stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners, legislators, and community leaders, concur that it is essential to develop comprehensive approaches toward addressing the pervasive issue of mental illness (Creaton, 2021). The crucial step is financing healthcare services, which would attract many people to attend healthcare services frequently and receive the proper medications in advance. Integrating mental health services within primary care may also be significant in providing comprehensive care and reducing healthcare fragmentation.
Stakeholders recommend the significance of integrating evidence-based- treatments, such as DBT, medication management, and CBT, with the core aim of enhancing affordability, easy accessibility, and cultural relevance in diverse cultural contexts (Creaton, 2021). They also emphasize the need for public education programs to reduce stigma and create a welcoming environment for mental health care. This aims to create a more inclusive society that values mental health as much as physical health.
Proposed Policy Change
The proposed policy change would involve integrating a policy law parity that will serve as a critical tool for addressing mental health issues. This reform would particularly obligate health insurance coverage to cater to mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment at the same level as physical health. The primary objective of healthcare inequalities is to get rid of any inequities, mitigate challenges hindering effective care, and save lives.
The implement health parity reform would ensure equal access to healthcare services (Creaton, 2021). It will ensure that mental health is considered equal to physical for overall wellbeing. Mandating equal coverage presents significance for mentally ill people, improves workplace productivity, reduces healthcare costs associated with untreated mental illness, and creates a more compassionate and supportive society.
Impact Analysis
From the analysis, it is evident that all stakeholders, including consumers and healthcare practitioners, would benefit from the policy change (Creaton, 2021). Mainly, through addressing financial barriers, every individual, regardless of their socioeconomic status, will be able to access healthcare services and maintain their wellbeing easily; this leads to the relief of emergency services, which may exert a lot of pressure on healthcare practitioners.
The proposed policy change would also benefit healthcare systems and society. Early intervention and treatment could reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations for untreated mental illness, saving money over time (Creaton, 2021). Reducing mental health stigma would also improve workplace and community support, productivity, and wellbeing. A national mental health parity law might alter mental healthcare and enhance the lives of millions of people with mental illness.
Economic Benefits and Cost Control
A national mental health parity law might boost the economy and lower healthcare costs. First, equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment would encourage prompt and appropriate care (Creaton, 2021). Early intervention can prevent mental health disorders from worsening, reducing emergency department, hospital, and intensive treatment costs. Thus, untreated mental illness healthcare costs like crisis intervention and long-term care could be reduced.
A national parity law can improve mental health treatments, which can boost business productivity and minimize absenteeism. Mental health issues can hinder work performance, resulting in lower productivity and absenteeism. Adequate mental health treatment coverage aids employees in managing challenges and sustaining productivity, benefiting employers from higher output and fewer turnover expenses (Creaton, 2021). A national mental health parity bill can increase inclusivity and support by reducing stigma, encouraging more people to seek treatment, and enhancing mental health inclusion in the workforce and community. Social inclusion boosts wellbeing and unlocks everyone’s potential, which can boost the economy.
Conclusion
Policymakers, healthcare providers, and society must address the mental health problem immediately. Using evidence-based policies like a national mental health parity bill can enhance access to care, eliminate stigma, and boost wellbeing. The mental health epidemic must be addressed morally and economically. In addition to policy improvements, communities must prioritize mental health education and destigmatization. Open communication and support networks can make mental health issues more understandable.
References
The White House. (2022, May 31). FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris administration highlights strategy to address the national mental health crisis. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/31/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-highlights-strategy-to-address-the-national-mental-health-crisis/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20Education%20is,offering%20stress%2Dreduction%20activities%2C%20building
Creaton J. (2021). Addressing the mental health crisis. Nature reviews. Cancer, 21(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-020-00319-9
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