ASSIGNMENT 1 - Prepare to investigate a Public Health p

Question

ASSIGNMENT 1 - Prepare to investigate a Public Health problem

TutorBin · Accepted Answer

Stigmatizing mental health issues challenges accessibility to health care and treatments in Bermuda

Introduction

Mental health issues are as important as physical illness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that nearly 25 percent of the population has mental health issues or behavioral disorders. It can be said that it has created nearly 12 percent of diseases in the world. Health wellbeing can be defined as health and personal well-being. Suicide mortality is important and among which death by depression and substance abuse has caused about 90% of suicides (Ahmedani, 2011). In addition to that, the stigma that is attached to mental health issues is creating a no-access situation to medical support.  Mental health stigma is internalized by individuals over a period of time. They suffer from two types of challenges. They suffer from mental illness on one hand and on the other hand, they suffer from misconceptions and stereotypes that are attached to it. The latter challenge makes the clients stay away from approaching medical professionals for help. Stigmatism can happen in two forms and they are in forms of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. The act of stigmatization can lower self-esteem and create difficulties in social relationships. Through this process, if a person is in need of mental health support, they take a step back and do not access it. In Bermuda, the residents rate the medical accessibility as 59% for mental health and 68% for healthcare services. The research study will make an attempt to understand the stigmatization that is associated with mental health issues and how that is affecting the clients in Bermuda.

Problem Statement

Due to the stigmatized behavior among the people, the people with mental health issues are staying away from approaching the support.

Research Questions

How the people in Bermuda with mental health issues are stigmatized?

What are the kinds of discrimination they face if they have mental health issues?

What is the perception on mental health issues among the people?

Literature Review

Bermuda consists of seven main islands and is connected through bridges and other transport facilities. It is a self-governing British Overseas Territory. The capital of the state is Hamilton and is located in Pembroke. The population is about 65,000 in the state, and they are mostly in the business sector.  The health care system in Bermuda has private and public initiatives. The island has two major hospitals, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, and St Brenda’s Hospital has both a medical hospital and a separate psychiatric unit. The State has always made the service more accessible to the community since the 1980s (Price, 2004).

The research “The Representation of Mental Illness in Bermudian Print Media 1991 to 2011”,  studies the stigmatization of persons that have been depicted in the newspaper over the years 1991 to 2011. Based on the newspaper article, the negative tone can be seen in 40% of articles in 2001. In 2011, 43% of the article had a negative tone. When it comes to education, the percentage is 40% of negativity and it has gradually dropped to 18%. But the negative tone in violent crime has increased from 12% to 18%. The negative tone can be understood through print media. As the print media is accessible to everyone it demonstrates the perception of people on mental issues (Roberts et al., 2013). The research clearly states the perception of the people on mental health issues specifically in Bermuda and how certain spectrum has changed over the years.

Researchers have classified the stigma into public stigma, self-stigma, and institutional stigma. Public stigma is the discriminatory attitude that one has toward a mental health illness. Self-stigma is the opinions and internalized shame that one has on their mental health issues and their own condition. Institutional stigma included governmental policies and institutions, through their policies that might intentionally or unintentionally affect and limit the opportunities for the people to approach help and mental health professionals. This can also be seen in the lower funding for mental health issues and other health-related care (Borenstein, 2020). The research will analyze these perspectives to understand the overall picture of the stigma attached to it. Another reason for mental health issues in the state is that Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders are in third of the total burden and are in the age group between 10 and 40 years of age. It has the largest burden of the disease. About 70% of them after 85 years old suffer from neurocognitive disorder and are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (Mental Health Country Profile - Bermuda - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization, n.d.). With respect to online engagement, nearly 3 in 4 teens are seeking information about depression and they are checking out for personal anecdotes from people who have had similar past experiences (Borenstein, 2020).

With regard to discrimination, it can be seen in direct, or indirect, discrimination arising from disability, harassment, and victimization. Direct discrimination is the differentiation in the way one treats others because of mental health issues. Indirect discrimination can be seen when in person is put at an unfair disadvantage place. Discrimination is caused because of a health problem. According to research “Health & Personal Well-Being Mental Health Convening Report”, the report states that 60% are confident about their health outcomes and they prioritize them.  Among these 30% have shown moderate confidence in the top priorities in the improvement of life for Bermuda residents(HEALTH & PERSONAL WELL-BEING MENTAL HEALTH CONVENING REPORT, n.d.).

The scope of the research is that it helps to understand the effect of the sigma’s on the clients and further it will help to formulate a plan to help the society to act better. This is further days will help to create policies and community plans to help each individual. Each state or country has a set of issues that has to be addressed differently based on it. In this case, the organization and campaigns can be organized and can be addressed accordingly. Not much research has been conducted in Bermuda as the population size is smaller and so the challenges are unique in psychiatric care.

References

Ahmedani, B. K. (2011). Mental Health Stigma: Society, Individuals, and the Profession. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 8(2), 41–416.

Borenstein, J. (2020). Stigma and Discrimination. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination

HEALTH & PERSONAL WELL-BEING MENTAL HEALTH CONVENING REPORT. (n.d.). Bermuda Community Foundation, Vital conversations.

Mental Health Country Profile - Bermuda - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization. (n.d.). Www.paho.org. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.paho.org/en/node/73496

Price, D. (2004). Mental health services in Bermuda. International Psychiatry, 1(6), 11–12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6733091/

Roberts, E., Bourne, R., & Basden, S. (2013). The Representation of Mental Illness in Bermudian Print Media, 1991–2011. Psychiatric Services, 64(4), 388–391. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201200204

ASSIGNMENT 1 - Prepare to investigate a Public Health problem

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