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Actions for understanding and alleviating mental illness in our communities

Mental illness is not something that affects only those in low income populations as people so often believe. It takes on many different forms, and can impact the life of anyone at anytime. The mentally ill rely heavily on society at large, as well as mental health specialists and caregivers, to create a place where they can function as well as possible as non-affected members of their communities. Many times communities do not understand; do not accept those with mental illnesses. As a result, many communities make little to no effort to integrate the mentally ill into society at large.



An Internationally recognized organization that provides support to those with incapacity's is Goodwill Industries International, Inc.. Goodwill Industries is the leading nonprofit provider of education, training and career service opportunities for people with disadvantages as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities in North America.

Why Transitional Jobs are Important from Goodwill Industries Intl. on Vimeo.

Camphill Communities is another example of an organization that offers assistance and community integration to those with mental challenges.

“You can find Camphill communities all over the world. Their philosophy is simple - to create a community where mentally ill and non-affected people can live side by side. The mentally ill lead as normal a life as possible, taking part in daily activities depending on their skills and abilities. They are free to choose from different workshops, housekeeping activities or work on a farm which supplies the community with ecologically grown food. Mentally ill people, who are usually kept isolated in psychiatric hospitals, are able to enjoy an everyday routine.”1

Camphill PSA from Valley Creek Productions on Vimeo.

The Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health is a partnership between Dalhousie University, Sun Life Financial and the IWK Health Center. The Chair functions as a knowledge exchange center by collecting and sharing scientific information about mental health (with a heavier focus on affected youth, in order to make progress in the understanding of mental illness. They seek to improve the disability and share their research on both a national and international level by working with health care providers, policymakers, schools, businesses, non-profit organizations and the general public. The Sun Life Mental Health Chair offers these ten steps for creating a personally healthy mental health plan:

1. Build a healthy self-esteem
2. Receive as well as give
3. Create positive parenting and family relationships
4. Make friends who count
5. Figure out your priorities
6. Get involved with others in your community
7. Learn to manage stress effectively
8. Cope with changes that affect you
9. Deal with your emotions
10. Have a spirituality to call your own



When the general public has overall good mental health and maintains that status through each member’s personal responsibility, we are then able to better help others. It helps to remember the simple emergency instructions recited by flight attendants prior to an airplane flight—when the oxygen masks come down put your own on first, and then help your neighbor. If our own mental health is not stable we cannot make as effective a difference in the health of our communities. 2

Sources:
1 - http://www.radio.cz/en/section/panorama/fighting-to-keep-mentally-ill-in-the-community
2 - http://tig.phpwebhosting.com/guidetoaction/Mental_Health_Guide_to_Action.pdf

Author: Hillary King

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Mental Illness - What they need and how to help

People who are in a low economical situation and suffer from mental illness are at a higher risk of finding themselves homeless. In order to prevent this from happening, there needs to be more access to affordable housing.

“According to a 2003 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Report, most homeless people with mental illnesses do not need to be institutionalized, but can live within their communities with the appropriate supportive housing options.” (Mental)

People who suffer with mental disorders cannot do this on their own and need help from a community-based approach. Treatment and rehabilitation as well as support from their communities can assist them in coping and finding strategies for working and living their daily lives alongside non-affected community members versus being treated in a hospital where they are confined from reality. (Chapter).



Prevention of mental illness is the key to reducing the rate of those affected by it. A public support system to build relationships, and options for more affordable housing would allow people who suffer with mental illnesses to manage their illness and the issues that can be caused by it more effectively.

Sources:

1 - "Chapter 3: Solving Mental health problems." World Health Organization. N.p., 2011. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

2 - "Mental Illness and Homelessness." National Homeless. National Coalition for the Homeless, June 2006. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

Author: Alison Woods

The Mental Illness and Low Income Connection

The Mental Health and Low Income Connection

Author: Sarah Marambe

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Fact Sheet for Group 2 - SINQ 234 - Healthy People/Healthy Places - PSU - Fall 2011

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Trends in Mental Illness - Local and National

National Trends in mental illness

• An estimated 26.2% of Americans ages 18 and older (57.7 million people) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder (e.g., depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder) in a given year.
• Although mental disorders are widespread in the population, about 6% suffer from a serious mental illness (people who are significantly functionally impaired by the illness for an indefinite period of time).
• Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for people ages 15-44.
• Nearly half (45%) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for two or more disorders, with severity strongly related to co morbidity.
• Rates of depression among women are 1.5 to 3 times that of men.

Trends in mental illness among low-income populations

• Women from low-income groups are about twice as likely as those from higher-income groups to be depressed.
• The percentage of low-income individuals having problems with, or being diagnosed with, a mental health problem or disorder has increased from 21% in 1998 to 43% in 2004.
• In 2004, 36% of respondents with low-incomes reported being diagnosed with depression, compared to 20% in 1998. By contrast, rates of depression among those with higher incomes have been relatively stable (19% in 2004, compared to 17% in 1998).
• 32% of individuals with low incomes have problems with depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems, vs. 16% of those with higher incomes.

Source: http://missourifamilies.org/cfb/briefs/mental.pdf

On the Local Level - State of Oregon

Among single adults in Oregon, 1,825 self-reported they were homeless due to a drug or alcohol problem, and 1,127 cited a mental or emotional disorder.

Multiple responses were allowed, so some individuals may have given both reasons. These factors were cited almost as often as the most common response, unemployment.

The state also looked at how many homeless Oregonians had “secondary population characteristics.” These were not necessarily the same issues that individuals said had caused their homelessness. However, the numbers tell a similar story.

Among all ages and living situations,

2,358 were listed as having mental or emotional problems, 2,829 had problems with substance abuse, and 1,015 have both a mental illness and an addiction.

Individuals could be counted in more than one category.

Among Oregonians meeting the statewide definition of chronic homelessness, 1,555 had substance abuse problems, 1,326 had an emotional or mental disorder, and 618 had a dual diagnosis.

In Multnomah County, among the chronically homeless, substance abuse (462) was the most common secondary characteric, followed by mental or emotional disorder (372) and dual diagnosis (221).

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness,

nationally about half of people experiencing homelessness suffers from mental health issues. At any given point in time, 45 percent of homeless people report they have had mental health problems during the past year. About 25 percent of the homeless are affected by serious mental illness. Homelessness also creates and exacerbates mental and physical health problems.

Source:

http://www.examiner.com/mental-health-in-portland/mental-illness-addiction-contribute-to-growing-homeless-population-oregon

Author: Angela Miller

Families, Low Income and Mental Health

A strong reciprocal link exists between child and parental mental health. Troubled children are likely to have troubled parents, and vice versa. Parents and children are profoundly sensitive to each other’s emotional states, and the behaviors and difficulties of one person – child or parent – naturally affect others in the household.

Among mothers, major depression negatively affects their ability to meet the needs of their children and places children at significant risk for psychopathology and developmental problems. The problems found in children of depressed mothers include:

• Increased rates of clinical mental diagnoses.
• Impairments in psychological functioning.
• Difficulties in meeting social and academic demands.
• More internalizing and externalizing behaviors.
• Substantial risk for psychiatric diagnoses later in life.

Thus, any intervention aimed at mothers should consider strategies for reaching at-risk children.

To improve a family’s overall mental health status, certain factors associated with poor parental mental health need identification as well. These factors include:

• Economic hardship
• Single parenting
• Unemployment

Parents experiencing eco­nomic hardship are almost three and a half times more likely than those not expe­riencing hardship to report symptoms of poor mental health.

The “economic hard­ship” category includes items such as:

• Skipping a meal because there was not enough money to purchase food.
• Going without phone service for more than 24 hours.

While the majority of parents reporting this type of hardship are in the lower income ranges, parents reporting economic hardship are distributed through all income ranges. Thus, the immediate sources of economic stress may be different for low-income populations (inability to cover rent increase) versus middle/high income populations (inability to afford high mortgage and unanticipated home repairs).

Single parents who are not living with a partner are two times more likely than married parents to report symptoms of poor mental health.

Single parents face challenges raising children on their own, and these challenges may become risk factors for developing symptoms of poor mental health. Alternatively, adults with mental health problems may have difficulty sustaining relationships and therefore find themselves without a partner who is willing to share childrearing responsibilities.

Unemployed parents are more likely to experience symptoms of poor mental health than parents who are working full-time (36-45 hours per week).

Symptoms of poor mental health may occur for this group because they lack the structure, social networks, status, pride, activity, and supports that often accompany employment.

Incidence of mental illnesses among the low-income populations, poor people are much less likely to utilize mental health services for a variety of reasons:

• High costs
• Access to health insurance
• Geographic proximity (unreliable transportation)
• Lack of culturally sensitive practices
• Language barriers
• Stigma
• Lack of screening and misdiagnosis

Source: http://missourifamilies.org/cfb/briefs/mental.pdf

Author: Angela Miller

Mental Health and Poverty

While mental illness can affect anyone, there is new research that suggests that people with low incomes are more prone to it. Authorities hope that the study, which was published in the March issue of the Archives of Psychiatry, will be beneficial for dealing with public health issues.

We already know that poverty leads to a host of problems, including health problems and lack of medical care, and a lack of education and training. With the added threat of mental illness, we can see even more need to help these people make use of resources available to them.

Falling Into Poverty

Someone who drops from a higher income level to poverty will face mental illness in the form of anxiety, depression and mood disorders. These individuals are most likely anxious and upset because of the worry associated with losing their income and social status. The overwhelming concern over how to pay the bills and make ends meet can lead to real mental illness disorders.

Long-Term Poverty

On the other hand, people who have been living in poverty for some time or grew up in it may suffer from mental illness for other reasons. Their depression and mood disorders may stem from a lack of optimism for the future. Furthermore, someone in poverty may not have access to, or knowledge about, medical help and therapy that would help diagnose and treat their mental illness.

It is possible that poverty causes mental illness. People living in long-term poverty may lack motivation or confidence to succeed in life. This can cause depression and

suicidal thoughts. Lack of nutrition, lack of education, and a feeling of living day to day can all deplete someone’s energy and willpower.

Mental Illness Causing Poverty

It’s also possible that mental illness helps put someone into poverty. Someone who suffers from a mental disorder may not be able to hold down a job, or may not manage their finances well enough to stay out of poverty. In these cases, someone may also turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve their mental or physical pain, and may add substance addiction to the list of things keeping them down, financially.

There are programs and help in place for many of the people in poverty that suffer from mental illness. Many of them, however, don’t know about the resources. Researchers from the study hope their report helps change that:

“Most important, the findings suggest that income below $20,000 per year is associated with substantial psychopathologic characteristics and that there is a need for targeted interventions to treat and prevent mental illness in this low-income sector of the population,” the researchers concluded. “The findings also suggest that adults with reduction in income are at increased risk of mood and substance use disorders.”

Source: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/the-link-between-poverty-and-mental-illness

Author: Angela Miller

Facts about Mental Health

It is estimated that 26.2% of Americans ages 18 and older—about one in four adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Mental health conditions are brain disorders. They may be due to environmental or genetic factors. No particular family member did anything to cause them; nobody did anything wrong to acquire a mental illness. [2]

A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioral, cognitive and perceptual components. The recognition and understanding of mental health conditions have changed over time and across cultures, and there are still variations in the definition, assessment, and classification of mental disorders, although standard guideline criteria are widely accepted. A few mental disorders are diagnosed based on the harm to others, regardless of the subject's perception of distress. Over a third of people in most countries report meeting criteria for the major categories at some point in their lives. [1]

Facts about Mental Health:

• The burden of mental disorders gives rise to huge social and economic consequences to individuals, their families and whole communities or populations.
• Neuropsychiatric disorders cause 1/3 of years lost due to disability worldwide and account for 13% of total disease burden.
• 80% of the global burden of disease due to mental disorders is found in low- and middle-income countries.
• Among all disabilities, mental disorders are associated with the highest rates of unemployment, between 70% and 90%.
• Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• 33% of countries have no mental health budget.
• 1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental disorder at some point in their lives.
• Every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide.
• 4 out of 5 people with mental disorders in developing countries don’t receive treatment.
• Almost 50% of all mental disorders begin before the age of 14.

Understanding and knowledge are important steps toward empowerment. The more engaged people become—and the more they learn about their mental health condition—the more prepared they will be to develop a comprehensive treatment plan and begin the lifelong process of mental health recovery.

Sources:
1 - "Mental Health." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Oct 2011. Web. 19 Oct 2011. .
2 - "Mental Health Conditions." Choices in Recovery. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, 18 Oct 2011. Web. 19 Oct 2011. .

Author: Tina Pfeiffer