The Need for Affordable Mental Health in my Community



Introduction

Mental health system is one of the most important dimensions of healthcare framework. However not much attention is paid to the problems that keep surfacing in the mental healthcare system. Mental health is equally as much important as physical health. This document explores the setbacks in community based mental health services in my community i.e. Tempe, Arizona. The two obstacles underpinning the issue are expensive mental healthcare which is not accessible to all and the negative stigma associated with seeking this mental healthcare, especially in states like Arizona.

In order to eliminate or alleviate these obstacles, it is significantly important to demonstrate to the decision makers that how adversely these factors are coming into play and spoiling the societies. This is specially depicted by the mass shootings lately taking place in areas like Arizona and Connecticut whereby people have easier access to guns rather than healthcare facilities. Expensive mental healthcare and the stigma associated with seeking this healthcare are the two core reasons why mental health issues in societies are increasing day by day, this requires immediate and prompt actions to be taken.

Discussion

Expensive Healthcare and Negative Stigma- Bedrock of Mental Health Care Issues

The United States Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) just launched the annual report on the mental health disorders and the drug use in America: Americans specially belonging to Midwestern areas like tempe are unable to afford the expenses on their treatment of mental health - even if they have got insurance. 'People could not afford cost' is identified as the main reason for not getting mental health.

Figure 1: (National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings, 2011)

The graph above shows that the main reason for not seeking mental healthcare tends to be “high cost”. There is no denial to the fact that this information holds true about people in belonging to Tempe, who can completely relate to this information. In Tempe people facing any Mental Illness (AMI) mentioned the insufficient insurance coverage as the main problem for them in seeking care, and almost everyone keeps complaining that mental treatment is very expensive. This illustrates how expensive out-of-pocket costs for mental health care are relative to the available coverage, specially for people living in Arizona.

This in affordable mental healthcare is a serious problem. Every community must have access to affordable healthcare options and people in Arizona are in great need of healthcare options that are affordable and accessible. Why mental health is important? Why we want that acquiring mental healthcare should be right of every person in our community? Well, the issue can be ignored, however in the light of recent incidents in Connecticut one cannot help but analyze the sheer importance mental healthcare hold, not only for Tempe, but for every community around.

Recent shooting rampage of twenty six people, counting 6 adults and twenty children in elementary school in the Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec 14, 2012, was an awkward tragedy, and ...