The Social Issue Of Mental Health - 1167 Words

To discuss the social issue of mental health is to take into account a wide range of related issues and concerns, because describing the problem brings other subjects up that should also be presented. Starting with mental illness, it is defined as a wide range of mental health conditions or disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. In the United States one in four people have anxiety disorders while 20 percent have a serious mental illness (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics [SAMHSA], 1998, p. 116).†¦show more content†¦Data from the last five years show about 30% of people who are chronically homeless have serious mental illnesses, and 50% have co-occurring substance use problems. These percentages jump when referring to lifetime experience (S AMHSA, 2011, p. 4). Homeless shelters are temporary residences of desperation for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community. Many in the mentally ill population are also involved with substance abuse and crime. Substance abuse is overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs. Crime is any illegal activity or an action or activity that, although not illegal is still considered deviant, shameful, or wrong. The stigma of mental illness is a powerful negative attribute in all social relations and is a sign of disgrace, which sets them apart from others. The social impact of mental illness is massive and costs society over 200 billion dollars a year (Rouse, 1998, p. 170). Combined with the costly impact of substance abuse and the U.S. pays half a trillion dollars a year in productivity losses and crime victimizations. The social problem of mental illness is a multi-faceted challenge with many discussion points, as the incidences are linked in many cases, so it is difficult to talk about the subject of mental health without considering