Compare And Contrast Mental Health And Substance Abuse

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In working in health care I have spent a great deal of time exploring various areas of the field. Two health indicators that I have been drawn to specifically is “Health Service Coverage” and “Mental Health and Substance Abuse”. These two indicator touches on a variety of issues such as why are there so many people falling through the cracks when it comes to obtaining medical coverage, and why is mental and substance abuse issues always placed on the back burner when it comes to getting people the proper help that they deserve. Working within the Public health sector these are issues that need to be advocated for so that people can have access to living a healthier life and can benefit from the quality of life around the globe. Health Service …show more content…

In life, no one ever anticipates being sick or suffering from illness associated with mental health or substance abuse. The purpose is to promote healthy living and encourage preventative care in areas such as prenatal care, immunization, and infectious diseases in adults. Coverage indicators are typically calculated by dividing the number of people receiving a defined intervention by the population eligible for or in need of the intervention (World Health Organization, 2009). Mental health and substance abuse is also an indicator that poses as a very prevalent issue in societies today. Those who suffer from mental and substance abuse usually shares some underlying causes, including changes in brain composition, genetic vulnerabilities, and early exposure to stress or trauma (Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, n.d.). Substance abuse is often times associated with either drugs or alcohol, which can lead to spiraling social or economic issues such as financial problems, domestic violence, child abuse, and eventually graduating into committing …show more content…

Accessibility is a major area of concern because while other countries embrace universal health care at low cost the U.S. see health care as a cash cow with the cost of health care constantly increasing. The U.S has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, but yet and still the quality of service that people receive is often time less than stellar. Also, another reason why the U.S. has such low rankings is because of equality. In the U.S people who are considered as having low income do not go to the doctor which results in them not partaking in wellness visit, nor receiving proper medications to combat their illness. Whereas in other countries they do visit the doctor regularly despite their economic status (Mirror, Mirror on the Wall,2014). Moving on to mental health and substance abuse The global burden of Neuropsychiatry diseases and related mental health conditions are enormous, underappreciated and under-resourced, particularly in the developing nations (Ngui, 2010). Mental health and the issues that revolve around the disease are still very much taboo than in the U.S. which makes for accurate diagnosis and treating the disease very tough. With the stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease is some countries such as

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