Mental Health is a common topic in all agenda’s in the United States. It is currently looked at broadly across all segments of health; in fact, over the years there have been multiple approaches to addressing the needs of the population affected by lack of mental health or that have prominent mental health disorders. Over the past century the United States has been especially concerned about the mental health problems of our children and youth (Tuma, 1989). Worldwide 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). This topic has been so important to the extent that as early as 1909, the white house conference on children recommended new programs to care for mentally disturbed children (Tuma, 1989), but the process seems to continue to be in planning phases with some advancement in mental health policies for children. One hundred years later, the surgeon general national agenda for children’s health, the president’s new freedom commission on mental health and the American Psychological Association are all pushing efforts to address children’s mental health issues (Odar et al, 2013). More so, the stakeholders mentioned above agree on the fact that there is a large gap between the mental health needs of children and the supports and services that are available to meet those needs (Tolan and Dodge, 2005). However, in spite of many different approaches Tolan and Dodge (2005) state that “Children’s mental health continues to be neglected even with growing scientific evidence of the importance of mental health in children’s development” this is occurring specially within the primary developmental systems such as pediatric care and school, and of efficacy of interventions for chil... ... middle of paper ... ...03-911. Stroul, B. A., Pires, S. A., Armstrong, M. I., & Meyers, J. C. (1998). The impact of managed care on mental health services for children and their families. Future of Children, 8, 119-133. Tolan, P. H., & Dodge, K. A. (2005). Children's mental health as a primary care and concern: a system for comprehensive support and service. American Psychologist, 60(6), 601. Tuma, J. M. (1989). Mental health services for children: The state of the art. American Psychologist, 44(2), 188. World Health Organization. Child Mental Health http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/en/ http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/mental-health-benefits-state-mandates.aspx Yoshikawa, H., Aber, J. L., & Beardslee, W. R. (2012). The effects of poverty on the mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children and youth: Implications for prevention. American Psychologist, 67(4), 272.
The culture of managed care for behavioral mental health is rapidly changing. In 2014, the American health care community saw new federal legislation requiring the inclusion of behavioral health in insurance plans (retrieved: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/your-money/understanding-new-rules-that-widen-mental-health-coverage.html?_r=0) . These legislations came at the heal of several debates about the gro...
Patel, V., Flisher, A. J., Hetrick, S., & McGorry, P. (2007). Mental health of young people: a
U.S. Public Health Service.(1999). The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health. Retrieved June,5,2000, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html
Sturm R, Ringel JS, Andreyeva T. Geographic Disparities in Children’s Mental Health Care. Pediatrics. 2003; 112(4):308-315.
Challenges due to poverty could be addressed by providing financial assistance, food, and clothing. Time spent with parents is essential when dealing with children who have behavioral issues because parents or guardians may not have the funds or time to spend with their children due to other obligations needed to support the family. Parents and guardians play a major role in helping children grow and develop to their fullest potential. As children grow, they depend on their parents or guardians for basic needs and support such as food, shelter, education, protection, and care. During their life difficulties and times of crisis, they depend on family for guidance. Mental disorders in childhood and adolescence can be chronic, require proper attention, help, and support from caregivers and teachers as well. Parents and guardians living with children with mental illness disorders have additional responsibilities and roles to care for them as they do for healthy children. The best way to help those families are to have them participate in their own income generating activities such as respite services or programs accepted by Medicaid where they receive counseling from social workers or other healthcare professional. Pelham et al. (2007) found that using a cost of illness (COI) framework examines the economic impact of ADHD in childhood and adolescences and identified studies; therefore, most conducted on existing databases by using diagnostic and medical procedure codes focused on health care costs. The costs were examined for ADHD treatment and other health care costs, education, parental work loss, and juvenile justice. According to Pelham et al. (2007), this incomplete evidence base estimated that annu...
Imagine you are married with children; your child has been acting different lately, so you take them to the doctor. Once there you find out that they have a mental illness. What do you do? Over the years, it has been estimated that around twenty percent of children worldwide are suffering from a form of mental illness such as Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Schizophrenia, and Anxiety Disorders. Ultimately, parents of these children end up struggling with their own psychological, emotional, social, and economic challenges while providing for their child with the mental illness. Raising a child with mental illness can be a challenge, but through increased knowledge and adjusted attitudes parents can be more prepared.
Stagman, Shannon, and Janice L. Cooper. "Children's Mental Health." WWW.nccp.org. Ed. Columbia University. Columbia University, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. .
Tolan, P. H., & Dodge, K. A. (2005). Children's mental health as a primary care and concern: a system for comprehensive support and service. American Psychologist, 60(6), 601.
Walker, S. (2008). Social work and child and adolescent mental health. Dorset: Russell House Publishing Ltd.
...‘Opportunities in public policy to support infant and early childhood mental health’, American Psychologist, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 129-139.
In 1984 Congress began to appropriate funding to aid in the children’s mental health initiative. The present initiative that is in place is guided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The need for reform and interventi...
The Children’s Center is a private, not-for-profit mental health clinic located in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Their mission is to provide “comprehensive mental health care to enhance the emotional well-being of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families.” They provide affordable services and subsidize families in need with charitable funds. It is the largest agency of its kind and provides care to over 2,000 families a year, helping children under the age of seven to improve in managing their feelings, learning to play, making friends, and succeeding in school and at home.
In this changing healthcare environment, pediatricians will be expected more frequently to treat mental health disorders and to start psychiatric medications. Approximately half of the pediatric office visits in a primary setting involve emotional, behavioral, developmental, psychosocial,
I am optimistic about the future direction of mental health promotion. The most crucial stage of life is the start of childhood with the reduction of risk factors for mental illness. Mental health and the community/environment are essential for child’s development, social and emotional health and well-being. (Eaton, 2012). If we continue to move forward and towards more resources for mental health early intervention and prevention, this would ensure a child’s behavior and mental needs are addressed before problems occur well into adulthood. (Eaton. 2012). I am hopeful the tools will provide the families, the education, and the knowledge to reduce the risk factors and provide a healthier environment for each individual child.
In this society, protecting children is a responsibility of every single person being as Parents, governments and businesses. We all have a role to play. During lifetime, if children experience mental health problems, their thoughts, emotions and behaviours will be affected. Factors that lead to mental health problems are;