Mental Illness Research Paper

I Have A Dream Speech

Today I would like to talk about mental illnesses and mental health issues. For anyone that doesnt know, a mental illness is a disease of the mind. A Report of the Surgeon General defines mental disorders as “health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.” Everyone has difficult emotions from time to time and this is normal. Mental illness, on the other hand, is any condition that makes it difficult to function in daily life. Mental health conditions go beyond these emotional reactions and become something longer lasting. They are medical conditions that cause changes in how we think and feel. They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing.
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People with mental illness remain homeless for longer periods of time and have less contact with family and friends. 30-35 percent of the homeless have a mental illness. According to the NCH, “there are not enough community-based treatment services, nor enough appropriate, affordable housing, to accommodate the number of people disabled by mental disorders in the US.” People who have a severe mental illness are very visible in the homeless population, as they are often released from hospitals and jails without proper community supports in place. Community-based mental health services play an important role. Homelessness could be drastically reduced if people with severe mental illness were able to access housing, as well as other needed community supports. They encounter more barriers to employment and tend to be in poorer health than other homeless people. Housing outreach services that provide a safe place to live are a vital component of stabilizing the illness and helping individuals on their journey to