Mental Health Service Gaps

Each individual’s health and well-being are vital and are so influenced by experiences and opportunities in several areas of life (Goldman et al, 2014). For example, for those facing mental health issues, community-based treatment includes not only health treatments, but also support and resources in other areas of life. As a result, enhancing mental health cannot be accomplished solely through the health sector; it requires an entire-government approach that brings together several sectors that have an impact on people suffering from mental illness, such as education, housing, justice, and welfare, among others (Goldman et al, 2014). This paper examines the service gaps for people with mental health problem, how they could be addressed as well as how education in psychology could prepare a person to work in the community.

Mental Health Service Gaps

To begin with, there are significant service gaps for people with mental health problems that result in poverty and homelessness(Goldman et al, 2014).Where these services are available the lack of integration act as an obstacle to the health and well-being of people suffering from mental illness. Other service gaps lacking for people with mental health problem comprise of; income support, social and community services, and consumer-run services among others (Goldman et al, 2014).

How to address Mental Health Service Gaps

These problems are very dire and could only be addressed if the entire government approach is applied and the department of families, community services, and indigenous Affairs are ready to acknowledge the need for integration of services (Goldman et al, 2014). Firstly, these problems could be addressed by training and education the service staff. This is because there seems to be a lack of understanding about mental health which leads to mainstream service providers to exclude people with mental illness (Goldman et al, 2014). This poor level of knowledge and skill among staff within the government and non-government organization continues to create problems of several services. By so doing, the mentally sick people are not included in housing, employment, law enforcement and community development services. As a result, training and consultation programs are needed to help in developing knowledge and capacity within the service providers.

Moreover, there is also need for consumer-run services in order to reduce the shortage of community support services such as the consumer initiated and managed like the housing, home help, recreation, family support, employment and education for people with mental illness together with their families (Goldman et al, 2014). Finally, appropriate accommodation is a fundamental requirement for addressing such problems for it underlies the policy of community-based care and treatment for people who suffer from mental illness (Goldman et al, 2014).

Importance of psychology

The education in psychology will indeed help me to work in the community since it has a lot of essential information to offer pertaining to people with mental illness. Psychology is the study of people behavior, performance, and mental operations. It also includes the application of knowledge that is used for understanding events, treating mental health issues, improving education, employment and relationships (Walker et al, 2017). Therefore, it is a subject that lies at the intersection of applied, educational and theoretical science. This means that, the subject will provide me with a lot of knowledge which will make me more determined to help the people with mental illness. It will not only help me to understand the people suffering with mental illness, but also make me to understand myself better on a more positive aspect and help me to handle the problems better. Psychology will also help me make better decisions when it comes to offering the most needed services within the life of mentally sick people. Psychology helps in learning about mental disorders and treatment option, and so it will help me to work in community for it will provide me with the prospect of being able to assist not only the mentally sick people but also others in their struggle to live a normal life (Walker et al, 2017).

Conclusion

In conclusion, several gaps exist for people with mental health problem. These gaps need to be addressed in both health sector and governmental level. This is because the government approaches will be the one to bring together other sectors that impact on people who suffer from mental health problems. Moreover, training and consultation programs are needed to help in developing knowledge and capacity within the service providers (Goldman, et al, 2014). Psychology education offers the best understanding of people suffering from mental problems and so it prepares people to work well in community.

References

Goldman, H. H., Buck, J. A., Thompson, K., & American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Transforming mental health services: Implementing the federal agenda for change. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Walker, Carl, Hanna, Paul, & Hart, Angie. (2017). Building a New Community Psychology of Mental Health: Spaces, Places, People and Activities. Palgrave Macmillan.