Why Mental Health Should Be a Priority

Introduction

            With no question, our respective mental health plays a critical role in our daily lives mainly because it is concerned with our emotions, psychological thoughts, as well as well-being. Thus, it can greatly affect our actions, the way we decide, as well as feel in general. For instance, mental health conditions continue to rise in today’s time, and these difficult circumstances due to the pandemic just makes it worse. Around 20% of the world’s adolescents and children hold a mental health condition, allowing sucicide to be the second leading cause of death among these individuals  (World Health Organization, n.d). Thus, it is worthy to note that mental health should be taken of utmost importance as it is an essential tool that can shape our well-being at every stage of life. Consequently, this essay aims to identify different mental health disorders, its causes and effects, as well as treatment options through extensive research taken from reliable articles and studies. Further, the student believes that mental health should be prioritized within people who come from different walks of life.

Mental health disorders

            Mental health disorders can come in many forms. Mental disorders greatly affect the very core of our being because of our diverse experiences and phenomena that alters our cognitive reasoning, consciousness, and perception about others and self (Malla et. al, 2015). Further, the importance of physical and mental health are equal, however, people with mental illnesses are stereotyped and somewhat degraded by society (Bimpong, 2017). Hence, some of us advocate and argue that mental illnesses should be perceived at the same level as medical illnesses. There are several disorders that target our mental health; these disorders include anxiety, behavioural and emotional illnesses, bipolar disorder, depression, dissociative and eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, paranoia, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress, psychosis, and many more. These mental health conditions contribute and have a negative effect on all areas of life including performance, relationships, participation, and even school (World Health Organization, n.d). With that being said, it is evident that there is a need for mental and emotional health to be prioritized for the reason that this is a vital aspect that can greatly impact our quality of life. Moreover, it is crucial to recognize the fact that these disorders should be seen as a threat projected towards our actions and life. In simpler terms, these mental health conditions impose a threat towards one’s thinking.

Causes and effects

            The causes and effects of developing a mental health disorder is difficult and complex as it cannot be identified similarly to medical conditions such as diseases that can be detected through healthcare machines. To give an example of a cause, diagnosing depression is likely to be seen in people who acquire several and unique underlying problems (Weir, 2012). These underlying problems can be linked to other disorders that are left untreated overtime. Common disorders such as depression are caused by a vast array of factors; these factors could be seen through genetics, abnormalities in the brain’s chemistry, as well as exposure to stress and trauma that was experienced throughout childhood. These causes lead to an unhealthy mindset driven by our past experiences and histories. On the other hand, there are specific examples in line with the indirect and direct effects of these conditions to worsen as time goes by: financial problems, physical health issues, the lack of stability in terms of job and establishing good relationships and interaction with people, suicide, and the idea of being taken advantage of by others, as some people see mental health disorders to be a a dicriminative disability. Through the aforementioned information, it is comprehensible to suggest that individuals should invest more on mental health.

Treatment

            Seeking help should be accessible to all people as being mentally healthy is a basic human right. The most important step we should take in order to advance mental health care is to give people access to treatments, most especially those who come from low-income families as they are the most vulnerable (Spector, 2020). Fortunately, the pandemic aids in the recognition of some people towards the idea of mental health being an essential instrument of one’s well-being. In essence, different mental health disorders can be treated through psychotherapy, hospitalization, short and long term medication, peer support and attending support groups, self-help plans, as well as alternative medicine. However, there is still a gap between people in need of care and those with actual access to care, hence why effective treatment coverage is critically low (World Health Organization, n.d). Moreover, untreated mental illnesses are becoming normalized across the globe, with about 450 million people having a disorder (Bimpong, 2017). Thus, the healthcare community should continue to have further research and knowledge with regards to neurobiology, socio-cultural factors, as well as histories of each individual in order for the world to have a deeper understanding and explanation in terms of treating mental health disorders.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, being mentally stable and emotionally healthy will allow us to shift towards a positive direction that is more productive, stable, as well as effective. In addition, mental health should be critically approached with caution and knowledge at a young age primarily because it plays an important role in one’s personal character development throughout life. Unquestionably, there are several mental health disorders existing today and it is essential for the healthcare community to treat these illnesses the same way as medical problems. These disorders affect the quality of life to a high extent. On the other hand, there are many ways as to how mentally ill individuals can be treated: therapy, consultations, diagnosis, etc. However, although treatments are made accessible to the public, it is imperative to note that determining the causes and effects of mental health disorders need more thorough research in order for us to have the ability to understand the complexity of our respective mental health and well-being. Thus, it is conclusive to say that maintaining a healthy mental health should be a priority within people as this will allow us to cultivate communities and societies where suicide and harmful actions cannot foster as a whole.

OUTLINE

• Introduction
  • Our respective mental health plays a critical role in our daily lives mainly because it is concerned with our emotions, psychological thoughts, as well as well-being.
  • This essay aims to identify different disorders, its causes and effects, as well as treatment options through extensive research.
• Mental health disorders
  • There are several disorders that target our mental health; these disorders include anxiety, behavioural and emotional illnesses, bipolar disorder, depression, dissociative and eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, paranoia, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress, psychosis, and many more.
• Causes and effects
  • The causes and effects of developing a mental health disorder is difficult and complex as it cannot be identified similarly to medical conditions such as diseases that can be detected through healthcare machines.
  • There are specific examples in line with the indirect and direct effects of these conditions to worsen as time goes by: financial problems, physical health issues, the lack of stability in terms of job and establishing good relationships and interaction with people, suicide, and the idea of being taken advantage of by others, as some people see mental health disorders to be a a dicriminative disability.
• Treatment
  • Seeking help should be accessible to all people as being mentally healthy is a basic human right.
  • The healthcare community should continue to have further research and knowledge with regards to neurobiology, socio-cultural factors, as well as histories of each individual in order for the world to have a deeper understanding and explanation in terms of treating mental health disorders.
• Conclusion
  • In conclusion, being mentally stable and emotionally healthy will allow us to shift towards a positive direction that is more productive, stable, as well as effective.
  • It is conclusive to say that maintaining a healthy mental health should be a priority within people as this will allow us to cultivate communities and societies where suicide and harmful actions cannot foster as a whole.
• Works cited
  • Bimpong, Milena. “Untreated Mental Illnesses: The Causes and Effects | Princeton Public Health Review.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, 20 Apr. 2017, pphr.princeton.edu/2017/04/30/untreated-mental-illnesses-the-causes-and-effects/.
  • Malla, Ashok, et al. “‘Mental Illness Is like Any Other Medical Illness’: A Critical Examination of the Statement and Its Impact on Patient Care and Society.” Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience : JPN, 8872147 Canada Inc., May 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4409431/.
  • “Mental Health.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1.
  • Spector, Nicole. “Mental Health: How We've Improved and Where We Need to Do Better in 2020.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 10 Jan. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/mental-health-how-we-ve-improved-where-we-need-do-ncna1108721.
  • Weir, Kirsten. “The Roots of Mental Illness.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, June 2012, www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/roots.
• Word count and page count
  • 1,021 words, 4 pages in total