Public Health Significance of Mental Health & RecommendationsDr Deryck D. Pattron The Problem: Mental health. Mental disorders occur across the lifespan, affecting persons of all racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and all educational and socioeconomic groups. In the US approximately 40 million people aged 18 to 64 years, or 22 % of the population, had a diagnosis of mental disorder alone or of a co-occurring mental and addictive disorder in the past year. At least one in five children and adolescents between age 9 and 17 years has a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. The annual cost of diagnosing and treating mental disorders in the US is 69 billion in 1996. Recommendations for Prevention: * Improve mental health and ensure access to appropriate, quality mental health services. * Develop service delivery mechanisms for early recognition of symptoms and interventions. * Implement fundamental structural changes that require creative and flexible responses from service providers, administrators, researchers and policymakers alike. * More social and behavioral research is needed to explore the concept of resilience to identify strengths that may promote health and healing. * Although mental illnesses, for the most part are equal opportunity disorders, there are some marked differences in how they present themselves and how they are prevented, diagnosed and treated by gender, racial and ethnic group and age. * Additional research is needed to help quantify the public health burden of stress and identify ways to prevent or alleviate it through environmental or individual strategies. * Implement strategies for translating new knowledge into clinical applications can strengthen opportunities for future clinical and service system innovations. * Seeking timely help and support with personal and emotional problems. * Using community support programs for severe and persistent disorders. * Develop educational and outreach programs to reduce the negative consequences of mental disorders. * Rehabilitation is an essential part of care for adults with serious mental illness. To promote independent living, rehabilitation programs often evaluate and place these persons in jobs. * Drug treatment. Mental disorders can be treated using a range of drugs including: cholinergic inhibitors, muscarinic agonists, calcium channel blockers, anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogen, antioxidants, ampakines, neuropeptides, trophic factors and protease inhibitors and antidepressants. About the author: Dr Pattron is a Scientist and Public Health Consultant Do you like this article? Click here to read more!
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