Current Mental Health Contexts Of Practice
Question:
Discuss About The Current Mental Health Contexts Of Practice?
Answer:
Introduction
Mental health recovery process refers to the process of retaining and gaining hope, understanding the preferences and demands of mentally ill individuals, recognizing the range of conditions, personal autonomy, level of engagement in an active life, social identity, meaning of life, and positive self-esteem (National Mental Health Strategy, 2014). Mental healthcare consumers refer to people who are provided with the necessary support and intervention approaches for treating the consumers (Health.vic.gov.au, 2014). The essay will elaborate on four major principles of mental health recovery as a part of consumer voice during the recovery process. The essay will illustrate the role of uniqueness of individual, dignity and rights, partnership and communication, and attitude and rights of the consumers.
Effective partnership with the individuals recognizes the fact that all people are expert of their lives. This results in involving the people while delivering care services and enhances their recovery. It promotes collaboration among carers, consumers, and service providers. This increases understanding between major stakeholders and improves personal recovery (Jacob, Munro, Taylor & Griffiths, 2017). The recovery principles involve fostering effective partnership that will make the concerned healthcare professionals respond directly to provide technical or pharmacological assistance to the target population (Bennetts, Pinches, Paluch & Fossey, 2013). Partnerships with key service providers in interprofessional communication for recovery of community mental health also enhance the wellbeing. According to the WPA, there are a plethora of barriers that hinder the process of effective partnership during mental health recovery. Lack of commitment as displayed by the healthcare workers, and professional staff is a major disadvantage in promoting recovery. In addition, respecting the basic human rights of all mental consumers and displaying a respectful attitude and behaviour towards them form the basis of an effective provider-service user partnership. Mental recovery process can also get delayed due to differences in opinion that exists between the stakeholders. (Wallcraft et al., 2011). Long distances and isolation of the mental consumers pose major threats to the communication strategies (Millar & Sands, 2013). Moreover, communication between the stakeholders involves positive self-talk, assertiveness, empathy, and establishment of social cues (National Mental Health Strategy, 2014).
Recovery principles that focus on uniqueness of an individual examine the determinates of existing individual differences among all mental health consumers, along the origin of their mental disorders. Uniqueness determination helps in identifying and assessing the ways by which mental health recovery services can be developed and formulated. It also helps in recognising that there are a range of mental experiences experienced by all people (National Mental Health Strategy, 2014). This aspect of the recovery principle works towards giving a hope that mental consumers can also lead a purposeful life. Online peer support programs have proved successful in enhancing coping strategies among the mental health consumers. They also enhance the overall psychological and emotional wellbeing of all individuals (Ali, Farrer, Gulliver & Griffiths, 2015). All mental consumers are presumed to possess the capacity of providing their informed consent for a particular treatment or intervention, regardless of the prevailing mental condition. Consent of family members are also considered essential for recovery programs. Specific portions of the Mental Health Act impose legislation on cases where people are treated without their consent (Health.vic.gov.au, 2014). Thus, all individuals deserve a range of informed choices that enhances their survival.
The recovery principles also consider it imperative to pay attention to the rights and attitudes of mental health consumers. A positive mental attitude facilitates improvements in recovery chances. Attitudes displayed by peers or family members towards mental health consumers have the potential of affecting the ways they consider themselves, thereby adversely increasing their likelihood of failing to recover. This encompasses mental health advocacy that assists mental consumers to express their views and demands, thereby assisting them to stand for their rights. Recovery programs that focus on attitudes and rights often involve helping the mental consumers about their rights under the jurisdiction of the Mental Health Act 2014 (Health.vic.gov.au, 2014). These programs are therefore successful in developing recreational and occupational activities that are meaningful for the consumers. Informing them about their rights also encompass creating provisions for training programs and economics that will increase an awareness of the entire community and healthcare workers on the underlying factors that contribute to mental illness (National Mental Health Strategy, 2014). Social advocacy is also considered a major prerequisite that increases awareness on several mental health issues. Consumer advocacy is also essential in exploring the provisions of opinions and rights of mental consumers (Allison, Nance, Bastiampillai, Hooper, Roeger & Goldney, 2014). Advocacy also provides information on legal authorities and creates a better understanding of the reasons behind implementation of particular interventions.
Another major principle underlined by the recovery programs encompass demonstration of appropriate dignity and respect towards the consumers. Dignity is considered as an essential aspect of human rights. The recovery services aim to treat all people with respect, as fellow beings. They illustrate importance of avoiding labelling the individuals based on their mental states (National Mental Health Strategy, 2014). These programs also focus on adopting a person-centred care where the consumers and their preferences and needs are placed at the centre (Bennetts, Pinches, Paluch & Fossey, 2013). This helps in upholding the dignity of the service users. Furthermore, the services tackle discrimination and engage consumers from all ethnic groups, thereby sustaining their self-respect and personal identity. Delivering a person-centred care that is comprehensive and individualised also promotes dignity (Wand & Wand, 2013). Therefore, working towards achieving freedom from discrimination, abuse and violence are the major steps that uphold respect and dignity of the individuals.
The major barriers to mental health recovery include the stigma and stereotypes that exist in the community towards individuals suffering from mental health problems. Limited availability of mental health workers, and inadequate essential medicines restrict the access to mental recovery. High cost of the psychiatric treatment services pose major financial hindrances and make mental recovery unaffordable by the consumers (Wallcraft et al., 2011). Poor literacy on mental illness and limitations in mental health policies also act as major barriers.
While the principles of recognising uniqueness of an individual ensures that all consumers are accepted in the way they are, mental health advocacy provides them equal rights to manifest their preferences and opinions. Partnership and communication is found to empower the consumer that assists them to lead a meaningful life. On the other hand, demonstrating appropriate dignity and respect towards the rights and attitudes of all mental health customers work towards preventing all forms of discrimination towards them and facilitates realisation of self-esteem and worth. Thus, it can be stated that all recovery programs are based on the foundation of enhancing the overall health and wellness of mental consumers, while creating the provision of voicing their opinions.
References
Ali, K., Farrer, L., Gulliver, A., & Griffiths, K. M. (2015). Online peer-to-peer support for young people with mental health problems: a systematic review. JMIR mental health, 2(2), e.19. doi: 10.2196/mental.4418
Allison, S., Nance, M., Bastiampillai, T., Hooper, J., Roeger, L., & Goldney, R. (2014). Health advocacy and the funding of mental health services reform. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(9), 802-804. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867414546388
Bennetts, W., Pinches, A., Paluch, T., & Fossey, E. (2013). Real lives, real jobs: Sustaining consumer perspective work in the mental health sector. Advances in Mental Health, 11(3), 313-325. https://doi.org/10.5172/jamh.2013.11.3.313
Health.vic.gov.au. (2014). Mental Health Act 2014 handbook. [online] Available at: https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health/practice-and-service-quality/mental-health-act-2014-handbook [Accessed 19 Mar. 2018].
Jacob, S., Munro, I., Taylor, B. J., & Griffiths, D. (2017). Mental health recovery: A review of the peer-reviewed published literature. Collegian, 24(1), 53-61. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2015.08.001
Millar, R., & Sands, N. (2013). ‘He did what? Well that wasn’t handed over!’Communicating risk in mental health. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 20(4), 345-354. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2012.01948.x
National Mental Health Strategy. (2014). A national framework for recovery-oriented mental health services GUIDE FOR PRACTITIONERS AND PROVIDERS. [online] Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/…/recovgde.pdf [Accessed 19 Mar. 2018].
Wallcraft, J. A. N., Amering, M., Freidin, J., Davar, B., Froggatt, D., Jafri, H., … & Steffen, S. (2011). Partnerships for better mental health worldwide: WPA recommendations on best practices in working with service users and family carers. World psychology, 10(3), 229-236. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2011.tb00062.x
Wand, A., & Wand, T. (2013). ‘Admit voluntary, schedule if tries to leave’: placing Mental Health Acts in the context of mental health law and human rights. Australasian Psychiatry, 21(2), 137-140. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856212466923
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