Mental+health+sufferers,+are+they+diamonds+or+just+plain+nuts?


 * Name**: Niel Sharp
 * Student Number**: n8092427
 * Tutor**: Jacinda Wilson

**Cultural Artifact**
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This was composed by The Royal Phillharmonic Orchestra to a song written by David Gilmore, Roger Walters, and Richard Wright. Their band Pink Floyd influenced the direction of progressive rock music for the later part of the last century. This song was recorded between January and July 1975 and released as part of their Wish You Were Here album on the 15th of September 1975. The song in itself goes for 26.11 minutes, although it is usually broken into two parts, and was used to open and close the album. Since first release this song has featured on numerous other Pink Floyd albums and has been significantly listed in popularity ratings.

Public Health Issue
Mental Illness has been identified as one of the foremost issues concerning Australia’s burden of disease (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). However, only a small percentage of mental health sufferers seek or receive any treatment (Kelly et al, 2010). Indicators reveal that Indigenous, socio-economically disadvantaged and rural Australians experience greater levels of mental illness than the rest of the population (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). Therefore from a public health perspective there appears to be a need to promote awareness of the services and impacts of mental health within the community, so as to decrease the stigma and ignorance associated with seeking treatment and encourage help-seeking behaviour.

Mental Health
Significant changes have been made in the delivery of mental health services in this country. This has been strongly influenced by a scaling down of large mental institutions and asylums in the 1970s-80s, replacing them with smaller units in general hospitals and increasing community care. These institutions focused on a custodial approach to treatment where patients were held for humane reasons, and relied heavily on restraints and tranquillisation (Happel, 2007). These changes were determined by strong economic and political forces in response to scandals, inquiries and unwillingness to upgrade facilities. This move placed an estimated 90% of severely mentally ill people into the community, by 1984 in NSW (Rosen, 2006).

This resulted in an increased awareness of the impact mental illness can have within the community, prompting The Australian Bureau of Statistics to start undertaking National Surveys for Mental Health and Wellbeing in 1997. These surveys revealed that mental-health and substance abuse account for 13% of the total disease burden in Australia, affecting one in five Australians (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2006). Estimates show that up to 7 million Australians may suffer from mental health related problems across their life course and 20% of the population will experience mental health problems annually (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2011). Higher rates of mental illness occur in women, youth, the unemployed, and people who have been incarcerated. However, Indigenous, socio-economically disadvantaged and rural Australians experience greater levels of mental illness than the rest of the population (ABS, 2008).

Suicide has been recognised as a leading cause of premature death in regards to mental illness, with the suicide rate for Indigenous males aged 0-24 being three times the rate in non-Indigenous males, and for Indigenous females five times the rate in the same age group (ABS, 2008). This is possibly due to reduced levels of access to mental health services by racial/ethnic minorities, despite more positive attitudes in regards to the effectiveness of treatment. (Anglin, Alberti, Link, Phelan, 2008). Australia’s youth suicide has been rated amongst the highest in the world, particularly in regards to adolescent rural males (Hodges, O’Brien, & McGorry, 2007), with many believing the prevalence of mental illness and suicide in rural areas may be impacted by socio-economic status and geographical location (Kelly et al (2010). Some of the influences concerning these issues may be cultural mistrust, inequalities in the delivery of services, lack of access to services and workforce shortages (Anglin et al, 2008; Kelly et al, 2010).

Mental illness is a term used to explain a variety of diagnosable disorders which interfere with an individual’s thoughts, social abilities, and emotions (Council of Australian Governments [COAG], 2006). These disorders can significantly affect personal development, quality of life, employment and educational opportunities (COAG, 2006). Therefore, mental heath sufferers need access to a variety of services across different government health-care settings, as well as community support, education and training opportunities and stable accommodation. Nevertheless, there are still alarming inequities in access to these services across all states and territories in Australia (National Mental Health Report 2010). The economic costs of mental illness is estimated to cost Australians around 20 billion dollars annually through productivity loss and workforce participation, therefore there are many social and economical advantages to improving mental health for all Australians (COAG, 2006).

The available evidence suggests that only a small percentage of individuals seek or receive any help in regards to mental health problems (Kelly et al, 2010), with only 25% of adolescents with mental health concerns and half of adolescents with severe mental health concerns gaining any treatment (Hodges et al, 2007). This illustrates the need to broaden the reach and effectiveness of mental health services in the community, by creating services more suitable for reducing the consequences of untreated mental illness within Australia’s diverse culture (Kelly et al. 2010). Many government initiatives have been designed to increase community awareness of the impact of mental illness, as well as to reduce the stigma and ignorance associated with this disease. These initiatives provide information for the broader community in regards to available services, advice and treatment options (Beyondblue, 2011).

Recent research tested the awareness of young people in regards to mental health services specific for their age group in Australia. Results support previous findings of high awareness levels for organisations like //Beyondblue//, //Kids Helpline// and //Lifeline//. However, there appears to be a lack of awareness in regards to mental health services in teenage males. More alarmingly there was no association between individuals suffering from psychological distress and the awareness of mental health services, indicating a need to increase the awareness levels of mental health services for those most in need (Jorm, 2009). In response to this issue new government initiatives such as //Headspace// have been created to decrease the burden of disease in young people, with the primary focus being on rural youth. These programs are designed to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and promote help-seeking behaviour (Hoges et al, 2007).

Other significant changes to occur in Australia during the last decade have been the increase in the amount of available literature concerning mental health issues (Highet et al, 2005). Further research tested the effectiveness of this literature in regards to depression being recognised as a mental illness, as well as measuring the exposure to this material within the community. Results show high levels of exposure to organisations and information regarding depression, as well as an increased awareness of the major mental health concerns relating to depression, indicating the potential these campaigns have within the community (Highet et al, 2005). However, as one in three Australians are born overseas, there appears to be a lack of awareness to mental health services by ethnic minorities. Therefore the benefits of promoting mental health awareness within these communities can help to increase the knowledge of the impact of mental illness and the available services, as well as create avenues to assist overcome cultural and linguistic barriers and encourage help-seeking behaviour. This may assist to provide more culturally specific treatments and service planning for more effective service delivery (Khawaja, Gomez, Turner, 2009).

Some limitations to these statistics are that they may not reflect a true representation of the impact of mental illness within the community. As the National Survey for Mental Health and Wellbeing (2007) concentrated on households and people aged between 16-85 years (ABS, 2008). Therefore, it neglected prisoners, homeless, people under 16 and rural Australians. However, the information on service usage helps to develop more effective policies, programs and interventions to better assist mental health sufferers (ABS, 2008).

Social and Cultural Analysis
Positivist theorists believe social facts can be explained by studying patterns in society based on empirical data and statistics (Bulbeck, 1998, p.242). From a positivist perspective this information helps to describe the alarming impact of mental illness within the Australian community, especially in regards to certain groups within our culture that seem to be more susceptible to mental ill-health than others.

Emile Durkeim believed these patterns indicate social facts about the structure of society, particularly in regards to the amount of cohesion the individual has into society. His theory on suicide is relevant to mental health as when there is a lack of social cohesion between the individual and the group, egotism or anomie may occur (Bulbeck, 1998, p.242). Egotism may explain the high levels of untreated mental illness within our community, especially our youth, as social bonds break down due to the stigma associated with seeking treatment, causing the individual to detach from the group and refuse to seek help. Racial/ethnic minorities may experience the affects of anomie, as during times of rapid social change individuals can become confused and unclear about what is normal. This may influence feelings of cultural mistrust and bias, inequities in the quality of service and a decrease in help-seeking behaviour. The higher levels of mental illness within the socio-economically disadvantaged, imprisoned and rural Australians could be a form of Fatalism, occurring when there is too much social cohesion or over regulation. This may cause a person to feel trapped and powerless over their situation. Some limitations of Durkeims theory in regards to mental illness in Australia could be unreliable data statistics, as most mental illness goes unreported and untreated, as well as how genetics can influence these issues.

However, more recent strengths-based models have been found to be useful in improving mental health (Lukens, 2002). This model is based on stress and coping theory and focuses on working toward solutions, by early intervention, identifying problems, empowerment through learning and support. It recognises the value of sharing information, ongoing assessment and collaboration as the basis for improving mental health and promoting awareness (Lukens, 2002). Thereby building avenues to inform clients and raise awareness of the impacts and services for mental illness as well as to progressively monitor the progress and challenges of the client. This also promotes resilience and solutions as the foundation for self-efficacy and awareness, enabling clients to identify behaviours and work towards positive change, and thus building self-esteem and promoting a sense of empowerment over their illness (Lukens, 2002). Finally, this theory encourages building alliances by collaboration between clients, providers and supports, creating safety networks which can identify problems, risks and needs for those suffering from mental illness. These networks increase the opportunity of early interventions and help-seeking behaviour. This theory is designed to change the delivery of mental health services from an ‘us versus them’ approach to a more shared model of care (Lukens, 2002).

Artifact Analysis and Reflections
The song I used as the artefact to illustrate mental health awareness was written by Pink Floyd as a tribute to one of their founding members Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett. It represents the personal and social challenges associated with mental illness. By the end of Syd’s music career he was unable to perform, forcing the band to replace him. Obviously in trouble, his mental health continued to deteriorate due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance associated with mental illness. As Pink Floyd went on to worldwide success, Syd spent the last 30 years of his life in his mother’s semi-detached house, a virtual recluse until his death in 2006.

On reflection this assignment has helped me to better understand the extent to which mental illness is prevalent within the community, as well as the obstacles and barriers which may prevent individuals with mental illness to seek treatment. I have a greater awareness of how some individuals are disadvantaged in regards to mental health services and the benefits for the whole community in decreasing the stigma and ignorance associated with this disease.

=Schizophrenia Ones Mans Struggle= I thought your wiki page was great it flowed well and was easy to read. The poem was an excellent artifact and the literature review presented the problem of the stigmatization associated with mental illness, as well as the challenges and barriers faced by individuals suffering from schizophrenia really well.I liked the the way you described the differing theories of philosophical and psychological approaches and the need for more holistic theories for more effective treatments. Great work. ||
 * [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/user_none_lg.jpg width="48" height="48" caption="nelson47" link="http://www.wikispaces.com/user/view/nelson47"]] || [|nelson47] 54 minutes ago
 * [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/user_none_lg.jpg width="48" height="48" caption="nelson47" link="http://www.wikispaces.com/user/view/nelson47"]] || [|nelson47] 54 minutes ago

=Mental health and social stigma= Great wiki page. The cartoon and poem was a excellent artifact for this topic.I thought the way you defined stigma and illustrated the growing interest in the topic, through the amount of recent literature to work really well. As well as the impact of social distancing on mental health sufferers. Your social and cultural analysis of Durkeims theory explained the affects of a lack of social cohesion on the individual perfectly. As well as your analysis described the personal affects of stigmatization by presenting the feelings of the artifacts author well. Great work. || **References**
 * [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/user_none_lg.jpg width="48" height="48" caption="nelson47" link="http://www.wikispaces.com/user/view/nelson47"]] || [|nelson47] just now
 * [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/user_none_lg.jpg width="48" height="48" caption="nelson47" link="http://www.wikispaces.com/user/view/nelson47"]] || [|nelson47] just now
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