Are+We+Lost+in+Medical+World?+Anti-depressants+&+anti-psychotic+drugs+causing+more+harm+than+good!

Student Name. Samwel Ni Yukuri Student No. n8283613 Course Code. PUB209 Tutor: Sophie Miller, Thursday 3pm - 4 ==

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=**Population Ageing!! mental disorders, anxiety and depression skyrocketing, what are future break-throughs in medications???**=

World-wide population is ageing with an increasing number of people living a healthy and independent life well beyond 65 years of age (ABS, 2011). Anxiety and depression are common in the elderly and are often accompanied by physical ill health, dementia, disability or bereavement. People with life-long mental illness and related disability continue to experience age-related frailty and disease. The cost of mental health medications hit the highest peak, services demand for elderly people with mental health problems who are living in residential aged care or in the community need to be enhanced. Patients are financially struggling to keep up with the dramatic increase in mental health medications price. Prescription to anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medications amongst patients with schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other mental distress became more predominant.

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John Breeding. (2009). Drugs withdrawals, Pschiatric, Mental Health Medications


 * Cultural Artefact **

The above artifacts is “ad for Thorazine’’ example of phallic artifacts from African descent. It was use often as conjured up image of the ‘unruly” and “primitive” precisely at the time when the demographic composition of this diagnosis was dramatically shifting from a mostly white clientele, to a group of predominately black, confined, mental patients, (Smith & French Lab….., 1969). The Konde is incarnation of Ndobi, an evil spirit that causes disease, crafted by Bakongo, in Zaire known today as D.R.C. Was used as wish pro-jection “causes” illness when a nail is driven into the statue, and also used to “drive out” an illness. The mask was crafted by Anang Ibibio in Nigeria. It represents the spirit of the underworld, and today is used by the Ekpo male society, which honors dead ancestors and enforces the law. The ad exclaims western medicine’s superiority in treating mental illness with modern pharmaceutical, by contrasting the primitive tools used by less enlightened cultures.

**Public Health Issue**

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In modern times, the incidence of mental illness in Australia is lower when compared to the United Kingdom and United State of America, and many other western countries. The costs of psychiatric medications continue skyrocket putting pressure of families with members who are prescribed to a variety of psychotherapeutic medications. According to World Health Organisation (2003), the burden of mental disorders is expected to rise significantly over the next 20 years and we are not doing enough to address the growing mental health challenges. Worldwide, about 25 millions suffer from schizophrenia, 38 millions suffer from epilepsy, 150 millions suffer from depression, nearly 1 million commit suicide every year and 90 millions suffer from drug-use disorders (WHO, 2011). T he cost of mental health problems in developed countries is estimated to be between 3% and 4% of GNP. Between 44% and 70% of patients with mental disorders do not receive treatment. In developing countries the figures are even more startling, with the treatment gap being close to 90%.This growing burden amounts to a huge cost in terms of human misery, disability and economic loss.


 * Literature Review **

Mental illness treatment has been around as a phenomenon from the period primitive use of western medicine such “Thorazani” to control psychotic symptoms, to modern advance psychotherapeutic medications such as, anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs. Over the past 3 decades, there has been a huge shift in production of psychotherapeutic medications introducing new anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs. Research now indicates that antidepressant effects result from slow-onset adaptive changes within the brain cells, or neurons. The dosage of antidepressants varies, depending on the type of drug, the person's body chemistry, age, and, sometimes body weight. Dosages are generally started low and raised gradually over time until the desired effect is reached without the appearance of troublesome side effects (AIHW, 2011).

Like any medication, psychotherapeutic medications do not produce the same effect in everyone. Some people may respond better to one medication than another. Some may need larger dosages than others do. Some experience annoying side effects, while others do not. They differ in their side effects and, to some extent, in their level of effectiveness are some of the factors that can influence a medication's effect. Antidepressants are used most widely for serious depressions, but they can also be helpful for some milder depressions. Antidepressants, although they are not "uppers" or stimulants, take away or reduce the symptoms of depression and help the depressed person feel the way he did before he became depressed (Australian Medical Association, 2011). Children, the elderly, and pregnant and nursing women have special concerns and needs when taking psychotherapeutic medications. Some effects of medications on the growing body, the aging body, and the childbearing body are known, but much remains to be learned. A woman who is taking psychotherapeutic medication and plans to become pregnant must discuss with her doctor; if she discovers that she is pregnant, she should contact her doctor immediately. During early pregnancy, there is a possible risk of birth defects with some of these medications.

Antipsychotic medications are helpful to people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and some forms of bipolar disorder. They are able to reduce, or sometimes eliminate, the distressing and disabling symptoms of psychosis, such as paranoia, confused thinking, delusions and hallucinations, so that the person taking them feels better (Larry, 2011). Research report presents clear evidence that mental health and mental illness are shaped by age, gender, race, and culture as well as additional facets of diversity that can be found within all of these population groups—for example, physical disability or a person’s sexual orientation (Mental Health of Australians, 2006). The consequences of not understanding these influences can be profoundly deleterious. While women and men experience mental disorders at almost equal rates, some mental disorders such as depression, panic disorder, and eating disorders affect women disproportionately.


 * Cultural and Social Analysis **

Globally, affordability, accessibility and effectiveness of anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medication is been main criticism nationally and internationally. There continues to be problems with community-based mental health services or people with serious mental illness living in the community, they face difficulties in accessing care by psychiatrists in community settings (AIHW, 2011). The international mental health reforms made significant changes to primary care, improving access for people with mental illness to general practitioners, psychologists and other relevant allied health care workers. People with a mental illness deserve to have ready access to quality mental healthcare based on their particular needs (Breeding, 2009). This requires a significant expansion of services, intervention and support for people with mental illness across the whole continuum of care.

Cultural competence and sensitivity training and promotion are required for those who provide mental health care to patients from special needs groups. Increased funding is needed to address the gaps in our current mental health services and enable the delivery of comprehensive, integrated and coordinated mental health services for all Australians who may develop an acute or chronic mental illness at any stage of their life. Interventions utilizing a social marketing approach to inform, educate and communicate harm reduction in relation to drug use are decidedly lacking (Mental Health of Australian, 2006). A more comprehensive approach would provide alternative activities for youth at risk, seek changes to the way drug use is often positively depicted in entertainment popular with young people, involve parents and carers more and deliver the messages in settings where young people congregate. Mental health policies should contain well-defined strategies for improving access to essential psychotropics; Legislation should be supportive of access, rather than obstructing it (WHO, 2005).

A careful selection of essential psychotropics is also the basis of good supply management and training. Prices of psychotropic medicines have to be affordable to users and health systems, keeping in mind their often chronic use. Adopting best procurement practices will ensure that best prices for good quality products are obtained; sustainable financing is a key condition for continued purchase of what is needed to treat mental disorders (WHO, 2003). Effective, efficient and reliable health and supply systems are needed to deliver psychotropics with minimal waste, this includes safeguarding the quality and safety of medicines, and it is important that doctors and consumers trust the medicines they use.


 * Analysis of the Artefact and Personal Learning Reflections **

The Konde craft is a very important symbol of African development in medications. It represents the history of the shifting from mostly white clientele to a group of predominately black. At present, this craft mean so much to African people and their spiritual connection with God whom they happened to believe that person's development of mental health disorders is a curse from God for their sins. The Kondo Craft is just the perfect ad in illustrating the exclaims western medicine’s superiority in treating mental illness with modern pharmaceutical, by contrasting the primitive tools used by less enlightened cultures (Smith, 1967. & French Laboratory, 1969).

Mental health expenditures for treatment and rehabilitation are an important part of overall health care spending but differ in important ways from other types of health care spending. In general terms, funding for mental health medications drugs is low relative to identified needs growth prescription drugs at the population level. Funding for the mental health services system comes from both public and private sources, therefore the higher growth rate of spending for prescription drugs reflects increasing availability efficacy in treating mental disorders (Satcher, 1999). Medicare does not cover prescription drugs. Middle class old adults have supplemental, however there is a huge barrier among elderly who cannot afford supplemental insurance to access effective treatment.

This body of research had enabled me to see that somewhat any individual have a moral responsibility when it comes to expenditure on prescription drugs. Unfortunately, due to the increase in cost in medications, it is individual’s responsibility to find a medication that is affordable, tolerable and has the least number of side effects while it effectively reduces symptoms. New medications are becoming available regularly, so it is worth pursuing the search for a medication that has the most benefit and the least side effects for a particular person (Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria, 2008). Due to complexity of mental health drugs, lack of adequate knowledge in medications/drugs is actually a determinant for poor decisions when purchasing drugs.

=**Links to the Video**=

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 * Reference List **

Anthony, F Jorm et al,. (1997). "Mental health literacy": a survey of the public's ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. //The Medical Journal of Australia, Canberra, 166, p. 182-186//

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011). Mental health-related Prescriptions. Retrieve November 2nd, 2011 from []

Australian Medical Association. (2011). Mental Health. Retrieve October 10th, from []

David, Satcher. (1999). The cost of mental illness. Retrieve November 2nd, 2011 from []

John Breeding. (2009). Drugs withdrawals, Pschiatric, Mental Health Medications. Retrieve October 31st, 2011 from []

Komossa K, Depping AM, Gaudchau A, Kissling W & Leucht S. (2010). Second-generation antipsychotics for major depressive disorder and dysthymia. Cochrane Database of Systemaric Review 2010, 12(CD008121)

Larry, Hobbs. (2011). Antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs do more harm than good. Retrieve November 1st, 2011 from []

Mental Health of Australian. (2006). Where there’s smoke...- Cannabis and Mental Health. Retrive on Ocober 20th, from []

Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria. (2008). Psychiatric medications. Retrive November 2nd, 2011 from []

Smith, Kline. & French Laboratories. (1967, 1969). Basic tools of primitive psychiatry. //Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 26(7)//

World Health Organisation. (2003). Investing in Mental Health. Department of Mental health and Substance Dependence

World Health Organisation. (2005). Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package: Improving Access and use of psychotropic medicines. Retrieve October 14th, from []

**Wikki comments**

 * Topic: Genuine or Genuine Photo Opportunity – The truth about closing the gap**

[|http://healthculturesociety.wikispaces.com/message/view/+Genuine+or+Genuine+Photo+Opportunity+–+The+truth+about+closing+the+gap/45533266]
 * Link**

The government had done so much like the “Close the Gap” strategy that the Rudd Government and federation opposition leaders signed on, and the commitment of federal government to improve wellbeing of Aboriginal people throughout Australian. The government has spent so much money to try and I improve health care in rural and rural and remote Aboriginal communities, but that is not enough to change the health of our Indigenous. Not only that,

We may ask ourselves, there is so much money has spent in indigenous community, how come the health of Indigenous does not improve or get better. Well to improve the health and well being of a person, you need to improve their health in all five dimension of health, physical, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritual heath. If we only try to improve their health in one dimension of health, we will ever succeed. We need to close the gap between generations. It is important that the next generation are given opportunity to develop empathy for disadvantaged Aboriginal Australians. We must understand the barriers to wellbeing they confront.

The majority of Aboriginal faces many barriers in their everyday life. There are so many factors which influence the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people. In my opinion, I think it is right for every Australian to receive adequate health care because it’s a basic right that makes the health indigenous health crisis one of the biggest issues that Australia is facing today. Aboriginal race is an ancient race, because they are not much develop as we are, they were hunters and gathers therefore they are not as much exposed to European civilisation. Many member of stolen Generation choose not to see a white doctor because of the stolen Generation and memories of racism their faced.

We done too much talk and so much money has been put into Aboriginal communities, but is time to actually start taking actions in regard to the issue of Aboriginal health. We need to educate them, so we can have some Indigenous professionals, doctors and nursers working together with non-Aboriginal health professionals to try and improve the health of Aboriginal people.

i think to improve the health and well being of Indigenous Australians, we need to raise awareness of health issues relating to Aboriginal Australians in rural and remote areas. In this case, I think that the Government should employ indigenous staff and as a community we should have a friendly feel for Indigenous people. The government should employ Indigenous people in health departments so they can work with non-Aboriginal doctors and health professionals in trying to improve Aboriginals health.

Great assignment and well researched. thank you for bringing up this issue


 * Topic :** **Generation Y. Materialistic and egocentric? The deconstruction and comparison of mental health issues associated with a Me, Myself and I generation.**


 * Link**
 * http://healthculturesociety.wikispaces.com/message/view/Generation+Y.+Materialistic+and+egocentric%3F+The+deconstruction+and+comparison+of+mental+health+issues+associated+with+a+Me%2C+Myself+and+I+generation./45527118**

The artefact that you have chosen was a very strong one for the topic of the representation of Gen Y in the media. I think the media is sensationalising bad behaviour of minority of young people. This is undesirable because it undermines their self confident and self-esteem which could lead to a negative self image. Young people are represented as self-centred because they are not happy with their physical appearance; therefore they need to improve themselves by using beauty product like skincare, nail polish, swimwear etc. The representation of celebrities and models in the media excruciate young girls self-esteem. Young people are represented as been beautiful preoccupied with being popular and well liked by people especially by the opposite sex and their peers. This representation is potentially harmful to teen group because it lowers their-self esteem and could lead to feeling depressed. They media are forgetting that not all girls care about looking celebrities or supermodels, therefore it make this group of young girls feel like they are losers and discriminate against.

The media represent Gen Y “I’m a nothing, I’m a nobody. It doesn’t matter what anybody does to me or what I do to anybody else”. That is really degrading of young people to have that sort of fear. No wonder Gen Y does not give Damm because there are so much criticism about this Gen and the media is such huge influence to their behaviour, attitude and moral responsibility. However this Generation is far more better than how they are represented by in the press and media. Thus, you cannot blame this Gen for their health behaviour that is consider being "appalling", is the society society that they have been exposed to influences their decision making. Blame it on society!!!!!!!

thank you for bringing this topic so can discussed