Understanding Mental Health Issues and Societal Perceptions: A Comprehensive Analysis

Running Head: MANAGEMENT
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Management
2/6/2019

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The essay will bring about the discussion on the aspects of mental health issues and
the perception of the society or community on those issues. Good mental health is important
to every individual to live healthy life and ensure wellbeing and success in the future. The
report will describe the meaning, relevance, and importance of these issues affecting the
status of health and wellbeing. In the later part, the emphasis will be given on the treatment of
mental health illness, and influence of poverty and other factors on the mental health
treatment. The perception of the mental health problems or illness studied in context to the
two ethnic groups within Unites States i.e. Hispanics and Whites. The discussion will analyse
the stigma of the mental health illness, and disorders on the health and quality of life. For this
purpose, assessing various factors associated with socio-economic factors, which leads to
positive or negative impact on mental wellbeing of an individual. Hence, the readers will gain
an understanding of the other contemporary issues concerned with the mental health and
society.
Mental health issues/illness
Mental health illness affects and interferes with a person’s cognitive, emotional, or
social abilities. These health issues vary with the nature and impact of severity on the health
and wellbeing of an individual. It has been found that a person with a poor mental health or
affected by any mental health disorder. Examples of some of the common mental health
disorders or issues include depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia,
personality, and eating disorders (Rossler, 2016).
These disorders are the result of an individual’s interaction between the mind, body,
and environment leading to a health condition. Some of the risk factors, which are associated
to be the mental health disorders, consist of genetic predisposition, homelessness,
unemployment, family conflict, discrimination, or due to stressful life events. Now, in the

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further section the essay will describe the perception of society and other groups towards the
illness.
The Stigma of Mental illness and influence on the society
Discussing the societal perceptions of the mental health disorders, it can be stated that
the attitude and beliefs towards mental health vary is shaped by the aspect of personal
knowledge. The understanding of the mental health issues varies from culture to culture,
however the people’s perception of illness describes about their help-seeking behaviour. This
stated well with the help of few examples, Pacific Islanders, considered the issue of mental
illness as the result of the family conflicts or issues (Polanczyk et al., 2015). As per the
research on the Jewish population, stated that the mental illness or disorders are something
positive, as they believe that it acts as means of forgiveness. However, it has recognised
through the perspective of many Southeast Asians that some supernatural forces are found
responsible for the mental health problems to an individual. Mentioning about the people in
the Chinese culture, it has found that they believe mental health problems are the result of the
cosmic forces (Ahmedani, 2011).
In addition, they prefer the treatment for the mental health issues as restoration of
balance through maintaining interpersonal relationships and focusing on diet. It has
understood through their research or study in Switzerland in context to the psychiatric
patients that these disorders are due to the fact of demons. Another study which was carried
out in context to the south east Asians, that the mental health illness is understood as the
natural part of suffering, as like it is predestined for them (Worden, 2018).
To study difference in the perspective of the society, or understanding the mental
health illness, it has discovered that only few individuals seek for the help, and therefore it
aroused the importance of aspect of mental health literacy. Regardless of the fact of race or

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ethnicity, people from California i.e. specifically adults states that the adults experiencing
mental health disorders exposed to the issues of prejudice and discrimination in the society. It
has found through the research on the societal perception of the mental illness, mentioning
that the individuals who have less sexual desires are prone to the mental health illness. Some
people in different countries were of the view that the higher education and high IQ could be
another cause of mental health disorders (Choudhry et al., 2016).
Mental health disorders are increasing with a high rate in every part of the world, thus
it is perceived differently by people in varied regions or countries. To state about the mental
health issues prevalence in context to the United States, it has been discovered one in every
20 Americans live with serious mental health disorders, and schizophrenia found to be most
common illness. In addition, in relation to every committed suicide, the country report
attempts of other twenty. Substance abuse and mental health are the significant cause of
disability in the United States. The culture in the country, still believe that the people
suffering from any mental health illness are not considered intelligent, violent, and supposed
to be incapable of taking correct decisions for themselves. Thus, people within the
community in United States found with the opinion that fewer interpersonal relationships and
the problem of internalizing is found to lead to mental health disorders. The study has
revealed that the Asian immigrants’ children found to be at higher risk of developing mental
health issues in comparison to the whites within country. Therefore, these perceptions will
now be discussed in context to the two ethnic groups i.e. Hispanics and whites belonging to
the country United States (Chen et al., 2016).
It has assessed that mental health America works nationally and locally to increase
awareness about the mental health issues and ensures that those at risks receive proper and