Mental Health and the Community

This report examines the current attitudes towards mental health in Australia and discusses the changes required to create a more sustainable and equitable mental health system. It also explores the roles of counsellors and psychotherapists in the mental health system.

Mental Health and the
Community

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Examine current attitudes to mental health in Australia........................................................1
Outline and discussion of changes that might be required to create a more sustainable and
equitable mental health system in Australia...........................................................................3
Explain counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ current role in the mental health system...........5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Mental health refers to a health condition of an individual in which they become cognitive,
behavioural and emotional wellbeing. It includes that mental health problems impact on physical
health condition because mind of human being is responsible for regulating all the physical
functions of human body (Santini, 2016). However, mental health problems has several
symptoms that can be examined such as long lasting sadness or irritability, extremely high or low
moods, excessive fear, worry or anxiety and social withdrawal. In context of this assignment, it
is based on the mental health condition of people in Australia. This report will focus on mental
health attitudes in present scenario in selected country. It will also include the required changes
in mental health system of country to establish more sustainable and equitable system. The roles
of counsellors and psychotherapist in terms of mental health system are given here.
MAIN BODY
Examine current attitudes to mental health in Australia.
Mental health condition can be defined as when a person is emotionally, behavioural and socially
wellbeing. It is necessary to maintain proper mental health because it impacts negatively on
physical body its functions. Basically, mind is responsible for regulating all the functions of
human body like thinking, behaviour, movement and other activities carried out on daily basis. It
includes the different types of mental illnesses from which people get suffered such as mood
disorders, anxiety, personality disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, trauma related
disorders and so on. It has been analysed that people can suffer from any kind of mental health
problem in Australia and most commonly observed issues are depression, anxiety, stress etc. In
context of given country, it has been analysed that people put negative attitudes towards mental
health patients (Keniston, 2017). It is observed that people living in society are responsible for
developing complications in mental health condition of an individual. However, the attitudes of
citizens towards mental patients play an important role to make changes in their situation. In
addition to this, positive attitudes and behaviour of society is helpful overcome the mental health
problem whereas negative attitudes develop complications for them. It is essential to medical
practitioner that they should encourage family and friends to maintain healthy environment so
that patient can easily recover from their psychological state.
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In case of Australia, it has been identified that negative behaviour is responsible for developing
psychological problems among people belongs to specific community. For example, the Torres
Strait Islanders can be considering as a community of Australia which is discriminated in the
country due to which they get suffered from different severe psychological disorders. However,
it has been evaluated that these people are known as indigenous Australians and they did not get
services easily. People behave partially with them when they are seeking for required services
like education, employment, healthcare services etc. Meanwhile, it is observed that these
individual are not able to even fulfil basic needs of life easily due to which they acquire severe
physical as well as psychological health problems (Hurley and O’Reilly, 2017). And when they
consult from physicians and doctors then they will get delayed services and poor facilities which
are not sufficient for them to recover with specific mental health issue. Due to lack of eatable
items, they face situation of reduced nutrition and minerals in human body which are
accountable to develop severe mental health problems. Moreover, the Indigenous Australians
suffer on daily basis because they do not proper education and employment due to which they
live in poor condition.
Considering the attitudes of citizens or Australia towards mental health patients, it has been
analysed that government is required to focus on this aspect to encourage people to support such
sick people to become wellbeing. It includes the strategy that legal bodies can apply legislation
that misbehave towards mental patients by anybody including healthcare staff, family, friends or
any other person is a criminal offence via mentioning certain conditions. It will motivate citizens
to remain positive and behave in supported way due to which the mental condition of a person
will be quickly healed (Ramon, 2016). However, the people remain away from mental patients
due to fear of them which can be eliminated by efforts of care professionals; they should provide
knowledge about severe and normal mental health problems so that factor of fear can be
eliminated. It will encourage people to support mental patients and take care of them in effective
manner. In addition to this, the effective strategy of counselling programs should be provided to
mental patients who make them motivated to not think that they are abnormal because this
thought of an individual also develop risk of occurring complications.
On the other hand, it has been analysed that attitudes of people living in Australia is not
appropriate towards several communities like Torres Strait Islanders due to which their life
becomes similar to a hell. It is necessary for government to take actions regarding this behaviour
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of people and put efforts to fulfil needs of Indigenous Australians. Basically, it requires the
strategy to provide free delivery of food products and other essential items of daily needs. It will
provide support to improve health condition of an individual and reduce chance of occurring
malnutrition situation. However, the legal regulations should be established and apply them
strictly in order to eliminate the factor of discrimination. It has been analysed that government
should focus on several important elements for their development and reduce mental health
problems among them (Salloum and et. al., 2016). It is required provide free education to them
and provide instructions to government and private organisations to give equal job opportunities
and other benefits to Indigenous Australians. It is helpful to enhance their health condition as
they can get required amount of funds by which basic needs can be fulfilled properly. Moreover,
the strategy of making separate mental healthcare centres for this community so that they can
gain quick facilities to overcome with specific psychological disorders.
Outline and discussion of changes that might be required to create a more sustainable and
equitable mental health system in Australia.
Mental health system (MHS) can be described as set of providing psychological facilities of
care and relevant infrastructure that helps to deliver appropriate services to patients for their
wellness. It can be consider as a non-profit agency which has a main aim to improve lives of
people and communities facing substances abuse and other mental health issues. It was founded
in the year around 1978 in order to enhance life of citizens, families and communities from
mental health problems with the help of innovative technique in a cost effective way. Basically,
it tends to focus on substance abuse, behavioural health challenges and mental health, drug and
alcohol rehabilitation services for making people healthy (Nelson, Kloos and Ornelas, 2017).
However, the mental health system has values of providing facilities in a client focused and
compassionate way by considering several values such as integrity, excellence, hope, action,
innovation and dignity. The mission of MHS is to improve the lives of people, families and
communities impacted by substance abuse and behavioural health disorders. It is observed that
there are number of factors which are required to be improved for providing better mental health
services that are given here.
Use of advanced technology: The utilisations of innovative and advanced technological tools are
required to be applied which is helpful to reduce work pressure of staff. Digital recording of
patient data and its maintenance can be done with the help of effective software and application
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which decrease work load and make staff capable to attend every patient carefully. However,
technology is favourable to share accurate information about an individual which facilitate to
make accurate decision of treatment and risk of medical errors can be eliminated. Furthermore,
the use of advanced technology impact positively on mental health system of Australia in order
to deliver appropriate psychological facilities for well-being of mental patients.
Training for employees: The training and learning can be considered as an important aspect on
mental health system in terms of increasing knowledge level as well as skills. It includes the fact
that training and development session must be organised in every 6 months in mental health
system which helps staff to gain knowledge to make their clinical practices more perfect in
respect of providing better care services (Maes, 2016). It is observed that many of nursing staff
are not able to deal with complicated patients and may conduct wrong attempts and they need
training to handle such severe cases in proper way.
Use person centred care approach: Person centred approach can be defined an effective as well
as efficient way providing appropriate medical services to make an individual wellbeing. It
includes the approach of treatment in which patient or their family members are involved in
order to make decision of providing medication and other treatment services. However, it
includes considering comfort level of patient and maintaining respect & dignity of them while
carrying out clinical practices to become healthy. Moreover, mental health system should include
the criterion of using person centred care compulsorily which is suitable deliver effective
services to people suffering from depression, stress and other psychological disorders to make
them disease free.
Mental health standards: The care standards play an important role in deliver correct services to
citizens. It is helpful to direct efforts of mental health professionals in appropriate direction to
treat specific psychological health problems (Dunne and et. al., 2017). However, it involves
several standards that should be followed in mental health system which should be considered in
several departments that are given here. It includes providing bed based and community mental
health insurance and those in clinical as well as non-government sectors. Moreover, it consist the
criterion of those in private sector and primary care as well as general practice.
Standards to be consider in MHS
 Standard 1: Rights and responsibilities
 Standard 2: Safety
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 Standard 3: Consumer and carer participation
 Standard 4: Diversity responsiveness
 Standard 5: Promotion and prevention
 Standard 6: Consumers aspects
 Standard 7: Carers aspects
 Standard 8: Governance, leadership and management
 Standard 9: Integrity
 Standard 10: Delivery of care
Explain counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ current role in the mental health system.
Counsellors can be described as a person who has a professional to provide counselling to
individuals to deal with difficult emotions, trauma and other mental health disorders. It involves
the professional with the title of counsellor is responsible for providing therapy and coaching to
sick individuals. It will provide support to these people to manage their problem of stress redirect
disturbing emotions and set goals of them (Galovski and et. al., 2016). However, it has been
analysed that focus of a counsellor is on delivering therapies to patient in order to gain recovery
or better management of mental health conditions. In addition to this, counsellors are
accountable to provide special services to their mental patients in respect of modifying their own
behaviours for better results. Moreover, the mental health counsellors work in different settings
such as schools, hospitals, private offices & clinics and substance abuse treatment services
Roles of a counsellor in MHS
 They have a role to provide mental health counselling in order to treat different types of
mental health issues by managing depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders and anger
management.
 A counsellor plays an important role to deliver crisis treatment including managing the
situation of traumatic event. They fulfil immediate need of a patient regarding distress
following accidents or natural disasters, counsel individual following rapes, violent
attacks or an unexpected death of loved one.
 The counsellor has another important role of providing counselling to patients of
addictions and substance abuse to recover from that state.
 They have a role to provide counselling of changing lives of individuals and team work
to deliver effective services to psychological patients for their better health status.
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Psychotherapist refers to a person who treats mental disorders with the help of providing
psychological therapies rather than medical means. They provide only therapies and avoid
rendering medications to make an individual healthy. However, it involves their criterion
treatment including various psychotherapies like counselling therapy, behavioural therapy,
cognitive therapy and combination of two therapies to solve mental health issue of people.
Role of psychotherapist in MHS
 Psychotherapist has a role to work with individuals and communities to enhance their mental
health state.
 They have another role to encourage patients in terms of discussing their emotions and
experiences in accurate manner (Rieder and et. al., 2017).
 The role of psychotherapist includes examining the problems like substance abuse, ageing,
bullying anger management, careers, depression, relationships, LGBTQ issues, self-image,
stress, suicide etc.
 They play an important role of work with families and clients to establish their personal
goals, make action plan and gain insight.
 Psychotherapist has a role to create therapeutic procedures and take holistic approach to
mental health care.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that, mental health can be defined as a health
condition of an individual to remain cognitive, behavioural and emotional wellbeing. It includes
the negative attitudes of citizens towards mental patients in given country which develop risk of
complications. Meanwhile, it involves another factor of negative attitude towards specific
community develop risk of occurring mental problem among them. However, mental health
system can be making sustainable and equitable for service delivery by improving several
aspects like use of advanced technology, training for employees, use person centred care
approach and mental health standards. Moreover, it involves roles of counsellors and
psychotherapist to management psychological issues of people.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Santini, Z.I. and et. al., 2016. Social relationships, loneliness, and mental health among older
men and women in Ireland: A prospective community-based study. Journal of affective
disorders, 204, pp.59-69.
Keniston, K., 2017. How community mental health stamped out the riots (1968–78). In Total
Institutions (pp. 115-130). Routledge.
Hurley, D.J. and O’Reilly, R.L., 2017. Resilience, mental health and assertive community
treatment. Social Work in Mental Health, 15(6), pp.730-748.
Ramon, S., 2016. Beyond community care: Normalisation and integration work. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Salloum, A. and et. al., 2016. Barriers to access and participation in community mental health
treatment for anxious children. Journal of Affective Disorders, 196, pp.54-61.
Nelson, G., Kloos, B. and Ornelas, J., 2017. Creating transformative change in community
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Maes, K., 2016. Task-shifting in global health: Mental health implications for community health
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Dunne, T. and et. al., 2017. A review of effective youth engagement strategies for mental health
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Galovski, T.E. and et. al., 2016. Exposure to violence during Ferguson protests: mental health
effects for law enforcement and community members. Journal of Traumatic
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Rieder, R. and et. al., 2017. Microbes and mental health: a review. Brain, behavior, and
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