Mental Health in America Research Paper Example

In America we simply do not do enough. More than half of the patients struggling with their mental health want to recieve help but face barriers such as financial problems, lack of resources and more. Over one fourth of the U.S. adult population struggles with a mental illness and one fifth of those twelve to eighteen struggle with a mental illness. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death, and less than thirty percent of those who commit suicide ever recieved help with there mental health. Less than fifty percent of veterans who struggle with their mental health receive the help they need. This shows that in America we truly do not do enough. To fix the mental health of those living in America and provide them with the help they need and deserve, we need to increase the number of resources we have that are affordable.

There are so many things that need to be done to combat this issue, but by taking this step we will be able to move in the right direction and fix a big part of the problem. Katheen Rowan, Donna McAlpine, and Lynn Blewett wrote “The cost of mental health services has always been a great barrier to accessing care for people with mental health problems” (“Access and Cost”). By having a lower cost for mental health services it would allow many more people to receive the help they need. The article continues by saying “People often cite concerns about the cost of care or lack of health insurance coverage as reasons for not receiving mental health care” (Rowan, McAlpine, Blewett). No person who is in need of help and care should have to worry about the cost for that help being too much of an expense.  This is a completely unnecessary worry when they are struggling with so many things. That is why having more resources that are affordable would solve a big part of the problem. 

While we are facing the problem of there not being enough resources, especially those that are affordable. The growth has not kept up with the need. In the article “Mental Health Professionals: US Statistics 2017” it says, “Since 2011, the mental health professional workforce has only grown 4 percent while the population during the same amount of time has grown 3.5 percent” (Grohol). The little amount of growth has left us short of having enough resources, so by adding more resources at an affordable rate will allow many people to get help who either couldn’t find an opening or couldn’t afford the cost of the help. The article continues by saying, “The worst news comes from the number of physicians going into psychiatry. Psychiatry has suffered a devastating 36 decrease in its ranks since 2011” (Gohol). By putting a bigger focus on how important this work is and getting more people to work in this area will help fix the problem. As the article talks about how there is a negative light painted on psychiatry and working in that area. By increasing the number of psychiatrists people will also be able to find one that is affordable for them and their budget.

Just what do we need to fix the problem? We are extremely short in numbers. Sarah Heath wrote “The nation needs just over 7,000 more mental health clinicals to fill the provider shortage” (“Key Barriers Limiting). This is a big number and one that will only increase as the population continues to grow and those struggling with their mental health continues to increase.  By closing the gap between what we have and what we need this will make it possible for many more people to receive the help needed to help them through a time while they are struggling. As we work on building up the number of places we can go at a less expensive rate, it's important to look at the average cost right now. In the article “How Much Does Therapy Cost” it says, “Therapy generally ranges from $65 per hour to $250 or more. In most areas of the country, a person can expect to pay $100-$200 per session” (“How Much Does”). This cost is insane, and I believe that this helps us all realize that having more resources that are affordable is the logical thing to do. The amount of people not receiving help because of the cost and the lack of resources are thousands, so by making our mission geared towards making more resources available that are affordable we will be able to help so many people. The amount of people suffering from these things can dramatically decrease and we can finally see an improvement in the mental health of America as a whole by improving in this area.

The amount of people who wouldn’t be able to afford the therapy or the treatments that they could need when they are struggling is devastating. As I have grown up I have seen that many families can barely afford their basic necessities, and that they would go without the help. They would think that there were other options that are better than to worry about the money, even if that meant going completely without help. The amount of people stressed by their financial situation is astounding. Chris Gaetano wrote “The survey, produced by Capital One, found that 77 percent of Americans are anxious about their financial situation…” (“Survey: 77 Percent”). The amount of people feeling stressed in these situations represent the many who end up going through their mental health struggles alone without help. In the article “The Link Between Money and Mental Health” it says, “You might not be able to afford the things you need to stay well. This might be housing, heating, or treatments like medication and Therapy” (“You Might Not”). By making our mental health resources more plentiful and more affordable we will be able to help many more people.

We can see that people don’t get help for a couple of reasons: the lack of resources and the lack of affordability. By increasing resources and making them affordable many people will be able to receive the help they need. We can see from research done by Capital One that many people are so stressed about their Financial situation that many choose to not get the help and treatment that they need. By taking this step in America we help those who are struggling and reduce the amount of people struggling and going without help.

Work Cited

Rowan, Kathleen, et al. “Access and Cost Barriers to Mental Health Care, by Insurance Status, 1999-2010.” Health Affairs (Project Hope), U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2013. Date Accessed 13 December 2021. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4236908/. 

John M. Grohol, Psy.D. “Mental Health Professionals: US Statistics 2017.” Psych Central, 9 Apr. 2019. Date Accessed 13 December 2021.https://psychcentral.com/blog/mental-health-professionals-us-statistics-2017#1. 

Sara Heath. PatientEngagementHIT. “Key Barriers Limiting Patient Access to Mental Healthcare.” PatientEngagementHIT, 6 Aug. 2019. Date Accessed 13 December 2021. https://patientengagem enthit.com/news/key-barriers-limiting-patient- access-to-mental-healthcare. FAQs, Therapy.

“How Much Does Therapy Cost?” GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog, 21 Mar. 2019. Date Accessed 13 December 2021. www.goodtherapy.org/blog/faq/how-much-does-therapy-cost. 

“Survey: 77 Percent of Americans Stressed over Finances.” NYSSCPA, Date Accessed 15 December 2021. www.nysscpa.org/news/publications/nextgen/ nextgen-article/survey-77-percent-of-americans-stressed-over-finances-012820. 

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/money-and-mental-health/the-link-between-money-and-mental-health.