Behavioral Health Issues
Behavioral health has been a controversial topic in not only healthcare, but other industries as well. There is a certain stigma attached to behavioral health that seems to draw people to negative conclusions about the topic. In my opinion, behavioral health issues seem to be more prevalent now, than they were before.
Why is this? Is it because students and younger adults are stigmatized by being more likely to use services such as these? Or is it because it is often talked about on college campus' more than in a town meeting, or a high school?
In 2015, $3.2 trillion dollars were spent on healthcare in the United States (National Health Expenditures 2015). Of that, $163.3 billion dollars were spent on personal care services, which include "residential mental health" facilities (National Health Expenditures 2015). With all of the money in healthcare, why isn't there more being done for those struggling with mental health issues? I often hear peers talk about the lack of resources for those with mental health issues. When it comes to behavioral health, there are not many options for people.
In New Hampshire, there are only ten active mental health centers (New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services). These ten mental health centers are to cater to the entire state of New Hampshire, which holds roughly 1.3 million people. According to the Behavioral Health Barometer, in 2015, roughly 49,000 adults in New Hampshire struggled with a serious mental illness (Behavioral Health Barometer: New Hampshire).
In one year 49,000 documented mental health issues were found. What about the undocumented mental health issues? What about the people that are too afraid of help, or the ones that suffer for years? With only 10 active mental health centers in the entire state, how is one supposed to get the correct care they need when almost 50,000 people need help as well?
It's interesting to notice all of the flyers around campus that speak to those who may need behavioral or mental health services. The flyers can be found in the dining hall on each table, on light posts around campus, in the library, and even on classroom boards. Although campus makes behavioral health important and allows students to reference outlets, once you step outside the bubble that is the University of New Hampshire, behavioral health services become limited.
Why is this? Is it because students and younger adults are stigmatized by being more likely to use services such as these? Or is it because it is often talked about on college campus' more than in a town meeting, or a high school?
I feel as though in order for behavioral health services to become more prevalent, the stigma needs to be addressed, as well as the prevalence of the issue. Many people walk around with behavioral and mental health issues, and no one is able to tell. The United States as a whole, needs to allow outlets for those people that are too afraid to ask for help, or for those people who are unable to have access to an outlet maybe due to financial status, or even geographic location.
Fear of the unknown.. When employers , or members of society don't understand behavioral health as a spectrum, as a normality, as an investment in a person's overall well being, they dismiss it. They dismiss it in terms of funding and in terms of the individual. Maybe it's denial, maybe it's the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness. I speculate it's that there is not a strong understanding of the scope of practice. Having a bad day or series of days and needing to talk to someone does not always equate to that person is going to fly off the handle. It's those that go untreated, unnoticed for too long that have a higher chance of ending up on the news. I agree with you completely with regard to more outlets, a wider reach beyond campus walls. The question for you, future administrator, is how do you incorporate this into your work vision, and to your patient population?
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