Towards a More Comprehensive Treatment Approach to Mental Disorders: Argentina and the United States
Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Haverford College. Department of Psychology
Type
Thesis
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
eng
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Open Access
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
Across the majority of countries in the world, treatment of severe mental health illness is a serious problem that exists. In low‐ and middle‐income countries particularly, there are extreme barriers in achieving the kind of treatment that could aid a person with mental illness’ movement towards well-being, and even in high‐income countries, other significant obstacles are very present as well. The barriers to well‐being are largely seen to be the format of mental health care taking the form of quarantining people who are experiencing serious symptoms and limiting their access to the rest of the community. This paper examines the mental health system in the United States and Argentina, specifically looking at the experience of the family where this person with a mental illness is living between hospitalizations. In both countries, the care of people with mental disorder is approached by placing the “patient” in isolated treatment facilities that separate them from their families and society (Wang et al., 2005; Lefley, 1996). Unfortunately, these treatments that require hiding people with mental illnesses from society are unrealistic and avoid the problem at hand. This inadequate strategy is a symptom of the underlying approach to mental health in this country. If this pattern of isolating people with mental illness in psychiatric inpatient facilities continues and they keep shuffling these individuals from facility to facility, then this will only exasperate their problems further, creating increased tension and anxiety for communities (Drake, O’Neal, & Wallach, 2008). If there is to be any substantial move towards improving the lives of people with mental disorders and the people who are influenced by an incomplete system, mental health workers should consider approaching providing aid by starting at the source: individuals who currently or at some time in their lives struggled with mental health issue, the stake‐holders (Saracenco et al, 2007; Bruchner et al, 2011). In this paper, I will be presenting the limitations of the system in place in Argentina and the United States, the ways in which it disturbs treatment of mental illness, and productive, cost effective ways in which we can begin improving the well‐being of our communities through focusing on needs of the entire affected family.