Health Professional Attitudes Mental People -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Health Professional Attitudes Mental People? Answer: Introduction In Australia, mental illness is widespread and has significant impact on the social, personal and economic levels. However, the rate of prevalence varies across the life-span (Sunderland, Newby Andrews, 2013). The National Mental Health Strategy has guided the reforms in mental health in Australia since 1992. The First National Mental Health Plan represented co-ordinated mental health reform(Commonwealth of Australia(CoA), 2009), while the second and the third National Mental Health Plansidentified the importance of cross-sectoral partnership between mental health and well-being while responding to the complication of mental illness via an integrated service system (CoA, 2009). According to National Mental Health Plan, mental illness of regarded as the most common and impactful complication in the areas like oncology, strokes and myocardial infraction. The mental illness associated with this complex disease affects the quality of life. The comprehensive implementation of the objecti ves drafted by the first, second and third National Mental Health Plan led to a significant change in the mental health condition in Australia (CoA, 2009). This led to the growth in the state-territory of mental health workforce along with increase in the quality of the community based service. The Fourth National Mental Health Plan acknowledges that there is still much to be done in the mental health sector in Australia. According to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2007), conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there is a major disparity in the mental health condition and available treatment amongst the states and the territories. Only one-third of the population sufferingfrom mental illness avail mental health services each year. The main victims of mental illness are early adult population and common mental illnesses are anxiety and mood disorders. There is also a high demand formental health care in acute and emergency units. Challenges exist in relationto recruiting and retaining the mental health workforce. Moreover, mental health consumers still report that they face problems in accessing comprehensive mental health care. Thus the Fourth National Mental Health Plan aims to improve these gaps in the mental health procurement in Australia via collaborative approach that will help in fostering complementary programs that will deliver responsive services(CoA, 2009). Such a wide mental health improvement perspective as taken by the Fourth Plan is of interest as it is the first ever plan to highlighta collaborative approach in mental health(CoA, 2009). Collaborative approach is an important domain of mental health as it helps in the participation or formation of an inter-disciplinary team and this will in-turn help the patient of avail an informed yet quality care (Dogra,FrakeWarner-Gale , Parkin, 2017). The following report aims to analyse the Fourth National Mental Health Plan based on the framework of Health Service Planning and Policy Toolkit by World Health Organisation (2005). Understanding on policy The Fourth National Mental Health Policy came into action when there is a major focus on the responsibilities and roles of government inside the mental health framework. The idea of the plan is to guide reform and identify the principal actions that can lead towards a meaningful progress towards accomplishment of the vision of the second and the third National Mental Health Policy. The plan was framed to assist the reforms in mental health. The main priority area of the plan is to promote mental health and wellbeing among the population of Australia via reducing the impact of mental illness. The reduction in the chronicity of mental illness will be promoted via addressing the gaps identified within the mental healthcare system. The Fourth Plan also recognises the mental health care needs of the indigenous population in Australia while delivering comprehensive mental health care(CoA, 2009). Thus this plan was different from other plan in the aspect that it adopts a population based me ntal health framework. This framework recognises the determinants of mental health while acknowledging the importance of mental health across the lifespan. Critical analysisof the policy Health service planning and policy toolkit by WHO (2005) Policy selected for Critique Mental Health Policy by the Department of Health Government of Australia Policy title Fourth national mental health plan: an agenda for collaborative government action in mental health 2009-2014 Reason for selection of policy Mental illness is widespread in Australia, according to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing Australia (2017), one out of the 5 people aged between 16 to 85 years of age suffers from mental illnesses like anxiety, mood disorders. This cast a substantial impact on the social, personal and socio-economic domains of life(CoA, 2009). The Fourth Plan emphasises the manner in which the reforms in the mental health domain can co-relate with the policy direction of other associated government portfolios with an aim towards ensuring that people with mental health problems can take advantage from them in the highest possible manner (CoA, 2009) Significance of policy for the health of the population The significance of the policy liesin the fact that it prioritisesthe rights of the consumers, carers and the families and gives importance to informed decision-making regarding the process of service options, selection of benefits and anticipated risks (CoA, 2009). The policy also addresses social exclusion, differential care plan for different age groups along with service equity. Thus the policy casts an over-arching vision for a stable mental health system that assists recovery while preventing early mental illness and comprehensive treatment for all the Australians (CoA, 2009). Fourth National Mental Health Plan shares relationships with each and every aspect of the National Mental Health Strategy and thereby making it more significant (details given in appendix). It also gives the mental health plan a whole government approach thus linking every aspect of mental health with the government framework (CoA, 2009). Professional or personal interest Interest in this policy is derived from the fact that the policy targets a proportion of the population who are suffering from mental illness. The plan also covers interest of the carers or the family members of the persons who are suffering from mental illness. According to the reports published by the Government of Australia, Department of Health, mental illness impacts on a persons life at different levels of severity and increases the risk of those affected, experiencing a range of adverse health, economic and social outcomes. Another aim of the fourth policy plan is to address the system weakness through consultation and process and this has generated personal interest in me for selecting this policy as it assures a complete revamp of the existing mental health policy (CoA, 2009). How, when and why policy came into existence The Fourth National Mental Health Plan came into existence in December 2008. The policy was designed to provide an overarching vision and intent for a comprehensive mental health framework in Australia. The policy was endorsed by the health ministers to guide reforms while identifying principal actions that can effect significant progress towards accomplishing the aim of the policy (CoA, 2009). The main conceptualize the mental health under the framework of the population health thus providing a comprehensive approach towards health care. In this comprehensive population based mental health approach, the fourth national mental health plan emphasise the framing of the mental health policy based on the pre-designed government mental health portfolio. This population health framework and whole government approach are the two most prominent components that make this fourth national mental health plan an important mental health aspect for Australia (CoA, 2009). What influenced policy makers to adopt this policy (policy objectives) The five objectives of the Fourth National Mental Health Plan are: social inclusion and recovery via improving the service and community understanding and attitudes towards sustained national stigma reduction strategy; prevention and early intervention via working with in collaboration with schools and workplaces and delivering programs to improve the mental health literacy which enhancing resilience; prioritisation of service access along with proper co-ordination and continuity of care via developing framework of national service planning that helps in the establishment of targets for the mental health services which are backed by innovative funding models; quality improvement along with innovation via critically reviewing the Mental Health Statement of Rights and Responsibilities; accountability via reporting progress through national mental health data (CoA, 2009). The framing of the policies are mainly based on few principles of ideal procurement of the mental health in Australia. The major influence of the Fourth National Mental Health Plan include respect and right of the comprehensive mental health for the consumers and their family members, committed service delivery approach, eradication of the social exclusion and providing mental health service based on the cultural diversity across the communities and throughout the lifespan (CoA, 2009). Who are the policy makers? Ministerial Advisory Council is the main contributor towards the Fourth National Mental Health Plan(CoA, 2009). Interest group they represent The Fourth Plan targets a population residing (this is the wrong word here. What do you mean?...is it living? with mental health complications and mental illness. Since the entire Australian population is targeted, this Mental Health plan constitutes the whole of the Australian government approach to mental health reform. This approach of government encompasses a national effort that includes Commonwealth, state and territory level (CoA, 2009). Stages of policy making process The first stage of policy making includes collaborative national efforts coming from all stages of government. This helped in underlying the loopholes of existing mental health polices and thereby redesigning the new aims of the policy based on the identified loopholes (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). Is the process orderly or chaotic? The process thus undertaken is ordered and less chaotic. Is any area of policy a contested one? Explain the concept of a contested area Contested area of policy designing is known as the process in which certain areas of the policy are design solely for competition or to attain superiority among all the existing policies and other community issues. Such areas lack prime important in the grounds of the betterment of the society and is solely designed in order to attain superiority. According to Cantir and Kaarbo (2012), contested area of a policy means the roles of the policy is not stable as it often implied. None of the areas of the policy is contested one, as each of the objectivesof the policy targets some of the areas of the mental health complications existing in Australia. Policy Objectives Importance Social inclusion and recovery Indigenous Australians have an increased burden of mental health complications. According to Jorm, Bourchier, Cvetkovskiand Stewart, (2012), the main reason behind the inequality in health is social exclusion. Cunningham and Paradies (2013), believe/suggestthat inequality in health arises due to racism as one out of four indigenous people residing in Australia has reported being victims of racial discrimination and this racial discrimination increases the experience of social exclusion. Actions by policy: improvement of the community service and service understanding via comprehensive national stigma reduction strategy. This improvement of community service is achieved via eradication of the concept of social stigma and the cultural inequalities among the aboriginal groups. Prevention and Early intervention Actions taken: There is an urgent need to scrutinise the reason behind the possible relapse of the mental illness and this will help in the early prevention of the recurrent episodes of the mental health complications (Cross Hermens, Scott, Ottavio, McGorryHickie, 2014). Working in association with schools, offices and communities to improve mental health literacy while accessing the reason behind relapse Access of mental health service, proper co-ordination between the service and continuity of care In order to use the different mental health-service there is a critical requirement of formation of linkage between different sectors of mental health (Funk, 2010). Actions taken: Development of national service planning framework. It will lead to the establishment of linkage between different levelof mental health services. Innovation along with quality improvement Although mental health service was active towards the formation of multi-disciplinary teams like other domains of health-care, it still experiences problems like limited supply of adequate equipment (in aged care) and poorly distributed work-force (remote or rural areas specially in the areas which are infiltrated by aboriginals). Incorporation of innovative strategies will help in expanding the access of the mental health patients of remote areas (King, Wei Howe, 2013). Innovative strategy includes increase in the consumer and carer employment in community and clinical settings of mental health. Measuring and reporting the overall progress Generating an accountable and transparent mental health system is one of the most important steps towards the establishment of public confidence. Earlier, the patients and their carers are unable to make informed judgements in mental health care (Hansson, Jormfeldt, Svedberg Svensson, 2013). At policy level, public confidence in the mental health reforms drafted by government is important. At service delivery level mental health consumers need to be confident about the available mental health services. Both aspects of confidence are the central to the actions taken under the Fourth Plan (Bao, CasalinoPincus, 2013). The gain in confidence will be achievedvia enabling consumers and their carers to access information about the nature of services that is responsible for the care across the range of health quality domains. Was there a consultation process in place? The consultation process was in place because each aim has its detailed objectives along with the action plan and expected outcome. The Fourth Plan emphasizes the manner in which reforms in mental health can inter-relate with the direction of the policy directions inaccordance with the other portfolios of government. Overall it aims towards ensuring that the group of population with mental health complications can gain highest possible benefit(CoA, 2009). What interested groups, if any, have beenconsulted and what sources and kinds of advice havebeenobtained Ministerial Advisory Councils beyond the health care domain are included in the process of development of Fourth Plan. This helped in articulation of present responsibilities and roles of other portfolios as they coincide in the path of improving the outcome of mental health services. The advice obtained from inclusion of interested groups (who and why ids this important in any policy development and analysis?)from different sectors of healthcare is apart from the health care professionals consumers and their carers should also be actively engaged in the service and policy development in health care. While the mental health service provides should work as a team within the designed framework to procure comprehensive care to the mental health consumers. Now such advice goes in sync with reports published by Brett, Staniszewska, Mockford, Herron?Marx, Hughes, Tysall and Suleman (2014), which also emphasises on patient and public involvement in all principal stages of research process. Did the consultation process and its outcomes have an impact on what was included in the policy? The consultation through All these highlighted areas of concern are stringently incorporated in the policy planning. For example, the Fourth National Mental Health Plan aims towards developing an integrated program to support mental health services via providing tailored assistance to people with mental illness living in the community (CoA, 2009). Moreover, these highlighted areas like community diverse mental health plans, culturally diverse mental health plans are in accordance with the reports published by Patel and Saxena (2014). Every identified gap (reference and what were the identified gaps and how were they identified?)is covered in objectives of the policy planning along with projected plan of outcomes and desired outcomes. Is there a process in place for ongoing consultation and review? In order to review the ongoing consultation, the fourth plan aims to establish a comprehensive national reporting process that will track the progress of the mental health reforms. Such security will also access the needs of the stakeholders. The review of the ongoing consultation satisfies the requirement stated in the published works of Patel and Saxena (2014). According to Patel and Saxena (2014), the implementation of the mental health services should be based on the current gaps in mental health that has been prioritised by the policy makers and stakeholders. Is the adopted process of policy-making the best that could be hoped for? If not how might it beimproved The adopted process of policy is best that could be hoped for as it encompasses nearly (what is missing) all the sectors of the mental health complications prevalent in Australia (CoA, 2009). Moreover, the policy also aims to increase the employment of the carers and consumers under community and clinical settings. This incorporation of the caregivers or the family members under process of policy planning is the principal feature, making this mental health policy a success (Tambuyzer, Pieters Van Audenhove, 2014). This will help in the improvement of the quality of the mental health service while increasing the accountability. Was the policy development process a good process? Is the policy a good policy? How do you know? The policy is a standard health care policy in the mental health sector because it adopts the population health framework which emphasizes the need of developing an effective preventive approach towards common mental illness like anxiety and depression. According to Jacka, Mykletun and Berk (2012), sustainable, effective population-level initiatives for prevention of mental illness will help to develop approaches addressing to non-communicable somatic disease. The sustainable and population level approaches will help in the generation of awareness among the community level and thereby helping to combat the non-communicable disease in an informed manner (Jacka, Mykletun Berk, 2012) Has the policy achieved required outcomes? The main aimof the policy is to provide mental health services in a co-ordinated manner. In 2007, Australian National Mental Health Survey data revealed that Australian youth have the highest prevalence of mental illness and the worst service access Only 21.8% of Australian youth (16 to 24 years), who are diagnosed with mental disorders have access to professional help. However, the implementation of Fourth Policy has improved the youth mental health outcome. At present nearly This needs a comparison between now and before the fourth mental health planis there acknowledged improvement and what part of the plan achieved this? Would a different policy be likely to yield better results? This policy is a comprehensive policy for mental health sector in Australia. However, it has certain limitation. The policy fails to highlight the increasing rate of depression and dementia among aged population of Australia and the steps that should be taken in order to overcome such problems (CoA, 2009). Moreover, the policy does not provide a detailed insight about the person centred care in mental health (CoA, 2009). According to Clissett Porock, Harwood and Gladman (2013), person-centred is an ideal approach to care for people suffering from dementia or other mental complications related to aged care. Does the present policy need changing? Yes. The policy requires modifications in relation to person-centred care and aged care facilities in relation of dementia and other depression associated with increase in age bracket (reference) The change in the policy should be taken in the domain of aged care facility. The policy must take a strong approach towards mental health service for aged people. This is because, according to the Australian Government, Department of Health (2016), in Australia, the majority of the aged population suffers from dementia and the mental health service of Australia lacks the person-centred care for this group of population. The importance of person- centred care lies in the fact that it will help in reducing the burden onthe care-givers/ the family members.A majority of people who are suffering from dementia are dependent on their family members who act as caregivers to procure daily care while maintaining the dignity (reference). As a consequence of this, care-giver burden has now become a major concern as continuous pressure of providing care to the patients cast a huge negative impact on the mental health of the caregivers. The formulation of the person centred care will help in redu cing this burden (Xiao Wang, He, De Bellis, VerbeeckKyriazopoulos, 2014). Is it feasible to change it and in what ways? According to the reports published byXiao Wang, He, De Bellis, VerbeeckandKyriazopoulos(2014), in Australia the mental health services related to aged care facilities are required to have more components for preventing the development of disease while framing strategies for reducing the stress on the care givers. As a subjective burden is reciprocated via culture (explain this), a specific care giver support mechanism should acknowledge the needs of the care-givers associated with their specific cultural values. This is because, constant support to the aged population by their caregivers produce significant mental stress on them, hampering the quality of life of the caregivers too (Xiao Wang, He, De Bellis, Verbeeck Kyriazopoulos, 2014). Moreover, the dementia control strategy must focus on the later transitions, specify on how care co-ordination and proper training of the work-force should be done in order to make transition towards more person centred care. This person centred car e outcomes would then be used in the later stages for examining the success of the strategy implementation and subsequent dissemination (Fortinsky Downs, 2014). Conclusion The Fourth Mental Health Plan provides an opportunity to frame an optimised, custom-made system of recording the performance of health care. This is being achieved via building accountable service delivery system that strictly monitors the performance of the mental health policy on the basis of service quality indicators. At the same time,it aims to make this information available to the consumers and their stakeholders. The four main objectives to his plan include social inclusion and recovery, early intervention and mental health disease prevention, proper access of mental health services along with co-ordination and care continuity, innovation and quality improvement and increasing the accountability among the caregivers of the mental health. The critical analysis of the policy revealed that that the plan was framed to provide a comprehensive approach to the mental healthcare. For this numerous health care professions (multi-disciplinary team) outside the ministry of the mental health were recruited in framing the draft of the plan. Such involvement of the multi-disciplinary team ensured that none of the objective are contested and each and every objective can certain projected direction towards uplifting the mental health stature of Australia. The process of ongoing consultation was appropriate the outcome of the consultation process will have significant impact over the mental health in Australia. The adopted process of the policy is standardised as it is based on the framework of population mental health in Australia. The proper implementation of the fourth national plan has helped in improving the mental health status of the youth residing in Australia. This is regarded as one of the best successes of mental health plan as one of the significant group of population of the mental health complication is the young adults. However, the policy fails to throw critical light over the strategies that must be undertaken in order deal with depression and anxiety popular among the aged population of Australia. The policy also did not highlight the important aspect of person centred care in procuring comprehensive mental health. Hence changes must be incorporated via including aged-care mental health service to address the common mental complications in Australia like depression and dementia. References Australian Government Department of Health (2016). Dementia and Aged Care Services (DACS) Fund. Retrieved from: https://agedcare.health.gov.au/dementia-and-aged-care-services-fund-dacs Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.(2007). 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