ENG 190 Final Project
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Southern New Hampshire University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
190
Subject
English
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by SuperElement12136
1
ENG 190: The Effect COVID-19 on Mental Health
Stacy Rawls
Southern New Hampshire University
ENG 190: Research and Persuasion
Professor Melinda Bilecki
February 25,2024
2
Recently there have been some heated debates about the negative effects COVID-19 has had on our society and way of life. It has forced us to consider some difficult questions, such as how to address the mental health professional shortage. The burden and pressure that healthcare professionals and frontline workers have faced as they assist families and patients during the crisis. The pandemic highlighted the need to reinforce and reshape our current infrastructure to meet the demands of our current mental health crisis. As we continue to try to figure out how our mental health services need to change to overcome the ongoing battles and challenges that we all face, as do our surrounding communities. We must acknowledge that we do require change and the need for immediate mental health assistance is at an all-time high. As we continue to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on our mental health, our current mental health support system is inadequate to address the growing challenges posed
by the pandemic. As we see the pandemic’s negative impact on mental health, it is more important than ever to strengthen support for individuals and communities dealing with the long-term consequences of this global crisis. One key focus point is to address and strengthen the major gaps in our mental health services. This will ensure the beginning of a more adequate and adaptable system to assist with navigating the stress, anxiety, social isolation, and economic effects that we have all experienced. According to the Mental Health Analysis During Pandemic “A considerable high number of people in multiple countries have gone
through some level of mental illness during the three long years, and the present condition is no better. According to the reports about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. showed symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic, where the number was one in ten adults from January to June 2019” (Upama et al., 2023). As we acknowledge the limitations of our current mental health services, we can begin to build them and create a more comprehensive mental health service for ourselves and our community. While some may argue that they can identify and relate to mental health issues in themselves, they remain silent about their problems to avoid being a burden on others. Silence can have a significant cost because it leaves people with mental health issues that lead to increased anxiety, isolation, and depression. To reduce mental health issues, we must consider alternative approaches that ensure affected individuals have access to the resources they require for improvement. In a recent brief the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that in the first year of COVID- 19 pandemic anxiety and depression increased by 25% around the world. (Upama et al.,2023). effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health intensify troubling trends of declining emotional well-being that were already in play throughout the population before the pandemic. “Multiple peer-reviewed studies have specifically demonstrated high rates of mental health problems that developed or were exacerbated with the onset of the pandemic, including depression and anxiety, in the United States and elsewhere. ” (Ronald C Kessler, Patricia Berglund, Olga Demler,et al.,2005)
Another way that the urgent reassessment and fortification of mental health services will alleviate the identified shortcomings in the existing infrastructure is to implement targeted reforms that address specific deficiencies in our mental health system. Recognizing and correcting these deficiencies will help mental health support systems become more resilient and better equipped to meet the escalating challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, fostering a more comprehensive and effective approach to mental healthcare. The UN policy release emphasizes that “decades of neglect have been exposed by the
COVID-19 pandemic” in a call for ambitious commitments from countries in the way they treat mental illness, amid a potential global spike in suicides and drug abuse (Malapani,2010) To address the key facts that there are not enough mental health resources.
3
Resources
("Mental Health Analysis During Pandemic: A Survey of Detection and Treatment
," Upama et
al., 2023)
https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/document/10196894/metrics#metrics
(
The Missing Piece: “
A
Population Health Perspective to Address the U.S. Mental Health Crisis,”
Laura Sampson, Laura D. Kubzansky, Karestan C. Koenen al., 2023)
The Missing Piece: A Population Health Perspective to Address the U.S. Mental Health Crisis A Population Health Perspective to Address the U.S. Mental Health Crisis on JSTOR (snhu.edu)
Ronald C. Kessler, Patricia Berglund, Olga Demler, et al., “Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-
Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication,” Archives of General Psychiatry 62 (6) (2005): 593, https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593;
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help