Mental Illness: Social Determinants and Presidential Reactions
Rather than focus on the treatment of chronic disease, policies that influence population health tend to emphasize prevention and wellness; the reduction or elimination of waste and the eradication of health disparities based on race, ethnicity, language, income, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors. The reasoning is that good health belongs to the whole, not just an individual. (New York State Dept. of Health, n.d.)
Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen has a stake in healthcare policy decisions. Hence, it is little wonder why healthcare items become such high-profile components of presidential agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.
Consider a topic (mental health, HIV, opioid epidemic, pandemics, obesity, prescription drug prices, or many others) that rises to the presidential level.
How did the current and previous presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
Reference:
New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). Making New York the healthiest state: Achieving the triple aim. Retrieved June 21, 2021 from https://www(dot)health(dot)ny(dot)gov/events/population_health_summit/docs/what_is_population_health.pdf
• Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
• Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues become agenda priorities.
Consider a population health topic that rises to the presidential agenda level. Which social determinant most affects this health issue? How did two recent presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
In this Assignment, you will analyze recent presidential healthcare agendas. You also will prepare a fact sheet to communicate the importance of a healthcare issue and the impact on this issue of recent or proposed policy.
Population Health Assignment
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Population Health Assignment
Population health encompasses many healthcare issues. Mental illness is one of these health-related elements in the United States (U.S.). Mental illness is typical within the U.S. (American Psychiatric Association, 2023). Social determinants like unemployment, discrimination, income and education inequalities, and higher stress levels majorly trigger the issue, affecting many American citizens. The paper will analyze mental illness as the chosen population health issue, its social determinants, the U.S. presidential reactions, and what could be done uniquely.
Social Determinants of the Health Issue
Mental illness arises from different social factors that, in turn, increase the likelihood of the occurrence of the health issue. Most importantly, Alegria et al. (2018) established that mental disorders mainly affect poor, disadvantaged, and marginalized populations. Unemployment, discrimination, income and education inequalities, and higher stress levels increasingly contribute to mental problems. For example, unemployment leads to most people lacking adequate incomes to sustain their lives. Also, when inequalities occur and affect some population groups, the specific groups lack adequate access to important social amenities or basic needs. Such conditions raise stress levels that affect the victims psychologically. Overall, these are the commonest social determinants that dictate the occurrence of mental disorders among Americans.
Presidential Reactions to the Health Issues
Two recent presidents have tried handling the mental health situation, and led to positive outcomes. Jones II and Livingston (2022) state that the Biden administration addresses mental health. Their published ABC News story reveals that President Joe Biden is focusing on the mental health crisis, especially among the youth. The leader already suggested increasing the citizens’ access to mental health services. He has contributed to mental health treatment insurance coverage plans and funded significant mental health initiatives and programs ...