Of Mice and Men: Access to Mental Health Care (Coursework Sample)

Name Lecturer’s Name Course Name and Number Date Submitted Of Mice and Men: Access to Mental Health Care A close analysis of the novel Of Mice and Men reveals access to mental health care as an emerging human right issue. In the novel, Lennie Small appears following a childhood incident that damaged his brain affecting his ability to control his emotions (Steinbeck 25). He also has violent tendencies and experiences hallucinations. Unfortunately, Lennie and Gorge live a life of poverty and can neither access nor afford to seek medical assistance for Lennie's problem. As such, the emerging human rights issue is the lack of access to mental health care services due to poverty. A way to scale up access to mental health care is by introducing extra taxation to support government intervention in providing free mental health care services. Meant illnesses are highly prevalent in the US. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about one in five adults experience suffering from mental illness in the US, 30-45% of which is not diagnosed or untreated because of affordability and accessibility matters. While empirical evidence suggests poverty is associated with the risk of mental illness such as depression, trauma, and stigma, 8.7% of the population in the US lacks health insurance because of poverty. The lack of access to mental health care is, in most parts, instigated by the lack of affordability of health care services and lack of health coverage. In the US, access to health care is accessible through insurance coverage and out of pocket money (Raudenbush). Increasing taxation to support a government-funded healthcare system would mean that people with mental health issues will access needed care without paying out of pocket. Nonetheless, the public often disfavors increasing taxation, and the political, social, and economic environment in the US may not readily support a replica of the UK's public health system (Pearson). In conclusion, introducing a government-funded healthcare system will increase access to mental healthcare services among populations affected by issues such as poverty and unemployment. The US can increase access to mental health car...