Social Problem Analysis: Mental Health Disparities (Research Paper Sample)

Social Problem Analysis: Mental Health Disparities Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Course Instructor Date Mental Health Disparities Mental health disparities are one of the most contentious social issues present in societies as they impact the lives of varied population groups. They are due to the disparities in available/received mental healthcare, quality of the service, and mental health status by different people, mainly belonging to the minority race, low income, or having other non-favorable societal characteristics. This happens especially in a world where social work supports social justice and equality. This is mainly because social workers are usually involved directly with disadvantaged members of society and work hard to organize and lobby to change policies perpetuating these inequalities. This paper also seeks to discover the various challenges that affect the area of mental health disparities by analyzing the historical records, current trends, and mainstream and radical approaches to the issue. It will also spotlight the contribution of the social work profession to eliminating such disparities by doing interventions in micro, mezzo, and macro contexts. Through synthesizing knowledge from scholarly articles, this discourse will explain the essential knowledge base for how social workers can improve mental health equity and work on appropriating proper policies and policies that support the entrenchment of equal mental health standards for all people. Historical Analysis The mental health of black people has long been steeped in a poor timeline, complete with injustices, political culture, and changing definitions of psychology. When the development of mental health care facilities was in its preliminary stages, during the early twentieth century, the service was mainly a privilege of white and wealthy people while the oppressed groups of people had no chance to be treated. At the core of overt prejudice, known as segregation laws and institutional racism, black people and other minorities were barred from receiving appropriate mental health care. This period played an enormous role in blaming individuals for their illness and rarely addressed the socio-economic factors that defined mental health (Muscatell et al., 2022). However, slow changes were happening, and the middle of the 20th century came with the Civil Rights Movement, which started eradicating the barriers. However, for minorities, the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s-1970s that aimed at transitioning patients from psychiatric hospitals to community care often left them without the necessary community support needed to address their mental health needs, as it was often lacking (Chuah et al., 2023). It became evident that adequate culturally sensitive treatment was missing, as well as the mental health acknowledgment of discriminated minorities throughout this period. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, the principles of the biopsychosocial model were introduced, highlighting the intricate relationship between biological, psychological, and social factors that underpin mental health. Appreciation of socio-economic disparities, racism, and cultural factors regarding mental health became feasible, emphasizing a broader framework of more apparent context in the subsequent models. Still, the decade saw significant developments in mental health care; however, availability was still selective. Further, members of minorities still encountered issues like prejudice, uninsured services, and limited supplies of professionals from their respective ethnic backgrounds (Hall, 2022). This is in the wake of the new millennium, where awareness of social determinants of health, including mental health, has been more evident. Some policies passed include the Affordable Care Act, which seeks to minimize disparities and increase reimbursement for insurance and mental health services. Nevertheless, writing structures are currently in place, and the differences are still profound. The escalation of COVID-19 intensified the existing disparities and made the concern for equal access to mental health services more critical. The transition to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed positive developments and obstacles to improving mental health disparities. Historically, critical analysis has been provided to unveil the mental health disparities based on the effects of racism or unequal distribution of resources and policies. All these factors have formulated the conventional discourse that predominantly attributes mental health disorders to the particular patient as opposed to the societal structures that perpetuate disparities affecting the onset of these disorders. These disparities are perpetuated by factors such as the continued limited provision of culturally competent services and the limited inclusion of minorities in mental health interventions. Problem Identification Mental health disparities are overlapping concepts that encompass issues of equity regarding the utilization of mental health services, the treatment experience, and the mental well-being of the members of different population groups. Such disparities remain more so for minorities, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, among others, and less privileged individuals. The referred problem is complex since it addresses the issues of systemic racism, socio-economic disparities, and cultural barriers undermining equal opportunities for people in need of mental health care (Muscatell et al., 2022; Chuah et al., 2023). The main storyline or cultural discursive practice of pathologization tends to associate mental health differentials with cultural or genetic differences or a function of individual choice; the social relations of risk are occluded. It is more likely that it embodied the medical model approach of addressing mental health as events that occur in individuals without realizing that it contributes to the marginalization of certain groups. Mental health statistics present differences in the current generation. The available research by Muscatell and other authors mentioned that members of racial and ethnic minorities receive less mental health care and have poorer mental health outcomes than white people. These inequalities were also magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, as subsamples of treatment-deprived minorities were identified (Chuah et al., 2023). The social construction of mental health disparities maps how they are reformed the most, the least, or not. An ideology that prevails if the problem's source lies within the individual reasserts the notion that the solution can address it at the same level, employing practices like drugging the mind or taking medication for mental disorders. Nevertheless, a more recent critique focused on nefarious external factors supporting larger-scale undertakings to modify a community's aspects to eliminate unwanted societal norms and prerequisites to access care. Application to Social Work Values Reducing mental health disparities is not only about the what of doing social work but also about the why of doing social work in line with the protected service values of social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, human relationships, integrity, and competence. Social justice, as one of the central praxis values, motivates social workers to address structural injustices leading to disparities in mental health. Prejudice and discrimination are some of the quintessential social injustices as people of color, the indigenous, and low-income households face predisposing barriers to the receipt of adequate mental health care. Domain social workers advocate for policies and resources for these gaps, including policy changes for the availability of community mental health services and policies to address culturally relevant requirements (Muscatell et al., 2022; Chuah et al., 2023). Therefore, the importance of dignity and worth of the person requires social workers to honor and respond to each clientele responds to their particular needs. This entails making mental health services culturally competent to suit the minorities' needs and experiences, knowing very well that minority patients are, in most cases, likely to have diverse experiences than others (Hall, 2022). In taking various stances of culturally and racially sensitive and socially justice-informed approaches, the social work profession supports this value where the worth and dignity of people are respected. Mainly, interpersonal relationships are critical agents of change in the practice of the profession. It is critical to establish relationships with patients and clients through trust due to the unending issue of disparities in mental issues. It is the duty and responsibility of professionals like social workers to go to the social settings and try to understand the social setting as to what is ideal socially for them and how they should be helped. This relational approach can contribute to a better understanding of mental health needs and the provision of such services, hence improving mental health for marginalized groups of people (Chuah et al., 2023). Integrity and competence are vital principles in social work practice. As will be reinforced throughout this paper, social workers must constantly enhance their knowledge and skills to meet their clients' needs. Managing such inequalities requires constant education and training on culture and anti-racism in health care services. State associations should support and engage their members in continuing education activities that improve their capacity to practice practical and culturally responsive social work to optimize the relevance of their interventions informed by professional research (Grumbach et al., 2024). Mental health inequalities raise several dilemmas, mostly being the ethical factor in managing health inequalities. First and foremost, eve...