RUNNING HEAD: POLICY BRIEF: MENTAL HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES
Policy Brief: Mental Health in the United States
Apryl Berg
Grand Canyon University: Concepts in Community and Public Health
07/20/2018
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 04-04-2023 08:16:58 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/39924686/Policy-Briefdocx/
, POLICY BRIEF: MENTAL HEALTH
Introduction
The American Public Health Association (2018) defines mental health as “a state of well-
being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses
of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her
community” (para. 1). Mental health has been a public health issue on the rise, especially after a
series of celebrity suicides, mass shootings, and an epidemic of opioid usage in the past year.
This paper includes information on the background of mental health, as well as an identified
problem statement, proposed solutions, and the impact on healthcare.
Background
Although mental health disorders do not affect everyone, they are very common. The
following are statistics in America from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2018):
1 in 5 adults experience mental illness
1 in 25 adults experience a serious mental illness that substantially impacts their life
1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) experience a severe mental disorder at some point in life
Mental health has the potential to affect anyone, but a person’s genetics, culture, and social
determinates can put them at risk for increased challenges (American Public Health Association,
2018). Certain ethnicities tend to seek mental health services more often than others. African
Americans and Hispanic Americans access mental health services only half the rate of Caucasian
Americans. Asian Americans seek these services even less, at about one-third the rate (National
Alliance on Mental Illness, 2018). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), “Mental illnesses, such as depression, are the third most common cause of
hospitalization in the United States for those aged 18-44 years old” (2018).
It is clear that mental health has become an issue on a local, state, and national level. The
World Health Organization (2012) states that “certain groups in society may be particularly
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 04-04-2023 08:16:58 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/39924686/Policy-Briefdocx/
Policy Brief: Mental Health in the United States
Apryl Berg
Grand Canyon University: Concepts in Community and Public Health
07/20/2018
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 04-04-2023 08:16:58 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/39924686/Policy-Briefdocx/
, POLICY BRIEF: MENTAL HEALTH
Introduction
The American Public Health Association (2018) defines mental health as “a state of well-
being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses
of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her
community” (para. 1). Mental health has been a public health issue on the rise, especially after a
series of celebrity suicides, mass shootings, and an epidemic of opioid usage in the past year.
This paper includes information on the background of mental health, as well as an identified
problem statement, proposed solutions, and the impact on healthcare.
Background
Although mental health disorders do not affect everyone, they are very common. The
following are statistics in America from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2018):
1 in 5 adults experience mental illness
1 in 25 adults experience a serious mental illness that substantially impacts their life
1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) experience a severe mental disorder at some point in life
Mental health has the potential to affect anyone, but a person’s genetics, culture, and social
determinates can put them at risk for increased challenges (American Public Health Association,
2018). Certain ethnicities tend to seek mental health services more often than others. African
Americans and Hispanic Americans access mental health services only half the rate of Caucasian
Americans. Asian Americans seek these services even less, at about one-third the rate (National
Alliance on Mental Illness, 2018). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), “Mental illnesses, such as depression, are the third most common cause of
hospitalization in the United States for those aged 18-44 years old” (2018).
It is clear that mental health has become an issue on a local, state, and national level. The
World Health Organization (2012) states that “certain groups in society may be particularly
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 04-04-2023 08:16:58 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/39924686/Policy-Briefdocx/
