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July 7, 2023
Governmental Interest in Mental Health and Well-Being
Stan and Clarence chat with Patty Bowler - Director of Policy and Community Programs at the Minneapolis Health Department - and Kara Hirdman - Senior Public Health Specialist for Mental Well-being at the Minneapolis Health Department - about the government's interest in the mental health and well-being of its citizens.
Join the conversation at healthchatterpodcast.com
Brought to you in support of Hue-MAN, who is Creating Healthy Communities through Innovative Partnerships. More about their work can be found at http://huemanpartnership.org/
Research
- Importance of government involvement in mental health:
- mental disorder causes a heavy burden for societies,
- impedes the development of other health and development targets,
- contributes to poverty and differentially affects the poor
- mental health itself is of intrinsic value as is physical health.
- Importance of gov involvement in wellbeing/public health responsibilities:
- assuring an adequate local public health infrastructure
- promoting healthy communities and healthy behaviors
- preventing the spread of communicable disease
- protecting against environmental health hazards
- preparing for and responding to emergencies
- assuring health services.
- Mental Health in MN
- from February 1 to 13, 2023, 28.3% of adults in Minnesota reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, compared to 32.3% of adults in the U.S.
- In 2021, 20.1% of adolescents (ages 12-17) and 8.3% of adults in the U.S. reported having a major depressive episode in the past year.
- The pandemic has coincided with an increase in substance use and increased death rates due to substances.
- Opioid overdoses are the primary driver of increases in drug overdose deaths.
- In 2000, opioid overdoses represented 48% of drug overdose deaths in the U.S.; by 2021, they represented 75% of these deaths.
- In May 2022, among adults in Minnesota who reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, 30.6% reported needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it in the past four weeks, compared to the U.S. average of 28.2%.
- Levels of government and their interests/responsibilities associated with mental health
- Federal
- regulating systems and providers, protecting the rights of consumers, providing funding for services, and supporting research and innovation
- As a major funding source for mental health services, the federal government establishes and enforces minimum standards that states can then expand upon.
- The largest funder, by far, of behavioral health treatment is Medicaid
- State
- have significant power in making decisions about their mental health systems so mental health regulations and available services can look very different from state to state and even from county to county.
- expands beyond what exists at the federal level and improves services, access, and protections for consumers.
- Local/Community
- Counties are key providers of mental health services, through community health clinics, hospitals and prisons
- Common Policy Aims
- the promotion of mental health
- reduction of incidence and prevalence of mental disorder (prevention and treatment)
- reduction of the extent and severity of associated disability (rehabilitation)
- development of services for people with mental illness and reduction of stigma
- the promotion of human rights and dignity of people with mental illness
- the promotion of psychological aspects of general health care, and reduction of mortality associated with mental illness, both from suicide and from premature physical mortality
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525068/
https://www.mhanational.org/issues/federal-and-state-role-mental-health
https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/minnesota/
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