Why Are Mental Health Patients Vulnerable?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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People with mental illness are treated, in research, as a ‘class’ or category who are vulnerable, without always being clear why they should be treated as such, not why an individual, rather than the class, is vulnerable. The two main reasons given are lack of competence and power imbalance .

How are people with mental health vulnerable?

Poor mental health can impact on people’s daily life, relationships, social life, employment and finances, making life more challenging and stressful . These impacts may lead to wider issues such as substance misuse, isolation, poor physical health and homelessness.

What are three common barriers to mental health care?

The results revealed that the most common barriers are fear of stigmatization, lack of awareness of mental health services , sociocultural scarcity, scarcity of financial support, and lack of geographical accessibility, which limit the patients to utilize mental health services.

Are mental illnesses vulnerable populations?

In the psychological domain, vulnerable populations include those with chronic mental conditions , such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as those with a history of alcohol and/or substance abuse and those who are suicidal or prone to homelessness ...

What are the factors that influence a person’s vulnerability to stress?

This vulnerability is determined early in life by a combination of factors, including genetics, prenatal nutrition and stress, birth complications, and early experiences in childhood (such as abuse or the loss of a parent).

What are vulnerable populations?

Vulnerable populations include patients who are racial or ethnic minorities, children, elderly, socioeconomically disadvantaged, underinsured or those with certain medical conditions . Members of vulnerable populations often have health conditions that are exacerbated by unnecessarily inadequate healthcare.

What factors increase vulnerability?

  • Physical factors. e.g. poor design and construction of buildings, unregulated land use planning, etc. ...
  • Social factors. ...
  • Economic factors. ...
  • Environmental factors.

Why do we need mental health awareness?

Raising mental health awareness can help you to understand your symptoms, find professional treatment, and, perhaps most importantly, break the mental health stigma that leaves so many people suffering in secret .

Why is mental health care not accessible?

In the U.S., healthcare access is a public health issue as many Americans lack the physical or financial resources to receive the healthcare services they need. Mental healthcare is especially difficult due to lingering social stigmas and scarcity of services .

What are some of the difficulties faced when caring for a mentally disabled person?

Overall, the caregivers of relatives with mental disorders experience many psychological, physical, social, and economic problems and challenges. These include stress, emotional distress, lack of social support, disruption in social life, financial hardship, and need for information and education .

Why is it so hard to get mental health care?

There are two competing explanations for why it’s so hard to get consistent mental health care. Insurers say there’s a shortage of therapists . Therapists say insurers are too cheap to pay them adequately. Many therapists decline to join insurance networks and set their own fees, which a lot of people can’t afford.

What are vulnerable groups in psychology?

Vulnerable populations are those which are more susceptible to social, psychological, legal, economic and physical harm and will include such groups as children, drug users, runaways, prisoners, patients, victims of violence or the mentally ill .

What is an example of a vulnerable group?

Groups of people who are disadvantaged in some way are considered vulnerable populations. Examples of vulnerable populations include children, people with schizophrenia, pregnant women, and homeless people . A population can be deemed vulnerable due to having a high level of physical, psychological, and/or social risk.

Who is vulnerable group?

Vulnerable groups are physically, mentally, or socially disadvantaged persons who may be unable to meet their basic needs and may therefore require specific assistance . Persons exposed to and/or displaced by conflict or natural hazard may also be considered vulnerable.

What are the 4 main types of vulnerability?

The different types of vulnerability

In the table below four different types of vulnerability have been identified, Human-social, Physical, Economic and Environmental and their associated direct and indirect losses.

What is stress vulnerability model in mental health?

The American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology defines the stress-vulnerability model as a theory that a “genetic or biological predisposition to certain mental disorders exists and psychological and social factors can increase the likelihood of symptomatic episodes .” While the APA only mentions mental ...

What is the stress vulnerability model of psychosis?

Stress and vulnerability

This is a model that professionals use to explain the cause of psychosis . The idea is that a combination of vulnerability and stress leads to psychosis. The model helps to explain why some people develop psychosis while others do not, even though they have had very similar experiences.

How do you deal with vulnerable patients?

  1. Understand their needs.
  2. Partner/network with other community resources.
  3. Match needs to services.
  4. Execute safe transitions.
  5. Determine post-discharge steps for care.

What is a vulnerable community?

Vulnerable populations are groups and communities at a higher risk for poor health as a result of the barriers they experience to social, economic, political and environmental resources, as well as limitations due to illness or disability.

What are some barriers to healthcare for vulnerable populations?

This summary will discuss barriers to health care such as lack of health insurance, poor access to transportation, and limited health care resources , with a special focus on how these barriers impact vulnerable populations.

How does lack of mental capacity make you vulnerable?

Some adults do not have the basic skills to be able to take care of themselves and stay safe – and this can make them more vulnerable to abuse. It is their vulnerability – and sometimes the lack of mental capacity – that makes these adults more susceptible to different types of abuse, as well as neglect .

What are the 10 factors of vulnerability?

  • Age. ...
  • Deprivation. ...
  • Diabetes. ...
  • Severe asthma. ...
  • Sex. ...
  • Race. ...
  • Obesity. ...
  • Heart, kidney, liver and respiratory diseases.

What is the lowest degree of vulnerability?

The level of vulnerability results from the combination of the levels of susceptibility and resilience. If susceptibility is very low and resilience very high, one has minimum vulnerability ( ‘1’ ). When Susceptibility is high and resilience very low, one has maximum vulnerability (‘65536’).

Is mental health a social issue?

Summary. Mental illness is not only in itself considered a major social problem , it also often results from the diverse social problems individuals have to face.

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.