Sunday, November 14, 2010

Mental Disability and Social Democracy: The obvious solution

Mental illness is undeniably a serious social issue in Canada. Unfortunately, the equality of opportunity offered in our country does not assist or allow those suffering from issues such as depression, addiction, diagnosed “personality disorders,” etc. to compete with the rest of the “able-minded,” productive population. In fact, the vast inequalities that exist amongst the Canadian population can be said to be (or at least contribute to) the actual cause of many of the mental disabilities mentioned above. A social democracy would aim to change this problem.
A social democratic society would focus on reducing all inequalities in society and eliminating poverty would be a main focus. It is common knowledge that all too often poverty and mental illness go hand in hand. “Poverty prevents people from achieving the prerequisites for health, such as shelter, food, warmth and the ability to participate in society (Dennis Raphael, 2001, p. 1703).” As well as experiencing “anxiety and stress associated with uncertainty,” people who live in poverty “lack control over life circumstances… and are distressed over their lack of material resources (Dennis Raphael, 2001, p. 1703).” While these circumstances can often be met with resilience, many people can deal with only so much physical and emotional stress before they begin to feel the effects on their psychological state of mind. In addition to this situation, many people who are impoverished and are experiencing a mental illness do not have access to the resources they need or the opportunities for self-care that the well-off population often has.
As well as focussing on material inequalities, a social democracy would seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination and social inequalities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs etc. These forms of discrimination also affect the rates of mental illness in society. For example, “inner city children and families commonly experience chronic trauma and stress (Welsh, 2003, p. 267),” and while poverty is one reason, the general oppression faced by these marginalized groups substantially adds to the stress that poverty creates. When people are constantly discriminated against, “rage can be internalized and manifested as depression or self-destructive drug or alcohol abuse (Welsh, 2003, p. 266).” Again, these minority populations will not have the same access to the helping resources that the rest of the society has.
While social welfare directed towards helping those with mental disabilities in a liberal society is a good thing, mental illness will be merely be treated but not prevented. This creates the constant need for professional and economic resources to be poured into this area. In reality, due to a lack of social funding and limited access many people will be left with no treatment options at all. Because many social problems arise out of the fact that the current system is neglecting human needs (Mullaly, 2007), these psychological issues that people are struggling with will exist as long as the current system is in place.
There is a great amount of scholarly literature which stresses the fact that an increase in resource equality would lead to a decrease of many incidences of mental illness. Wilkinson and Pickett write that “…unequal societies are bad for almost everyone within them- the well off as well as the poor (Wilkinson, 2009, abstract)” and argue that “almost every modern social and environmental problem…. is more likely to occur in a less equal society (Wilkinson, 2009, abstract)”.  If we are able to examine and alleviate social problems where they start, the entire society will benefit. When people’s needs for basic resources and safety and security are met, the fear, paranoia and desperation which are often equated with mental illness will decline. This will likely decrease poverty, crime and many medical and social welfare expenses, allowing the country as a whole to benefit from extra resources and increased safety.

Bibliography



Dennis Raphael, P. (2001, September). Increasing poverty threatens the health of all Canadians. Canadian Family Physician, 47, 1703-1706.
Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (third ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Welsh, F. (2003). Normal Family Processes (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
Wilkinson, R. D. (2009). The spirit level: why more equal societies almost always do better. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Crystal M.

5 comments:

  1. I agree with the observation that equality is not only bad for those directly affected by it, but for everyone in society. It's very unfortunate that equality of opportunity does not provide equal opportunities for people with disabilities and addictions. I guess that's were equality of condition needs to come in. Great blog!

    Sarah H

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  2. Great blog! I agree with the statement that says reaching resource equality, or equality in general, can reduce the factors that can lead up to mental illness. It's unquestionable that mental illness is a serious problem and we should look for ways to alleviate the pain; not just treat it but prevent it as well.
    - Kristal

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  3. It would be nice if the social democratic government would help assist those with mental illnesses. By assisting those with mental illnesses, I think it would make society feel as they are treated more equally. Your blog mentions that mental illnesses and poverty go hand in hand, and I completely agree. As I was reading articles online, I found out that many individuals living in poverty have a mental illness. It is a shame that many problems are ignored by our current government. People with mental illnesses and people living in poverty truly need a great amount of help and assistance from the government. Also, since the social democratic society believes in equality, it is about time they start proving what they believe in.

    Ashley R.

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  4. Great post. When you mentioned that mental illness and poverty go hand in hand I completely agree. Even as you are driving down the street that is often very evident. It is sad to say but it is true. It seems that the government and society are unsure of the assistance and support those with a mental diability need and in the end it is the individual who suffers more than they should have to. Even throughout this project in many of the articles that seemed very common.
    In your post you also said that when we are able to alleviate social problems the entire society would benefit. That is very true as well. A larger problem is only completely solved when it is examined and small changes occur. The benefits become a snowball effect as one person benefits, then another and then another and so on.

    Dana W

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  5. www.ncd.gov
    Mr.Hilary Thornton
    info@prattlibrary.org
    www.loc.gov

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