Why are Mental Health Services important? Often people who suffer from mental health issues go far from their homes to seek treatment. In the absence of supportive social networks, they can suffer from the stigma and isolation that often accompany mental illness. In a primary healthcare setting, people with mental illnesses can get the care and support they need while interacting with fewer stigmatizing elements. But why are mental health services important? Let’s look at three reasons why they’re important.
First, stigma prevents many people from seeking treatment for their mental health issues. This often prevents them from recognizing that they’re ill or even sticking to treatment. In addition to creating a barrier to treatment, the stigma often results in negative treatment at work or discrimination. Therefore, mental health services are essential to improving societal outcomes. By making these services available to everyone, we can help people with mental illness lead productive lives.
Second, the increase in the number of psychiatric patients at hospitals is a pressing issue. A study conducted last year by Dr. Renee Hsia of the University of California San Francisco found that ED visits for mental health patients rose 55% from 2002 to 2011. In contrast, the number of beds in psychiatric hospitals fell by 80% between the 1970s and 2010s. In North Carolina alone, inpatient beds have closed 90 percent in the past decade.
