Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper
Mental illness is categorically an array of mental health disorders that affect thought, emotion, and behavior. The mental illness can include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenic disorder, eating disorders, and other forms of addiction. They are typically characterized by subjective feelings of discomfort or reduced capability in critical spheres of life (World Health Organization, 2022). Adolescence is a remarkable and essential stage of life. New body changes, feelings and social relationships, and experiences such as poor living standards, abuse, or violence render adolescents at risk of mental illness (World Health Organization, 2021)Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper. Adolescents, in particular, represent one of the key population groups in the community who have many psychological issues that affect their well-being and functioning at school or work, as well as relationships with peers and families. Preventing exposure to adversity, enhancing socioemotional skills, and ensuring mental health support and care are relevant for adolescent health and development into adulthood. This health promotion plan will aim at preventing mental illness among adolescents in a community setting to improve their quality of life.
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Health Concern
The prevalence of mental illness during adolescence presents a significant challenge for the health of adolescents and society. The World Health Organization (2023) reports that one in seven adolescents globally experience mental or neurological disorders. In the dispensation of adolescents, mental health disorders like depression and anxiety are rampant, with research showing that about 14% of adolescents undergo a major depressive episode each year (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023)Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper. These disorders have dire consequences, such as poor academic performance, alcoholism, and a higher risk of committing suicide.
Underlying Assumptions
The health promotion plan also assumes that adolescents will willingly discuss their concerns about mental health and that such support is available somewhere within the community. It also assumes that when early childhood intervention and education are considered, there would be a drastic decrease in the rates and effects of mental health disorders among adolescents. These assumptions have been grounded on indicators that show that mental health knowledge and structures enhance the mental well-being of individuals (Wittevrongel et al., 2023).
Points of Uncertainty
Even with all these assumptions, several points of uncertainty must be considered. Stigma related to mental illness may lead adolescents to avoid seeking treatment or to keep themselves from being engaged in the program. On this basis, one may also identify gaps in family support and that there are socioeconomic extrapolations on approaches to health promotion. Another concern is the availability of mental health services, which may vary depending on the healthcare insurance provided (Radez et al., 2021)Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper. To address these uncertainties, the program has to be designed to adapt to the community’s cultural practices and target the needy adolescent population.
Importance of Addressing Mental Illness in Adolescents for Health Promotion
Adolescent mental health is a serious issue that must be addressed through health promotion, given the prevalence and lifelong effects of mental disorders among teenagers. Students with mental health problems like depression and anxiety are likely to perform poorly in school, misuse substances, and exhibit suicidal behavior. Therefore, targeted prevention is crucial. Current population health data highlights the gravity of the issue: In the United States, 42% of high school students reported having ongoing emotions of melancholy or pessimism, and 29% reported having poor mental health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s study from 2023. One in ten (10%) students attempted suicide in 2021, while more than one in five (22%) students seriously considered doing so in 2021.
Factors Contributing to Mental Health Issues
Several factors account for the increased incidence of mental health disorders in adolescents. Socioeconomic status is influential; unfortunately, low-income families have fewer resources and healthcare facilities, worsening the inequalities. Also, some cultural beliefs may frown upon seeking mental health services, and this will make some adolescents stay with treatable conditions that only get worse with time (Gaiha et al., 2020)Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper.
Health Disparities and Access to Services
Access to and the quality of mental health care remain problematic in various settings. Minority and low-income youth experience disadvantages in attaining comparable care because of inadequate insurance, means of transport and path-breaking culturally competent healthcare givers (Hoffmann et al., 2022). These impediments delay the recovery from mental health disorders and demonstrate the importance of effective health promotion interventions that can help to overcome them. Health promotion of mental illness in adolescents is a crucial strategy in promoting individual health as well as the general population. Through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, people can identify any signs of mental health disorders at the right time, which will help minimize repeated health costs that may be borne by society in the future. Thus, there must be a higher level of promotion programs for mental health, enhanced access, and culturally appropriate interventions for adolescents.
Establishing Agreed-Upon Health Goals
Setting mutual health objectives with the help of hypothetical participants is highly significant in effectively enhancing mental health in adolescents. Having the adolescents, parents, educators, and mental health professionals involved in setting the goals ensures that the objectives are set, achievable, and quantifiable. For instance, adolescents might have crucial goals that include identifying and coping with anxiety, whereas parents may emphasize goals of proper communication. It is essential to note that mental health professionals can produce various methods with tangible objectives toward these aims. The goals set are achievable by involving participants in developing goals, which ensures that they are not only suitable to the participant’s needs but also concrete and can be achieved within the planned period. For instance, a specific objective might be to decrease the self-reported symptom severity of adolescent clients’ anxiety by at least twenty-five percent over six months due to the treatment provided during weekly group therapy and mindfulness. This goal is consistent with the SMART goal-setting criteria and can easily measure its success in achieving this goal (Radez et al., 2021)Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper.
Participation also helps individuals to take responsibility and ownership of projects. Families and adolescents who are participative when receiving health goals are more involved when receiving the program and likely to follow the recommended interventions. This approach also aids in the identification of the multiple challenges and formulate plans to address them for effective program implementation (Hoffmann et al., 2022). This way, the set health goals are mutually understood and endorsed to develop an integrated and communal health promotion strategy that would reel in targeted mental health concerns among adolescents.
Conclusion
Addressing mental illness in adolescents through a comprehensive health promotion plan is essential for improving their overall quality of life. Teenagers are especially susceptible to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, which can have a severe negative effect on their future well-being, social connections, and academic achievement. By encouraging early intervention, strengthening socioemotional abilities, and offering comprehensive mental health care, this health promotion strategy seeks to prevent mental disease. A collaborative approach that addresses the particular requirements of teenagers and supports their long-term mental health and development is ensured by the plan’s involvement of varied players in creating attainable, quantifiable, and realistic goals Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, February 13). Mental health | DASH | CDC. Www.cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm#:~:text=Adolescent%20Mental%20Health%20Continues%20to%20Worsen&text=In%202021%2C%20more%20than%204
Gaiha, S. M., Taylor Salisbury, T., Koschorke, M., Raman, U., & Petticrew, M. (2020). Stigma associated with mental health problems among young people in india: A systematic review of magnitude, manifestations and recommendations. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02937-x
Hoffmann, J. A., Alegría, M., Alvarez, K., Anosike, A., Shah, P. P., Simon, K. M., & Lee, L. K. (2022). Disparities in pediatric mental and behavioral health conditions. Pediatrics, 150(4). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-058227
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023, July). Major Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression
Radez, J., Reardon, T., Creswell, C., Lawrence, P. J., Evdoka-Burton, G., & Waite, P. (2021). Why do children and adolescents (not) seek and access professional help for their mental health problems? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(2), 183–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01469-4
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Wittevrongel, E., van Winkel, R., Jackers, M., Colman, L., Versyck, M., Camp, E. V., Everaert, G., Vrijens, M., Baeyens, D., & Danckaerts, M. (2023). How to make mental health services more youth‐friendly? A delphi study involving young adults, parents and professionals. Health Expectations, 26(6), 2532–2548. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13832
World Health Organization. (2021, November 17). Mental health of adolescents. World Health Organization; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
World Health Organization. (2022, June 8). Mental disorders. World Health Organization; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders Health Promotion Plan Discussion Paper
