ON THE WORLD HEALTH DAY THIS YEAR , THE THEME WAS DEPRESSION , LET US TALK
A ) WHY THIS THEME WAS CHOSEN ?
B ) WHAT IS THE LIKELY IMPACT OF CHOOSING THIS THEME ?
C ) EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE ROLE OF ADVOCACY IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS ?
A 3 INTRODUCTION
1 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 300 million people have depression.
2 It is one of the leading causes of disability and poor health across the world.
3 VV IMP Stigma and lack of support have been identified as the main reasons for the increasing number of people suffering from depression.
4 It can affect people from all walks of life and at any age.
5 It is characterized by the loss of interest, feeling of guilt, sadness, low self worth, poor focus, loss of appetite or sleep, and tiredness.
6 It can impair people s ability to function at home, work or school, making it difficult to carry out the daily tasks.
7 Severe depression can also result in suicide. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), at least 15 people committed suicide in India every hour in 2014.
A ) WHY THIS THEME WAS CHOSEN ?
1 - Depression was selected as the themes for this year to raise awareness about it.
2 - The aim is to make people understand this mental disease, its cause and the available treatments.
3 - Depression is not just feeling sad, it is completely different and sadness is one of the many symptoms of depression.
4 - It shouldn t be confused with being sad.
5 - It affects the person s mind and body.
6 - Depression is treatable without medicine when it is mild but requires medication when it is moderate or severe.
7 - It requires expert intervention and support for loved ones.
8 - The WHO campaign focuses on the young adults or adolescents, people above the age of 60 and women of childbearing age (especially post delivery).
A ) With this campaign, WHO wants to raise awareness about depression as sometimes the warning signs like agitation, change in physical appearance, lethargy and weight loss are not obvious to family and friends.
B ) The organization also wants to fight the stigma and fear attached to mental illness.
C ) Depression can be prevented and treated.
B ) LIKELY IMPACT ON CHOOSING THIS THEME
1 - Decrease in rate of suicide rates and risks
2 - Breaks down the stigma of depression by talking in large groups , schools and offices
3 - To reduce the amount of mental anguish in the affected individuals and their families
4 - By building trust among all to prevent suicide
5 - To achieve independent living and avoiding all barriers
6 - Tracks the person to undergo testing and improves quality of life
7 Provides social support to individuals with depression
8 - Talking with people you trust can be a first step towards recovery from depression.
9 - Spreads awareness among individuals with depression
C ) ROLE OF ADVOCACY IN PSYCHIATRIC PRACTICE
DEFINITION
1 - In modern English, advocacy is commonly understood to mean speaking, pleading or interceding for someone else.
2 - In its report on patient advocacy, the Royal College of Psychiatrists states that “In relation to people with mental health problems or learning difficulties, it has the rather different meaning of helping people to be heard and ensuring that what they say influences the decisions of the clinical staff.”
3 - In practice, the word is used to cover a wide range of activities, resulting in the obfuscation of the core concerns
4 - This lack of a clear interpretation has delayed attempts to achieve consensus on what is good practice and how it may be evaluated.
5 - Its meaning might be restricted to those activities carried out within a set of principles by specific individuals employed or volunteering for the purpose.
6 - The key characteristics of advocacy are ( vv imp ) -
A ) Empowering - The idea is to enable individuals to speak for themselves or if this is not possible, to ensure that their point of view is acknowledged and understood-allowing them to make informed choices
B ) Independent - Advocates must be able to express their clients’ views without prejudice
C ) Inclusive - Everyone should be able to access an advocate, irrespective of any aspect of their personal situation, including their ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual preference or age
D ) Impartial - Advocates must not judge their clients. They might be the only persons who can represent their clients’ points of view and they must present it as valid and truthful as possible for the person
E ) Confidential - All information shared between the advocates and their clients is confidential, except where harm is threatened to anyone. Any information given to the advocates will be shared with their client, in all but exceptional circumstances
F ) Free of cost - Advocacy services must be free to the recipient.
ROLE OF ADVOCACY **
1 - aim is to improve care, to protect safety or rights, to demand further resources or to influence policy.
A ) has 2 areas of work / 2 levels of work
2 - At the individual clinical level, the client may discuss with the advocate their own case, their participation within this and their ambitions for themselves.
3 - At the group level, advocates may work with others to effect changes to local or national services or to represent client groups in arguing for national policy reforms.
4 - It actively assesses the need for a change and to promote self help techniques
5 - The advocacy role aims to achieve changes in the sociopolitical environment which would improve mental health ( v imp ) -
A ) This could be done by re-framing public debate so as to increase public support for more effective policies in the field of mental health.
B ) This might also encourage community groups working on mental health to participate actively in the political process.
6 - The following categories of organizations are associated with mental health advocacy -
A ) Consumer groups
B ) Organization of families and friends of people with mental disorders
C ) Professional associations
D ) Nongovernmental organizations working in the field of mental health
E ) A wide range of mental health associations, including consumers, carers, mental health professionals, technicians, artists, journalists and other people interested in mental health.
7 - Advocacy movements emerged as a response to the recognition that people with mental disorders were especially vulnerable to serious human rights violations, like involuntary long-term detention in psychiatric institutions ( vv imp )
8 - Along with influencing the government and educating the public, such self-advocacy groups have the additional benefit of giving its members feelings of empowerment and self-esteem, which by themselves confer mental health benefits.
9 - Advocacy movements emerged as a response to the recognition that people with mental disorders were especially vulnerable to serious human rights violations, like involuntary long-term detention in psychiatric institutions.
10 - In several places, it is responsible for creating an increased awareness of the role of mental health in the quality of life of populations. In many societies, support networks have been established through advocacy organizations.