Mental Health Services
Centuries before the birth of psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology, or the field focusing on the interrelationship between the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems, Socrates understood the indivisible link between mind and body. Ever since, the psychosomatic theory that mental health can impact the human body and trigger physical symptoms has become scientifically irrefutable. Proper mental health functioning is essential for overall well-being and health. It is also fundamental to self-esteem, learning, communication and thinking skills, decision-making, and productivity, as well as for overcoming obstacles in the private and professional spheres of one's life. Mental health is an important concern for all segments of the population, and mental illness does not discriminate but affects individuals of all ages. Mental disorders and health problems are health conditions that may be as disabling and serious in nature as physical diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
For the one in five Americans afflicted with a mental health condition or illness and for those at heightened risk of developing one, an extensive range of mental health services and treatment options are available. Mental health help, the efficacy of which is well-documented, enables individuals with different types and degrees of emotional or mental illnesses to experience less pain and lead more productive and healthier lives. More than 3,000 mental health facilities and clinics currently operate in the United States. Mental health care is provided by professionals such as psychologists, psychiatric social workers, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurses, who offer a wide variety of services, including the following:
- Psychiatric and medical evaluations;
- Hospitalization (with comprehensive clinical interventions and 24-hour nursing care);
- Psychiatric emergency services;
- Treatment of severe mental illnesses (i.e. manic-depression, schizophrenia);
- Treatment of behavioral problems;
- Psychotherapy or "talk therapy";
- Assertive community treatment (ACT) or community mental health care for individuals with long-term psychiatric illnesses;
- Medication prescription and management;
- Psychological testing and assessment;
- Employment support and assistance;
- Family and marital therapy;
- Psychiatric nursing services;
- Inpatient treatment;
- Residential care;
- Support groups;
- Mental health education programs;
- Substance abuse prevention programs;
- Crisis intervention;
- Supported living services (support, training, and treatment of residents with developmental or psychiatric disabilities);
- Treatment of behavioral and emotional problems in children;
- Outpatient treatment for adolescents, adults, and families;
- Counseling (Couples, individual, group, family);
- Hypnosis;
- Intensive mental health treatment for adolescents and children who may need hospitalization; and
- Family education and support.
Community mental health services consist of supportive counseling, assistance with daily tasks and in building personal and family relationships, as well as encouragement towards active involvement in community activities. Family education, training, and consultation services are available to couples, family members, foster families, and home providers, with classes aimed at promoting healthy change. Clinical assessment services evaluate clients' needs, strengths, functioning, and the gravity of their disability. Personalized treatment plans, which typically consist of medication monitoring and family, group, and individual therapy, seek to alleviate patients' distress, and facilitate emotional change. There are also crisis intervention services, which are usually intensive, time-limited and accessible 24/7 to families and individuals undergoing an emotional, psychological, or behavioral crisis.
The most commonly-employed methods for treating mental health illnesses and conditions are as follows:
Psychotherapy (individual/family/marital/group);
- Drug therapy;
- Gestalt therapy;
- Hypnotherapy;
- Behavior therapy (i.e. exposure therapy; relaxation training); and
- Electroconvulsive therapy (very effective in treating severe depression).
The majority of mental health practitioners practice one of the following types of psychotherapy: (1) supportive psychotherapy, (2) interpersonal therapy, (3) behavior therapy, (4) psychodynamic psychotherapy, (5) cognitive therapy, or 6) psychoanalysis.
The most prevalent settings for the provision of mental health services are (1) a public or private mental health clinic (outpatient), (2) a mental health facility, (3) a hospital (i.e. a psychiatric hospital, state mental hospital), (4) the community, (5) a residential treatment center, and (6) self-help organizations that sponsor meetings and operate centers for group therapy. The public may avail itself of a wealth of mental health resources by visiting the website of the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA), which features a National Mental Health Information Center. Its Mental Health Facilities Locator and Mental Health Services Directory provide a list of support services and mental health treatment facilities. Prospective clients may also visit community mental health centers, which place at their disposal low-cost resources and charge fees based on income. A multitude of mental health resource directories are available online, and therapists may be found by entering one's zip code or city. The most effective methods of locating mental health resources are as follows:
- Recommendations from family, friends, clergy, or social agencies;
- Mental health professionals (i.e. psychologists, mental health counelors, psychiatrists);
- Local mental health associations (i.e. local chapter of the Psychological Association);
- Peer support groups;
- Employee assistance programs;
- Private facilities and clinics;
- State hospital outpatient clinics;
- Yellow pages under "social services", "hotlines" or "mental health";
- Psychology/psychiatry departments at medical schools or universities; and
- Outpatient clinics and hospital psychiatry units.