Sources:
http://www.npr.org/2014/02/16/277882111/colleges-fail-to-treatt-students-with-mental-illness
Sunday, March 16, 2014
School Administrations Neglect Mentally Ill Students
Welcome back to my blog! This week, I have taken time to uncover some specific stories of mental health awareness issues in schools, and I've come across some very eye-opening stories. One story I came across was about an anonymous college student at Princeton University. This student was prescribed to take certain anti-depressant medication, a medication that he/she overdosed on in 2012. After realizing what he/she had done, they sought help at once, first going to the Princeton Health Center and then to the hospital. However, even though this student had immediately recognized the error in their actions, he/she was consequently kicked out of the university and banned from campus. The hospital had determined that said student wasn't a threat to himself/hersel or the student body. While the school administration was simply trying to keep the well-being of its entire university in mind, they also failed to understand the reality of the student's situation. Yes, he/she made a serious mistake, but they also needed help. Rather than addressing this student's illness and assisting them in their recovery, the school opted to do what was necessary to get the student off its hands. Unfortunately, there are countless stories similar to this one where school administrations are misguided in their decisions regarding the mentally ill due to their misunderstanding of the situation. Unsure how to act, schools often decide to simply turn the student away, believing they are doing what's best for the school as a whole. It is because of situations like these that we need to advocate for the passing of the Mental Health Awareness Act of 2013. Help spread the word! Every student, regardless of any given handicap, has the right to receive assistance as well as an education; they shouldn't have to choose!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Roots of Mental Health Awareness
Hi and welcome back to my blog! For my second post I'm going to be focusing on the historical background of Mental Health Awareness and examining how it's roots have led up to the present day. We will take a look at when the issue first began to surface, and we'll cover some major people and organizations that arose along the way.
First referred to as "mental hygiene", mental health didn't start to become a major topic of discussion until the mid 19th century, which marks the beginning of the mental hygiene movement. One very influential individual of this time was Dorothea Dix, a key player in the movement. She dedicated her adult life to helping those with mental illnesses and spoke out against the way they were being neglected. During this time, the majority of people simply gave up on those with mental health issues. Even most mental health facilities were understaffed and unfit to meet the needs of their patients. It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century that circumstances began to gradually improve. Some of the strides that the mental hygiene movement made during this time included the establishment of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and the first outpatient mental health clinic in the US.
One of the nations most prominent nonprofit organizations dedicated to the welfare of the mentally ill is Mental Health America. This association was founded by Clifford W. Beers in 1909, who also was the founder of the previously mentioned National Committee for Mental Hygiene. Beers used to be a psych patient and consequently witness firsthand all of the horrible conditions mentally ill patients are under. This poor conditions included lack of necessary care and wrongful treatment of the patients. Throughout history this organization has fought for the rights if the mentally ill, opened the eyes of both state and federal governments to a number of large issues, and helped found several other associations with the same desires to benefit mental health. Mental Health America continues to be a very strong advocate dedicated to the betterment of mental health awareness.
Another more recent, local organization that is also a major supporter of Mental Health Awareness is the Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago. Also a nonprofit and volunteer-oriented, this organization was founded in 1957 and focuses providing help for mental patients and educating the community on mental illnesses.
Sources:
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