American Psychiatric Nurses Association Calls for Proactive Health Care Policies to Ease Burden of Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders in New Position Paper
In the midst of the ongoing health care debate, the
"Mental health and substance use problems are too often neglected or an afterthought in the health care debate," says APNA President
Currently, approximately 56 million American adults experience a mental illness and/or substance use disorder in a given year (1), one third of
Ample scientific evidence links a person's mental condition and their long-term physical health and overall wellness. For example, addressing mental illness has been shown to reduce health care costs and improve survival outcomes associated with noncommunicable diseases(4). Nevertheless, the gap between the manifestation of symptoms of mental health conditions and first intervention averages a decade (5).
According to APNA's position statement, this shows "that mental health promotion, through prevention, recognition and early adequate care and treatment, must be at the starting point of and comprehensively woven throughout the delivery of services within the American health care system." In order to accomplish this, APNA recommends that systems be restructured, all health care providers have facility with mental health and substance use screenings, and national state and local policies ensure universal access to services from qualified health care professionals that promote mental health, prevent mental illness and substance use disorders, and offer care and treatment as necessary.
1.
2. Japsen, Bruce (
3. Parks, J., Svendsen, D., Singer, P., Foti, M. E., & Mauer, B. (2006). Morbidity and mortality in people with serious mental illness.
4. Kolappa, K., Henderson, D. C., & Kishore, S. P. (2013). No physical health without mental health: lessons unlearned?. Bulletin of the
5.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/03/prweb14152174.htm
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