Jennifer Freda

English 112 Section 8

Instructor Connie Douglas
February 18, 2015
Mental Health, an Issue Left in the Dark
The mental health policy, an issue being brought to attention, in modern times, and in
prior. The following concepts brought up are, the subject of mental health being treated just like
those of physical, and the idea of it being ethical to force an individual into health programs
whether its for addiction, or mental illness. Theres also the concept the government isnt trying
to better health care for those with mental health problems. Two articles bring consideration to
these growing questions in America, one written in 2013, and one in 1997. The Mental Health
Policy, written by Thomas J. Billitteri, in 1997, debates the rising matter of mental illness in
places, such as, the workplace, and addresses the new guidelines set by the ADA, which gives
civil rights to individuals with disabilities, such as mental. This article discusses to the reader,
how mental illness can act as a handicap to an individual while in the workplace (Billitteri 795).
It deliberates the issue of mental health stirring throughout history beginning with Sigmund
Freud in the 1800s, all the way to the late 1990s, and new ADA guidelines. Billitteri discusses
the growing attentions to mental illness, in which initiated the government to open the books,
and change current regulations and guidelines for those with mental illnesses. This article targets
the reader as an individual who wants to be informed about the issue, and it is assumed we are
uneducated about the issue. This author writes this article, to display the mistreatment of the
mentally ill in the government, and the workplace. The Mental Policy, written by Barbara

Mantel, in 2013, discusses mental illness and how it effects the average individual in America.
Mantel shows how mental illness is acknowledged in current times by showing, interest in gun
control, and the topic of treating mental illness like a physical illness (Mantel 427). Mantel,
assumes the reader is uneducated about mental illness expressed throughout history, and her goal
is to educate the reader. Mantel makes this article to address the growing debate in mental illness,
and how it should be brought to light within the government, and health insurance. This growing
debate is a controversy brought to attention by addressing the publics need to modify current
guidelines, and typecasts.
The Mental Policy by Barbra Mantel, grabs its readers attention the most, with its use of
factual information, and its content set so the common individual can read it. This article conveys
its reader by having facts through pictures, and researched information. Mantel makes relations
to common news, and conveying emotional appeal to its reader. The language in this article is
fluent, and is written in a way, more people can read it, without any concern about the use of
vocabulary. This article is organized in a way where it first, explains the issue of the mentally ill
facing discrimination and how one would seek help. It then informs the reader about the
encounters with mental health throughout history, beginning in the 1800s, and Dorthea Dix's
efforts in reforming the treatment of the mental health, presenting a need for mental health
hospitals (Mantel 433). These efforts began the demand for reform in this field (Mantel 433).
This article follows by showing the issue in today's news, such as its relations to gun control and
how mental illness is now being seen as the main reason behind recent massacres (Mantel 444).
The setup of this article enhances the appeal of the issue by having it in a layout where the reader
is gaining information and enhancing their knowledge while reading this article, therefor by the
end of the article the reader is fully informed about the issue. This articles main flaw however, is

that its very long, and by the end of the article the reader is losing interest. This article has
strengths in the way, it relates the topic to things the reader is already informed about, such as
school shootings. Mantel, addresses opposition in this article, and shows the pros and cons of
each topic she discusses, and shows the reader she is open minded.
The Mental Policy written by Thomas J. Billitteri is the paper in which, lacks appeal to
its reader by being very long, using a wide range of vocabulary, and references to the
government, the reader is uninformed about. Billitteri starts the essay by talking about the ADA,
and if it assists the mentally ill, or damages the mentally ill. Then, the author discusses mental
health and its impact on insurance. The author talks about the background of the issues he
discussed, mentions mental illness and how it was viewed in the 1980s, and 1970s. Like in the
essay written by Mantel, Billitteri brings up the argument, as stated on page 796, "[in reference
to the 1990s], There's finally a recognition that mental disabilities deserve the same
accommodations as physical disabilities" (Billitteri 796). The author also often talks about the
issue of mental illness in the workplace, and this is the main topic of interest in this article. A
powerful entity that enhanced this article however, is that the author compares mental illness to
physical illness, drawing a connection for the reader that is easy to follow. He makes statements
such as on page 808, "If an insurer capped benefits for African-American workers but not for
Hispanic workers, courts would have trouble finding racial discrimination because of the
longstanding history of bias" (Billitteri 808). At this point of the argument, the author makes
conception to race, and how the public betters physical illness over those of mental. However, a
weakness is that this article was written in 1997, and lacks some information that happened in
recent times, which would make the article stronger. This author also, lacks argument, because
he doesn't address opposition as much as the other article does, leaving the author narrow

minded.
Regardless of personal beliefs drawn to the reader, the article written in 2013, by Barbara
Mantel, The Mental Policy, holds the strongest argument. Both articles have the same view, just
they refer to them through different topics, they address the need for equal treatment of mental
disabilities. Mantel appealed to its audience, by explaining things in ways that it is
understandable to the reader, and they can comprehend the topics being discussed. This article
shows current culture of America, and how discrimination still occurs for individuals with mental
handicaps. Throughout history, many things were sought for improvement, mental illness
shinned to the public eye in the 1880's, but placed on a shelf and left to be fixed later on, a
constant pattern. The Mental Policy by Mantel appeals to its audience by drawing the readers
attention, and informing its reader in a sequence that puts the issue in "plain English", overall
resulting in a stronger argument. After reading both articles, the question remains for the reader,
is mental illness an issue desirable for change?

Works Cited
Billitteri, Thomas J. "Mental Health Policy." CQ Researcher 12 Sept. 1997: 793-816. Web. 18
Feb. 2015.
Mantel, Barbara. "Mental Health Policy." CQ Researcher 10 May 2013: 425-48. Web. 18 Feb.
2015.