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Running head: MENTAL HEALTH AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS

Mental Health amongst Older Adults and Its Effects

FH0825
Wayne State University
3710

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS

Mental Illness the History and Its Effects

In this paper I will discuss mental illness and how it affects older adults. In my discussion
I will explain how mental illness has been viewed throughout history down to present times.

The social welfare issue that I am most interested in is mental illness amongst elderly
people. Depression is not a normal part of aging. Yet depression is widely unrecognized and
untreated. Mental illness affects every race/ ethnic and age group in the world. The graying
community in particular concerns me because sometimes the world views the older generation in
a discriminating way. The discrimination includes views such as theyve lived a full life we as a
people need to focus on the younger generation whom havent yet experienced life.
A major problem with mental health care and the elderly is finding the necessary and
proper resources for those in need. The mental health system sometime confuses mental
disabilities that occur naturally and those whom experience mental health issues because of drug
or alcohol usage throughout their lives.
When caring and providing for such persons these two must be distinguished in order to
provide the needed services. Because these two groups of individual qualify and disqualify for
certain services based on their challenge. For those who havent worked and are being cared for
by the government are also losing benefits daily due to government cut backs. There are several

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS

services in place to help the elderly deal with mental health challenges. Those services are social
security, Medicare and state and government funded agencies. Those agencies are organizations
like Gateway and Community Care Services. These organizations provide case workers to each
consumer to help them find food, mental health services and housing. One organization I know
of is The Team Mental Rehabilitation Service.
Individuals who are eligible for these services will display a need, such as being mentally
challenged, homeless and depressed. The impact of these organization and companies such as
Team Mental rehabilitation are positive for the clients because their immediate and long term
needs are addressed. The case worker work diligently to ensure that all are interviewed and
evaluated by a licensed professional such as social workers, therapist and doctor. Once the
assessment is complete consumer are placed according to their needs in semi-independent living
homes, group homes and or nursing facilities.
Historically mental illness has been treated and a contagious disease that must be avoided
at all cost even the cost of a precious human life. During the colonial times individuals that were
mentally ill live and endured horrific conditions. Those that were affected by mental illnesses
were treated like animals and were chained and caged.
Through fear of the unknown many myths were born which lead to further inhumane
treatment and death of the mentally disadvantaged. They were labeled lunatics which is the
root word for lunar meaning moon. Through astrological reasoning it was believed that mental
illness was caused by a full moon at the time of the childs birth. The community in which these

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
individuals lived labeled those lunatics that had been possessed by the devil, and they were
removed from normal society and locked away. (Leupo n.d. para.1)
Leupo (n.d) has stated:
Inhumane practices included ice baths, bleeding procedures, induced vomiting and
massive brain shock. Individuals during the early years thought that one could be cured by
cathartic medical treatment, by either catalyze crisis or expel crisis from the person.
The bleeding practice entailed draining the bad blood from the individual, unfortunately
this inhumane practice normally resulted in death or the need for lifelong care; at best the
odds were one in three that this procedure would actually lead to an improvement in the
patients health. Although the colonial eras methods of handling the mentally ill and
medical procedures could be considered barbaric by present- day standards, the vast
majority of people were content because the lunatics were no longer visible in society.
(para.2)
New Treatment for Mental Illness
Throughout the history of mental illness there have been three revolutions. The three
revolutions are hospitalization, management, society cooperation and interaction. (Leupo n.d.)
During the 19th century, there was a new outlook and method to treating mental illness.
Instead of viewing and treating mentally disadvantaged persons a more human approach was
taken. The chains and shackles were removed and replaced with empathy and the housing in
which the mentally ill were replaced with a family home setting. (Leupo, n.d.)

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
Among the changes to diagnosing and treating mental illness was the introduction of
Phrenology. Doctors begin studying the brain to see the variations in the brain activity of a
normal functioning brain to that of a person with a chemical imbalance. This was done to give
doctors a better understanding of how the mentally ill individual brain waves were not working
at a normal pace and allow for some invention to take place. (Leupo, n.d.)
Many different techniques were used to relax and calm mentally ill people. Hypnosis and
animal magnetism were used as part of the new approach to treating mental illness. (Leupo, n.d.)
Problems did arise during the new approach. For example some clients were more
aggressive than others and attacked caregivers and doctors. To remove this aggression the
asylums implemented skill building, work and recreational activities to the individuals treatment
plan. (Leupo, n.d) These programs were developed to prepare the client to reenter society and be
in a position to function normally. The program also was devised to prepare society to be more
accepting of the mentally disadvantaged. The new approach was an attempt to break the publics
stigma in which they had concerning mentally ill people.
The issues of mental illness are not viewed as it was during the Colonial Period. Today a
more gentle approach is used and there are programs in place to treat mental illnesses. There are
programs such as, The Team Mental Health Rehabilitation Center. This program assists
individuals with a treatment plan as well as placement for those who need inpatient care,
outpatient or semi-independent living.
The problem is viewed as a social issue that must be addressed. There are advocate
groups for the mentally ill as well as the courts that get involved to ensure the proper and safe

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
treatment of ones afflicted by mental illness. The courts will assign mentally ill patients a
guardian if there is no one to care for him/her.
In 1991 Gero-psychiarty was created to assist the elderly with mental disorders.
(University of Oklahoma, n.d.) Now in the 21st century the issue of mental illness is not of the
unknown. Society educates its public on mental illness and how it should be dealt with. Through
education the conditions and treatments of the mentally challenged have gotten better. Though
there is more work to do the future of those affected by mental illness looks promising.
Mental illness has a deep rooted; history it would be very difficult to pinpoint a certain
time when it was identified but we can review the incremental changes throughout history to see
where the problem has been addressed.
Historic Change in Policy
The historical and current definition and policy solutions have changed dramatically
overtime. Americans seek mental health care when they need it without the same fear as some
have had historically.
The problem has been approved overtime by developing new medicine and the Federal
Government regulating the standards of mental health policies. More money today is invested
into awareness programs and the federal, state and local government closely monitors how
mental disorders are diagnosed.
According to the Federal Mental Health Action Agency the mental health system will not
be easily transformed overnight. Change requires a commitment on the part of the Federal and
State government agencies. The communities, public- and private-sector providers, insurers,

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
researchers, consumers, and family members will need to work together toward a single goal of
developing a system that works in cohesion with one another to bring about laws and policies
that will provide the best care for the mentally.

Social Stigma
Social Stigma about mental illness affects the way mentally ill patients are viewed. Many
uneducated people tend to think that mental illness is in some way contagious or controllable on
the part of the person affected by a mental disorder. Some believe that mentally ill people are
being punished for some past or current sin. (Weiner 1985)
Crandall & Moriarty 1995 has stated:
Several studies have concluded that people tended to understand illness in terms of its
severity: how an illness relates to morbidity and quality of life. Moreover, illness was frequently
understood in terms of controllability: whether the person is responsible for the onset of the
disease and coping with it. The controllability dimension overlapped with classification of
illnesses into physical and psychological-behavioral disorders. The key distinction between these
diseases is the belief that psychological behavioral disorders are under relatively more personal
control. (para 8)
Public stigma shapes views of the population as a whole; as part of this population,
people with mental illness will also be influenced by public stigma, which in turn may impact
their sense of employability. (Ritsher & Phelan, 2004) This sort of stigma effects the way the
mentally ill approach the idea of seeking employment. The effects of this kind of stigma has long

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
term effects and can cause low self-esteem which leads to the person affected by mental illness
to become depressed and withdraw from society.
My Point View of Mental Illness
Mental illness to me is a very tragic and effectives those with the illness as well as the
family of the person with the illness.
Mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances as well as other environmental factors.
With the proper treatment mentally ill people can manage and live pretty normal lives.
Its the public that needs to be educated on the various is illness and behaviors of
mentally challenged ones. Today there are still many people when believe myths about the
mentally disabled and this kind of stigma is displayed by abusive behavior towards the mentally
ill.
The treatment of mental health relates to social work values and ethics because it is the
social workers job to advocate and seek better policies for those whose lives are impacted by
mental illness.
Social worker job is to visits the homes and facilities of mental ill persons and help them
with treatment plans and to ensure that their quality of life is equivalent to that of every other
citizen (NASW Code of Ethics 2008).
Social workers work in facilities such as hospital, nursing homes and detention centers.
Their job there is to oversee the treatment of each patient and work with doctors, psychologist,

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
nurses and other staff members to ensure that the care of the mentally disable person is receiving
is suitable (NASW Code of Ethics 2008).
Social workers ensure that the National Code of Ethics is being applied to every person that has a
mental disability and the future treatment of new patients. They ensure ethic on the micro, mezzo
and macro levels.

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS

Reference Page

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration 1 Choke Cherry Road Rockville, MD
20857. http://www.samhsa.gov/index.aspx. Journal
Workers, N. A. (2008) NASW Code of Ethics (Guide to the Everyday Professional Conduct of
Social Workers). Washington, DC: NASW. Website

Prevalence of Internalized Stigma among Persons with Severe Mental Illness

Michelle L. West, MA1, Philip T. Yanos, PhD, Stephen M. Smith, MA, David Roe, PhD, Paul
H. Lysaker, PhD Journal

Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, NY, USA

Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences,
Roudebush VA Medical Center and Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University, IN, USA(n.d)

Athens Mental Health Center The asylum Toddler time The History of Mental Illness by
Kimberly Leupo (n.d.)

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Running head: MENTAL AMOUNGST OLDER ADULTS AND ITS EFFECTS
Pathogen-avoidance mechanisms and the stigmatization of obese people
Justin H. Parka, Mark Schallerb, Christian S. Crandallc
University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 124, Canada
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-7556, USA
Initial receipt 22 December 2006; final revision received 25 May 2007 journal

A attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion.

Weiner, Bernard
Psychological Review, Vol 92(4), Oct 1985, 548-573. Journal

Unmasking Mental Illness in the Elderly Copyright 2014 the Board of Regents of the University
of Oklahoma Journal