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Write a one-page peer review of the discussion below:
Mental Illness in the Carbon County Community
Within my community in Carbon County, there is definitely a significant presence of underserved and vulnerable subgroups. Specific portions (even entire townships or boroughs) within the county seem to be more at risk for vulnerability than others, such as Weissport, Lansford, and Lehighton boroughs; that being said, the healthcare disparities in the immediate area do not end there. Specifically, one high risk, vulnerable population within this community is people with mental illness. In an effort to best serve the community within the area, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) completed a community assessment of health needs that sought to identify strengths and vulnerabilities. One specific data point within LVHN’s assessment was that mortality from suicide in the county was approximately double that of the national average, at just over 24 people per 100,000 (2022). The fact that the incidence rate was so far above both the state and national rates is alarming and suggests a lack of community resources and support for mental illness. Along with this statistic, LVHN’s community assessment of health also found that the percentage of adults who reported high levels of alcohol consumption was about 21.5 percent, which sat at about two percent higher than the national average as well as one to two percent above the state average (2022). Both recreational drug use and alcohol abuse are certainly tied in with mental health, and an increase in one issue could have potentially devastating effects upon another. The vast majority of data obtained for the assessment led into just the beginning of 2020, so it would also be interesting and helpful to see additional, current data spanning throughout and following the pandemic.
Impact to the General Community
Actions taken from mental health challenges actually add to trauma and violence within the community, in the form of self-directed violence. This type of violence can cause minor to moderate injuries or can even lead to death by suicide. Suicide can be defined as “taking an action that causes one’s own death,” (Rector & Stanley, 2022). Completed suicides have an apparent direct impact to the patients themselves, as this event results in mortality. But the second- and third-order effects upon the community at large cannot be underestimated either. Any violence within the community is bound to have a negative impact upon families, neighbors, and acquaintances, but each suicide can exact a hefty toll upon many within a victim’s home, school, workplace, and entire town. Even if a person with mental illness is able to seek and receive appropriate treatment, it can be a huge challenge for that individual to maintain relationships, keep himself or herself safe, and engage in the tasks necessary to hold a job and make contributions to the community. But many people are not able to afford or locate timely assistance within the country and specifically within the Carbon County community, which exacerbates the challenge greatly and can lead to increased attempts at self-directed violence as well as potential increased incidences of self-medication via drug and alcohol abuse. And while violence, mortality rates, and drug and alcohol abuse are at an increased rate in a community, it is clearly generally less safe for those who inhabit the area.
Community Interventions
Mental health is a crisis that definitely impacts a sizeable subgroup within Carbon County, but it has also been identified as a nationwide issue that needs to be addressed. A few national objectives that contend with mental health include reduction of the overall suicide rate, increasing the percentage of people with depression who seek and receive treatment, and increasing the percentage of adult and adolescent primary care screenings for depression (Rector & Stanley, 2022). Although those goals will be addressed differently on a national level, there is also value to dealing with them at the community level as well. For example, interventions such as screenings at primary care and emergency care facilities within the community could serve as a great tool to identify vulnerable individuals as well as to help direct them to the appropriate resources. In addition, similarly to the manner in which Carbon County has developed a task force specific to opiate overdoses (complete with advertising and community outreach), the community could engage in awareness campaigns and educational programs to help identify risks associated with mental illness and self-directed violence as well as to broadcast the resources available specific to the area (Rector & Stanley, 2022).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identified a specific shortage area in Carbon County, largely within the more rural coal region. The organization’s site published that the St. Luke’s Miners Healthcare Center in Lansford Borough served as a designated rural health clinic with coverage for primary care, mental health, and dental health needs (2023). Although this clinic is within walking distance of most locations within the town, many individuals may not know that the resource exists. Ensuring to disseminate information to the public regarding resources such as this clinic, the community crisis hotline, and the county alcohol and drug referral lines could help many individuals get the care they need. In turn, helping that vulnerable subgroup receive proficient, accessible care could resolve a large amount of self-directed violence in the community and keep other community members safe from exposure to violence and the heartache associated with losing a loved one to suicide.
References
Lehigh Valley Health Network. (2022, May). 2022 Community health needs assessment profile –
Carbon County. Carbon County CHNA Report. https://www.lvhn.org/sites/default/files/
2022-06/N17520_CHNA_Carbon_County_2022.pdf
Rector, C. & Stanley, M.J. (2022). Community and public health nursing: Promoting the public’s
health (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2023, November). Health provider shortage
areas find. Health Resources & Services Administration. https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/hpsa-find
Direction for Peer Responses:
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