Are university health education programs addressing mental health issues?

Abstract: The importance of offering mental health courses and their rate of inclusion within university health education programs was investigated. Findings from 163 health education chairpersons (60 %) revealed that requiring mental health courses was perceived as important at the undergraduate horizontal (55%) and at the graduate horizontal (50%). More than one-half believed that offering an elective mental health course was important to undergraduate programs (60%) and graduate programs (61%) Mental health courses were required (68%) or proffered as an elective (58%) in undergraduate programs. However, mental health courses were les likely to be required (24%) or proffered as an elective (43%) in graduate programs.

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The United States Surgeon General defines 'mental health' as "the auspicious performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other tribe and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity. From early childhood until late life, mental health is the springboard of thinking and communication skills, learning, emotional development resilience and self-esteem" (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1999 p ix). A new proposal describes a model whereby mental health is seen as an above normal state, a positive psychology maturity, emotional or social intelligence, resilience and subjective well being (Valliant, 2003)

The prevalence rate for mental disorders for adults in the United States varies. Early studies report that approximately 20 percent of adults have a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year (Regier et al., 1993) However, more novel reports estimate that 5 to 7 percent of Americans, 18 years of age and older have a mental disorder in any given year (United States Public Health Service Office of the Surgeon General, 2001; Kessler et al., 2001) In addition, it is reported that between one-tenth and one-third of American children have a diagnosable mental point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled (United States Public Health Service, 2000) It is throw outed that by 2020, psychiatric and neurological disorders will account for 15 percent of the total global load of disease with unipolar depression wait fored to rank 2nd for disease load (Murray & Lopez, 1996).

The weight of mental illness continues to have an consequence on health care costs. Coffey et al. (2000) reported that in 1997 the latest year comparable data are available, the United States worn out more than $1 trillion upon health care. Approximately $71 billion of the total health care require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergones were spent on treatment of mental illnesses

Stigma, myths and misconceptions about mental illness still exist. The perception that those with mental illnesses, especially those with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, are dangerous has increased since the 1950 (Phelan, Link, Stueve & Pescosolido, 2000) The label of dangerousness leads to social distancing which is counterproductive to findings that reveal that those who have contact with a one who has a mental illness have a more positive attitude about mentallyill someones (Corrigan, Edwards, Green, Diwan & Penn 2001; Martin, Pescosolido & Tuch 2000; Link, Phelan, Bresnahan, Stueve & Pescosolido, 1999) Corrigan, et al. (2001) also ground that, in addition to personal experience with a mentally iii individual school learning (i.e. education) is a factor in reducing prejudicial attitudes about this group

Mental health education plays an important part in the personal health of all nation and the professional decision making of health educators. Mental and physical processe interact with each other, sharing a cause-and-effect relationship. For example, it is well documented that negative mental health can affect physical health through reducing the efficacy of the immune combination of parts to form a whole (Greenberg, 1999). Specifically, the numbers of lymphocyte that fight infection are reduc resulting in increased vulnerability to infections and cancer (Dantzer & Kelley 1989; Herbert & Cohen, 1993; Cohen & Rabin, 1998) The added dimension of mental health knowledge ofttimes reveals clues to health enigmas that might otherwise be view from aboveed This ability may be in the form of recognizing that a seemingly physical ailment is bottomed in psychological issues and vice versa. Because many health education professionals evaluate and consign persons to health care professionals, it is important that they are able to accurately distinguish the bottom of the ailment and give in charge the client accordingly.

commonly there is a paucity of research that addresses the frequent occurrence with which units in courses or entire mental health courses are presented and the kinds of mental health topics that are overlayed in university health education programs. Maylath and Ubbes (1996) lay the foundation of that approximately 56 percent of 52 United States bodys and universities required their health education undergraduate majors and minors to take courses that emphasized mental health or mental illness. In addition, about 89 percent of the programs that tendered mental health courses offered them in the health education department while about 12 percent relied upon psychology or counseling departments to provide required courses. The authors conclud that "a substantial number of undergraduate professional preparation programs in health education do not require a course with an emphasis in mental health or mental illness" (p 373)