Population health topic that rises to the presidential agenda

   Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by expanding on their response and providing an example that supports their explanation or respectfully challenging their explanation and providing an example. 

MAIN POST : Population health topic that rises to the presidential agenda level

Millions of individuals worldwide are dealing with some form of mental illness. People with mental health problems are likelier to become sick or die prematurely. They are stressed out, dysfunctional, and emotionally unstable (Spaeth-Rublee et al., 2017). This crisis in mental health is caused, in part, by the inaccessibility of necessary services. Bush, Obama, and now Trump all put in place new regulations. Their goal was to reduce the stigma associated with mental health care and increase the number of people who can get help when needed.

Social determinant most affects this health issue.

It can be challenging to make sense of the links between social factors and an individual's psychological well-being. A person's well-being is affected by various factors, including their level of schooling, income, social networks, the nature of their neighbourhood and community, physical environment, and access to medical care.

Ways in which recent presidents handle the problem

Obama signed the Affordable Care Act as a law which promised that universal health care would be a top priority for his administration. This legislation aimed to cover the uninsured at a reasonable cost and expand access to healthcare. It made it illegal for insurance companies to exclude people with pre-existing diseases or mental illnesses from their plans. People with mental health issues now have access to more affordable care because of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) reforms to private insurance and Medicaid (Schober, 2022). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made it possible for people's mental health coverage to be on par with their physical and surgical coverage, helping people notice and get help for mental health issues sooner. Within a year of the ACA's passage in 2014, about 22 million Americans had access to and received treatment for mental health issues. More than 45 million people lacked medical coverage before the passage of this act, with one-quarter experiencing mental health problems.

Individuals with an antiquity of mental disease were not turned down for coverage under the Obama act. The ACA's increased funding for community clinics has treated over 900,000 persons with mental health conditions (De Quevedo, 2022). When veterans experienced issues with their mental health, this law was put in place to guarantee they would receive prompt treatment. May could have been designated as National Mental Health Awareness Month by him. He hoped that by raising awareness of the magnitude of the problem, organizations, institutions, and businesses would be more inclined to aid those struggling with mental health concerns in the United States. Everyone needs to be aware of the need for change promotion and be on board with it.

More than $70 million was budgeted by Trump this year for community mental health programs, and $140 million was set aside for kids' mental health insurance (Fiedler et al., 2020). In order to aid in the care and treatment of patients with mental health illnesses, President Trump advocated for the usage of accredited community medical centers. Repealing the Affordable Care Act is another one of President Trump's goals. It may devastate the availability of care for those with mental health issues by cutting funding and insurance.

What would I do differently?

As a medical professional, I understand how crucial it is for patients to access comprehensive, non-discriminatory health coverage. Being a nurse who often interacts with veterans has given me insight into their battles with depression, hopelessness, and low self-esteem. Many service members and veterans have sacrificed their lives due to inadequate mental health care. I would reform committees and acts as needed and for the interest of our country as a whole to avoid these kinds of crises. Instead of limiting or removing access to mental health services, I would seek to ensure they are continuously covered. Instead of decreasing funding for organizations such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which helps the country's mentally ill, I would reallocate that money to offer more resources for initiatives that improve the public's mental health and well-being