The United States has not designed its healthcare system with minority groups in mind, which has affected the quality of care that is provided to black and brown groups. Black and brown groups in America had to come together to organize and protested to create change within the healthcare system to provide them with better outcomes. In fact, relative to behavioral health treatment, different population groups that are based on race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, or sexual orientation have disparate access to high-quality behavioral health treatment and instead experience disproportionate representation in the criminal justice system. It is important for community-based leaders and providers to understand these structural biases as to prevent their further perpetuation and interference with positive treatments and associated outcomes for justice.
Disparate access to high-quality behavioral health treatment is still a pressing issue in the United States in 2022. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that people with mental health problems from low-income, minority, and rural communities are less likely to receive treatment. than patients from other communities. In the United States, African Americans are more likely to be killed by law enforcement than similarly situated whites or Latinos even though they make up a smaller portion of the population. In 2022, it was revealed that black people were disproportionately killed by police shootings than white people in a pattern similar to what has been seen in past decades.
While my campaign addresses strengthening mental health programs for residents of the 2nd Suffolk District, I cannot exclude the role mental health plays in police shootings and how it affects people of color in the 2nd Suffolk District which includes the mental health of officers serving our communities. Studies have shown it is not uncommon for police officers who have served in the armed forces to have mental health problems and struggle with PTSD. This mental health issue is said to be a result of their service and getting little support from their peers or superiors compared with people who have never served in the armed forces. The study also found that black and Hispanic police officers were more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression because they are more likely to be exposed to violence and have their trust violated by colleagues. Now, its not hard to imagine police officers with their own set of mental health struggles policing communities with an over-aggressive stance towards the people they police in communities that are known as “high risk” communities because they have poor mental health care, high levels of poverty, unemployment, low educational attainment which are the factors that lead to disproportionate rates of crime and violence.
Mental health conditions are caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. They can be genetic, environmental, or caused by a traumatic event. Mood disorders are caused by an imbalance of emotions and feelings in the brain.
Mood disorders are often misunderstood as being the same type of mental health conditions, but they are not the same. Mental health conditions are often thought of as diseases. Mood disorders are often confused with mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder because they share similar symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. However, these types of mood disorders are not caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and do not have to be treated with medication or therapy where wearable technology may be a suitable option for some mood disorders. The public awareness system about the different types of mental illness and its treatments can be strengthened in the 2nd Suffolk district.
Wearable technology is becoming a popular way to spread the word about mental illness. It is a low-cost solution that can be easily implemented in the 2nd Suffolk District.
— The National Alliance on Mental Illness Companies like Apple, Google, and Fitbit are quickly taking over the wearable technology market with their smart-watches, fitness trackers and more. Wearable devices are changing how mental health is approached in the world around us by creating a platform for bringing awareness of mental health problems to a wider audience.—The National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Mobile apps are not always the best solution to spread awareness about mental health. They are often not as personalized and are more difficult to share with others. There are many benefits of using wearable technology to address mental health. One of the main benefits is that it can help reduce symptoms of depression. Wearable technology can be used for various other purposes such as physical therapy, monitoring heart rate, and tracking sleep patterns. Therefore, wearable technology can be a great way to get personal help for mental disorders. With the use of these technologies, your moods and emotions can be tracked, and this data can be shared with therapists for additional assistance.
Mental health is a complex issue, and there is no one answer to what it means. Autism Awareness and its treatments is another mental health condition that needs more exposure to resources and treatment options in the 2nd Suffolk District. In general, mental health conditions are defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as “a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, affect, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning.” Autism is a developmental disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life. It affects how a person communicates and interacts with others. The main difference between autism and other mental health conditions is that autism is not considered a mood disorder because it does not have an identifiable cause or specific symptoms, unlike other mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
The 2nd Suffolk District has a lot of potential for improvement when it comes to supporting people with different mental health needs. There are still many barriers that the 2nd Suffolk District faces when it comes to supporting those who struggle with mental health. One of the biggest barriers is funding that has led to a lack of adequate resources and qualified staff members who can support those struggling with all types of mental health issues. If I am elected, I will create legislation that ensures not only for public awareness about mental health resources, but also ensure the 2nd Suffolk District has access to high-quality behavioral treatments through adequate funding and qualified staff members who can support those struggling with all types of mental health issues.
James Grant
State Senate – 2nd Suffolk District Candidate 2022