Unmet Challenges in Addressing Mental Health Concerns- Goals and Outcomes from Healthy People 2020
Mental health is a key aspect of a person’s general well-being. It can be described as a successful state of being able to perform mental functions, establish and maintain healthy and fulfilling relationships and adapt and cope with changing situations in one’s life. Mental disorders are described as health conditions that cause an alteration in an individual’s general thinking, mood and behaviour (Healthy People 2020, n.d.). Mental disorders are one of the commonest causes of disability, and data from the United States in a given year estimated that about 18.1% of adults suffered from a certain mental illness. Mental health is, therefore, a critical aspect of any health policy. This paper aims at discussing aspects of mental health that are not being addressed through data comparison and highlighting areas that require improvement.
Eating Disorders Among Adolescents.
One of the major mental health disorders that is often overlooked is eating disorders among adolescents. Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Eating disorders among adolescents have a multifactorial causation (Hauck et al., 2020). They have been mostly linked to family relationships, psychological problems, and genetic factors. Low self-esteem among adolescents is also a key factor in the prevalence of this disorder within this age group.
An estimated one out of every one hundred females is likely to suffer from anorexia nervosa. Individuals with anorexia nervosa refuse to maintain the recommended body weight (Hay, 2020). Bulimia nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge eating that are often accompanied by destructive tendencies such as forceful vomiting or the use of laxatives to expel the food that was consumed. Binge eating is simply eating uncontrolled amounts of food.
Most of these eating disorders are often adopted during the late adolescent and early adulthood years. Researchers believe that a majority of American girls suffer from bulimia nervosa but have managed to conceal their condition for long durations of time (Hauck et al., 2020). These conditions are often preceded by extreme preoccupation about one’s weight, strict dieting, overeating during certain circumstances, and often alcohol and drug use.
Several risk factors have been identified as causing eating disorders. These are categorized into psychological, social, and biological risk factors. Psychological risk factors include low self-esteem, perfectionism, difficulties in being assertive, and difficulty in expressing one’s emotions (Stice et al., 2017). Bullying and constant teasing are some of the social risk factors attributable to the causation of eating disorders. Physical changes witnessed during adolescence and genetic factors are the biological factors causing eating disorders.
Symptoms commonly observed in individuals with eating disorders include a distorted body shape and size, unusual eating habits, extreme changes in weight, insomnia, constipation, skin changes, reduced quality of both hair and nails and overactivity (Treasure et al., 2020). Adolescents with this condition tend to be in constant denial and are often moody and anxious. Withdrawal from social gatherings and friends is commonly observed. These teens also appear to be overly sensitive towards criticism meted at them.
Left unchecked and untreated, these eating disorders often lead to serious health complications and death in severe instances. Besides being underweight, anorexia nervosa has been shown to result in amenorrhoea among girls (Peebles et al., 2019). This consequently results in osteopenia that is attributed to painful fractures. Serious renal and cardiovascular diseases have also been attributed to these eating disorders.
Goals Relating to The Health Concern.
The aim of Healthy People 2020 is to ensure that there is a reduction in the number of adolescents engaging in eating disorders in an attempt to control their weight and ensure that it is maintained within the recommended range. The Healthy People 2020 reports that approximately 22% of the American population is comprised of adolescents and young adults. It is, therefore, critical to ensure that the health of these groups of people is prioritized by effectively managing these eating disorders and ensuring proper weight is maintained.
The mental health of an individual is critical to the well-being of an individual. It is particularly important in this group of individuals due to the changes that they are experiencing. The low self-esteem that is commonly associated with eating disorders can greatly impact other aspects of an individual’s life, including their academic performance. Healthy People 2020, therefore, takes great concern in ensuring that these disorders in adolescents are treate