Persons with Mental Illness

Values in our community affect the social welfare services of persons with mental illness in several different ways. First off, as with all other neglected and/or oppressed groups, the persons with mental illness are in the minority against those without mental illness.  This gives persons with mental illness a small voice in obtaining and/or fighting for their human rights.

Many mental illnesses require or would at least be aided by adequate food and shelter, medications, counseling, skill building, and many other services.  But without proper health insurance, adequate income, knowledge of one’s own mental illness, advocacy, etc, individuals often go without and their human rights are diminished and violated.

Often times these oppressed population groups intersect.  The mentally ill are often poor.  If one is mentally ill; he will have a greatly increased chance of struggling in obtaining and/or keeping employment. And there is evidence to suggest that this works the other way around as well.  If one is or becomes poor, he will be more likely to develop mental illness (http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/blog/index.php/2011/04/06/link-between-poverty-and-mental-illness/).  

Society as a whole considers the mentally ill to be somewhat of a taboo population group.  Many don’t believe that the mentally ill are a group worthy of receiving social welfare services.  There is a lack of understanding of mental illness in our society.  This ignorance creates a huge barrier in providing persons with mental illness the services that they deserve so that their human rights can be fully realized.

                                                             Mental Illness: A Taboo