Discussion- Mental illness and the impact on society

Discussions are fundamental to shared learning, so please be sure to participate early and often! After you have completed the Reading, and without reviewing your classmate’s responses, post your initial response to the following Discussion. Your post should be at least 400–450 words in length and should extend the discussion of the group supported by your course materials and/or other appropriate resources. After you have submitted your initial post, review some of your classmate’s posts and respond to at least two of your classmates; your responses to others should be at least 100–150 words in length and substantive. Refer to your Discussion Board Rubric in Course Resources for specific grading explanation.

Mental Illness and the Impact on Society

For this week’s Discussion, you are to discuss the effects mental illness has on society. To help you prepare with the Assignment, review any of the supplemental sources:

1. Lockey, C. J. (2013, February 9). To treat mental illness, we need a more reasonable civil commitment law: Guest opinion. Oregon Live. Retrieved from http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/02/to_treat_mental_illness_we_nee.html
2. Editors. (2012, February 23). The neglect of mental illness exacts a huge toll, human and economic. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-neglect-of-mental-illness/
3. PBS. (2005). Frontline: The new asylums. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums/view/

Next, locate one credible source from the Library or the internet about the prevalence of mental illness in the U.S. and the effects it has on society (e.g., criminal behavior, alcohol or drug abuse, negatively impact interpersonal relationships, or homelessness). Use this information to write a letter to your congressperson (without the intention of sending it) to explain the following:

1. The magnitude of the problem of mental illness.
2. What is being done to improve the situation (such as your state’s programs or organizations).
3. How the problem affects a society.
4. What steps you believe should be taken to combat the problem and reduce the prevalence of mental illness or the specific problem you chose.