this is a college paper on MENTAL ILLNESS AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM
Table of Contents
I.Overview of Mental Illness
A.Statistics and Aspects of Mental Illness .......................................p.1
II.Mental Illness in Depth
A.Historical Background of Mental Illness .....................................p.4
B.Cost of Mental Illness in Society ..............................................p.6
C.Stigma of Mental Illness in Society ...........................................p.9
D.Treatment of Mental Illness as a Social Problem ..........................p.11
III.Immediate Future of the Area of Mental Illness
A.What is most likely to occur within the next decade and why ............p.12
V. Works Cited ...........................................................................p. 14
Overview of Mental Illness
Mental illness seems to be a growing problem in societies all around the world. Until the mid-twentieth century a large proportion of people who were classified as mentally ill and admitted to mental hospitals were actually suffering from physical ailments like epilepsy and brain tumors. Today researchers are learning about the biological origins of many mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, autism and alcoholism. The mental disorders that cause severe social problems are the most extreme forms of mental illness, like the ones that threaten the social order such as a sociopath who becomes a serial killer. The number of individual in society with these disorders is small, but they constitute a serious social problem because they are so violent and irrational.
A more widespread social problem is severely mental ill individuals who cannot care for themselves without special attention. These individuals include people who are mentally ill and chemically addicted, and are likely to be indigent and homeless. Mental ill individuals experience a variety of symptoms such as unimaginable fear, uncontrollable hallucinations, panic, crushing sadness, wild elation, and mood swings. For society as a whole, their illness presents a
I.Overview of Mental Illness
A.Statistics and Aspects of Mental Illness .......................................p.1
II.Mental Illness in Depth
A.Historical Background of Mental Illness .....................................p.4
B.Cost of Mental Illness in Society ..............................................p.6
C.Stigma of Mental Illness in Society ...........................................p.9
D.Treatment of Mental Illness as a Social Problem ..........................p.11
III.Immediate Future of the Area of Mental Illness
A.What is most likely to occur within the next decade and why ............p.12
V. Works Cited ...........................................................................p. 14
Overview of Mental Illness
Mental illness seems to be a growing problem in societies all around the world. Until the mid-twentieth century a large proportion of people who were classified as mentally ill and admitted to mental hospitals were actually suffering from physical ailments like epilepsy and brain tumors. Today researchers are learning about the biological origins of many mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, autism and alcoholism. The mental disorders that cause severe social problems are the most extreme forms of mental illness, like the ones that threaten the social order such as a sociopath who becomes a serial killer. The number of individual in society with these disorders is small, but they constitute a serious social problem because they are so violent and irrational.
A more widespread social problem is severely mental ill individuals who cannot care for themselves without special attention. These individuals include people who are mentally ill and chemically addicted, and are likely to be indigent and homeless. Mental ill individuals experience a variety of symptoms such as unimaginable fear, uncontrollable hallucinations, panic, crushing sadness, wild elation, and mood swings. For society as a whole, their illness presents a
Cited: News Online. 20 Dec. 1999. 3/2001. New York: Worth Publishers, 1998. New Jersey: Nancy Robert, 2001. 7. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Zane publishing, Inc. 2000 and Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.