Essential Facts About Mental Health Advocacy Colorado

By Minnie Whitley


Mental health advocacy is inclusive of various actions that are aimed at bringing a change to the main structural and attitudinal obstacles to achieving outcomes of mental health that are positive. It is a relatively new concept that was developed initially for the purpose of reducing stigma and discrimination. It was also meant to promote human rights of persons that have such disorders. When considering the concept of mental health advocacy Colorado residents have many details to learn.

In the last 30 or so years, there has been a better definition of the needs and rights of persons with mental disorders. As a result of this the families and hence consumers got to develop organizations to assist in making them to be heard in a better way. Sometime after that, they were joined by nongovernmental organizations, associations of health workers and also governments. Over time, the support services have broadened to include rights of persons with less severe conditions. Even the general population has been considered.

There are several actions that are associated with these support services. Examples of these are training, dissemination of information, education, counseling, raising awareness, mutual help and denouncing. Despite these actions, there still are barriers that are associated with implementation of some actions. There are sections of the world where mental disorders have not been treated with the same seriousness as physical health. Instead, such people with these conditions have been ignored massively.

The overall number of people with this condition and who still receive the most basic treatment is very less. The majority of them are normally discriminated against and stigmatized. Most communities are faced with various factors that present risks to mental health. Among the experienced barriers are lack of employment and housing, stigma and lack of effective health services.

Through stigmatization, people become deeply compromised socially and also discredited. Persons with serious mental disorders have a different appearance owing to the side effects. There are lots of misconceptions about such people. For instance, that they are lazy, violent, unreliable, irresponsible, with no conscience and worthless. Other people also consider them to be unsafe, unable to sustain families and stupid. The misconceptions vary and individuals will be subjected to different ones. It is these misconceptions that bring about stigma.

Most of the advocacy initiatives have brought about positive outcomes irrespective of the various barriers. Whereas there is still no scientific proof that advocacy improves psychological health in populations, there have been reports of encouraging projects in many countries. Some of the realized outcomes are placing of such matters on government agendas, changes made to laws, protection of rights of such people and improvements in practices and policies of institutions.

In many countries such support has brought about changes in the ways that people with such disorders are regarded. Consumers are able to articulate their own vision of service they want or need. Further, they are increasingly making informed decisions as concerns treatment as well as other issues affecting their daily lives.

On a general basis, consumers and families have various roles in advocacy. Some of these include development, planning, implementing and improving legislations and also coming up with the right policies. Moreover, they mediate, counsel and defend consumers.




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