Community Assessment
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| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Based on demographics, Madisonville is a highly populated area based on the 2020 statistics. The birth rate is higher than the death rate hence it is clear that the city has a big population. However, people have personal strength that is very significant to their recovery in case they suffer from a mental illness. Several personal factors can enhance the recovery of people. Personality assets can be essential in the long-term recovery and improvement in case of such health conditions within a given period. Great character strengths also play a great role in controlling this condition. |
Research shows that young adults are more prevalent in mental illness. In Madisonville, the demographics show that the people between 18 and 64 years cover a great range of 57% of the total population of the city. However, the older people are less since the statistics show that only 17% of the population consists of people aged above 64 years. It is also discovered that more females suffer from mental illnesses compared to men. Mental illness consists of conditions that have different degrees of severity, with a range that can be either severe, moderate, or mild. The illness can be either serious mental illness or any mental illness. Any mental illness is a condition that can be emotional, mental, or affect the behaviors of an individual. On the other hand, serious mental illness can also be a behavioral, emotional, or mental condition that causes severe impairment of the body’s functioning hence obstructing vital life activities. Most people suffering from serious mental illness are in the adolescent stage and mostly among the youth (Settipani et al., 2019). This is due to the stress caused by the changes involved in the transition from adolescence to adulthood in areas such as social aspects, financial stability, and emotional aspects, among others. |
| The education level of the people in Madisonville city is considered to be very high with very high literacy levels in the city. With different educational sources in the city from children to adult education centers and afterschool programs, it is clear that the city has well-educated people. Since education levels are high, studies can be carried out to assess the health of students before they begin their studies and carry out a follow-up to ensure mental stability. Research gives knowledge concerning the problems associated with mental health and how they arise and their effect on the study progress of the students and academic performance. Health services and counseling can be offered in the learning institutions to ensure a high rise in mental health mastery and facilitate help-seeking among the students and also members of society. Psycho-educational involvements, guidance, and counseling, reduction of stigma, measures of health promotion, treatment, group initiatives, among other measures can be carried out and evaluated to ensure the good mental health of the students (Annan et al., 2017). A combination of educational and psychological concepts in higher education greatly contributes to the greater comprehension of the relation between academic self-efficacy mental health, and study progress. |
Madisonville city has many learning centers and a population that is highly educated. Student life can result in mental distress since it can be very challenging and stressful. The distress tends to greatly affect the academic performance of the involved student. Study progress and academics have proved to be greatly involved in distress. Many students develop complications while in school compared to before they began their studies. University students have a high rate of mental health problems that are associated with factors such as academic performance expectations, and financial insecurities, among others. Depression and anxiety in the students are detrimental to their social participation and academic performance of students. The students also experience emotional stress during their studies hence resulting in distress. |
| Based on transportation, a higher percentage of the residents at Madisonville travel to work by personal means. The study shows that 85% of the population use personal vehicles whereas only 12% of the residents travel by public transport. Safe, properly designed and unbiased transport systems can boost access to services such as health and education, job opportunities, family, and social networks, hence resulting in positive impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of the individuals. Furthermore, a good transport system facilitates various aspects that contribute to good mental health such as reduced stress, more time for leisure, and distraction from issues associated with mental health, among others. |
· Noise originating from motorized vehicles result in anxiety and stress and further result in cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, driving vehicles can lead to anxiety, road rage, and stress, especially in Madisonville where a great percentage of the residents travel to work by private means of transport. Severance from the community can also result in isolation and loneliness hence affecting the mental health of the people. · |
| Politically, Madisonville is managed by an executive authority which is managed by the mayor under the united states constitution. The city has different politically active organizations and several government facilities. An examination carried out to determine the link between diagnosis of depression and political susceptibility helps to recommend the attitudes to change in circumstances that have very high uncertainty. Evaluation of political objects, political efficiency, and political interest of the people can help offer guidance to the associated parties to enhance proper mental health. |
Politics takes a substantial toll on the mental health of the person involved based on aspects such as loss of sleep, stress, and worse even suicidal thoughts and failure to break political thoughts from the mind and creation of unrestrained social media posts (Lassale et al., 2020). The mental effects tend to increase and get worse when the election period gets near. The young people who get politically engaged and interested in politics or on the political left have a high probability of reporting negative effects. |
| Health and Social Services in Madisonville are very adequate. The city has various health facilities with adequate health providers, many clinics, numerous public services, home care facilities, social services, Medicaid services, and counseling services. A good social support system helps an individual through stress or chronic illness. Health and social services are significant in lowering cardiovascular risks through approaches such as lowering blood pressure, increasing the ability to deal with stressful circumstances, improvement of self-esteem, relieving the effects of emotional distress, and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits. |
Lack of social support can result in loneliness and isolation. It can also result in a high risk of poor cardiovascular and mental health as well as other associated health problems. Failure to access health and social services can worsen the condition and expose the individual to other mental illnesses. |
| Communication in Madisonville involves both formal and informal communication. Formal communication systems include Tv stations and social media platforms whereas informal communication involves postal offices. Communication helps boost mental health by facilitating good relationships with people, emotional support, self-identity, team building, and self-expression, among others. Social media helps boost mental health by offering entertainment and a feeling of acceptance provided it is used in moderation. |
Contemporary symptoms of internet addiction, depression, and information burden, among others, are associated with communication, especially in ICT. Social media is a major cause of mental illness since it is associated with fatigue and depression and internet addiction. |
| The economic situation in Madisonville is good since only a small percentage of 22.4% of the people live below the poverty level. Furthermore, the unemployment rate of 5.3% is minimal. Economic equality results in a lower prevalence of mental illness. Such a high-income country with an advanced mental healthcare system facilitates treatment and counseling services. |
Economic inequity is greatly associated with poor mental health, especially in high-income areas. Unemployment, poverty, poor housing, debts, and poor income among others greatly contribute to poor mental health. The socioeconomic disadvantage of several residents results in suicidal behavior (Lassale et al., 2020). Inequality in income causes distress to people at the bottom of the economic ladder. |
| At-Risk Population Gap Analysis | |||
| At-Risk Population | Community Statistics | State Statistics | National Statistics |
| 57% of the population consists of young people, 50.8% of the females in the city, and 87.6% consisting of school graduates are the most people at risk of mental illness. | The population consists of 19452 people with a birth rate of 23.7% and a death rate of 0.01%. Male occupants are 49.2% while females are 50.8%. | Male occupants are 49.2% while females are 50.8%. About 22.4% of the total population are living below the poverty level. | The percentage of whites is 82.2%, 11.8% consist of African-Americans, 0.4% for Natives, and approximately 1.3% for Asians. |
| Problems identified | |||
| 1. | Mental distress associated with the use of social media | Academic impacts on mental health. | Social effects on mental health |
| 2. | Problems based on economic inequality | Distress associated with transport | Political effects on mental health |
| 3. | Distress due to political issues | Stress among the youth | Depression among young adults |
Nursing Diagnoses- Related to At-Risk Population
Community nursing diagnosis #1 – Anxiety, distress, and fatigue
Community nursing diagnosis #2 – Stress and depression
Community nursing diagnosis #3 – Cardiovascular disease
Field Work
Results from the fieldwork show that young adults are more exposed to mental distress and access to health facilities is very costly for the teens hence causing difficulty in obtaining medical assistance. There is also little awareness among teenagers on where to get help in case of mental health difficulties. There are very few initiatives that reach out to young people to ensure their mental safety. Awareness is greatly lacking even though it is very significant in ensuring the youth gain access to facilities for their mental safety.
Conclusion
Based on the community assessment, the main focus was on teens and young adults. The assessment shows that the young ts are more exposed to mental stress and require medical attention although the medical facilities tend to be expensive hence posing a challenge for young people to access. There should be awareness concerning the health facilities where the youth can access treatment and counseling in case of mental distress. Better initiatives should be created to ensure health safety and conquer mental illness. Social media use is a major concern for the mental health of teenagers. Young adults should therefore be safeguarded from the negative impacts of social media and bullying.
References
Lassale, C., Gaye, B., Hamer, M., Gale, C. R., & Batty, G. D. (2020). Ethnic disparities in hospitalization for COVID-19 in England: the role of socioeconomic factors, mental health, and inflammatory and pro-inflammatory factors in a community-based cohort study. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 88, 44-49.
López-Navarro, E., Del Canto, C., Belber, M., Mayol, A., Fernández-Alonso, O., Lluis, J., … & Chadwick, P. (2015). Mindfulness improves the psychological quality of life in community-based patients with severe mental health problems: A pilot randomized clinical trial. Schizophrenia Research, 168(1-2), 530-536.
Settipani, C. A., Hawke, L. D., Cleverley, K., Chaim, G., Cheung, A., Mehra, K., … & Henderson, J. (2019). Key attributes of integrated community-based youth service hubs for mental health: a scoping review. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 13(1), 1-26.
Friedman, E. M., Ruini, C., Foy, R., Jaros, L., Sampson, H., & Ryff, C. D. (2017). Lighten UP! A community-based group intervention to promote psychological well-being in older adults. Aging & mental health, 21(2), 199-205.
Annan, J., Sim, A., Puffer, E. S., Salhi, C., & Betancourt, T. S. (2017). Improving mental health outcomes of Burmese migrant and displaced children in Thailand: A community-based randomized controlled trial of a parenting and family skills intervention. Prevention Science, 18(7), 793-803.
