Mental Health And Prison

ed mental health spending in 2015, compared to 36 in 2013 and 29 in 2014 (Sun, 2015). As stated previously, all of the funding that is being slashed from state mental health budgets is being spent on state prisons and the incarceration system. While mental institutions and prisons have similarities on paper, they are also fundamentally different in the goal they are trying to accomplish. Prisons should be for the rehabilitation of those who break the law, and it should serve as a way to help transition the convicts within back into society without future problems. Mental institutions should, like prisons, be for rehabilitation, but they should also be focused on helping the patient appreciate the positivity in their life and enjoy their …show more content…
For parents with mental illness’, the effect their issues could have on children is unpredictable and varied. Children whose parents have a mental illness are at risk for developing social, emotional, and behavioural problems. (Lee et al., 2013). Certain factors can actually increase a child’s vulnerability to mental illness; things like poverty (which we mentioned earlier), marital difficulties, and poor parent-child communication are huge factors that could lead to a children’s health being negatively affected. Abusive relationships are another huge factor, and are one of the most negative factors to a child’s mental health. However, at the end of the day genetics are the most important factor; some children are more genetically vulnerable than others to mental illness, and some children end up more resilient. Resilient children understand that they are not responsible for the flaws of their parents, and are able to continue living life regardless of the challenges. Doctors can actually diagnose children early on to see whether or not they may suffer from depression. A study done showed that behaviours at age 8 predicted the potential risk for depressive symptoms in late adolescence and early adulthood (Lee et al., 2013). Another interesting fact is that children with physical …show more content…
Parenting practices are vital to alleviate stress from the children; keeping marital conflict and economic hardship away from the children is also important for the child 's health (Lee et al., 2013). By protecting and aiding the child’s feelings of emotional security, children are able to cope with any familial problems, which consequently leads to a lower chance of having any mental illness. However, going overboard when it comes to child care has negative effects as well. A study done showed that students that were allowed greater autonomy reported higher life satisfaction, physical health, and self-efficacy (handling of complicated tasks and adverse situations) than students with "helicopter parents." Students with lower self-efficacy reported higher levels of anxiety and depression (Reed et al., 2016). There is a balance that needs to be found, and that is one of the many responsibilities of a parent to find the