A new study revealed that 60 percent of mentally-ill Americans lack proper care due to a shortage of psychiatrists and other qualified professionals who will provide care to them outside the emergency room.
Researchers from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that, among the 46 million adults in the United States, who were mentally-ill, about 27.6 million or 60 percent had not received treatment the previous year because of lack of financial resources. They also found that there was a shortage of mental health professionals.
In another study conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON), they assessed the needs of the mentally-ill adult Americans, as well as their families, to make process recommendations that can help in the reduction of readmissions and make the transition from the institution to home less difficult.
The findings of this study prompted the faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) to enhance the role of the nurse in psychiatric care and produce more nurses who can be fit for that challenging job.
"Nurses who are providing psychiatric care are considering the whole patient, including physical, emotional, and social needs," said Linda Gerson, PhD, RN, an assistant professor in JHSON's Department of Acute And Chronic Care, in a press release. "The mentally ill are a complex group to care for. We spend a lot of time trying to educate our patients and help them live on a daily basis."
However, care of the nurses, along with medication management, was not enough. Reconnection with the environment or community and assistance and support from their own families were also found to be important factors so that the patient will find support resources for themselves.
Additionally, with HealthCare.gov now rolling, about 10 million more Americans dealing with mental health and substance abuse will have access to care beyond the emergency rooms because of the Affordable Care Act.
