The Prevention of Poverty Through Education: A Review of Policy History and Current Movements

by on January 16th, 2010 § 0

The origins of developmental psychology in the United States parallel the history of the fight against poverty (Phillips & Styfco, 2007).  Some would argue that education is at the heart of the matter.  If one can provide proper education for the underprivileged, it will afford them an opportunity to thrive in a career, and rise above their economic and social circumstances (Phillips & Styfco).  It would level the economic and social playing field, and make people more equal.

Serious issues regarding health and social life in the United States stem from behavior learned during youth and adolescence (Ross, Powell & Elias, 2002). Among these are drug, alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual behaviors that put one at risk for disease and teen pregnancy.  Studies suggest that 50 percent or more of U.S. youths are at risk from the consequences of these behaviors (Ross, Powell & Elias, 2002; Zins & Wagner, 1997).  Long-term problems stemming from these behaviors contribute to unnecessary care and drive up its costs (Kolbe, Collins & Cortese 1997).  These problems also produce a school environment that is not conducive to learning, and therefore contributes to higher drop out rates and a worse education for those who do graduate (Kolbe, Collins & Cortese).  Intervention during the formative years of children could lead to prevention in these areas.

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A Review of Interventions for Reducing Mental Health Stigma

by on January 8th, 2010 § 0

Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness, individuals suffering from mental illness, and psychological service utilization are widespread. They result in social isolation, reduced opportunities, and outright discrimination against affected individuals (Gaebel, Zäske, Baumann, Klosterkötter, Maier, & Decker et al., 2008). The negative effects of stigma also extend to the families of individuals with mental illness, their close relationships, and even the professionals who work with them (Goffman, 1963; Sadow & Ryder, 2008). This stigma is associated with treatment underutilization, treatment delay, and premature termination (Masuda et al., 2007; Gaebel et al., 2008; Gould, Greenberg, & Hetherton, 2007; Corrigan, 2004).

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A 2009 Mental Health Parity Policy Analysis

by on January 3rd, 2010 § 0

Although psychological and addictive disorders have come to be recognized as common and treatable conditions within the medical profession and even among the general population, the United States health care system is still lagging behind. Insurance companies do not provide equal coverage for mental health services, and most Americans lack access to even basic mental health care. The goal of interest groups campaigning for better mental health coverage has been to achieve “mental health parity,” meaning that mental health services would be covered at the same level as general medical services and surgical procedures.

The first major victory is this campaign came in 1996, when Congress passed a law mandating equal annual and lifetime dollar limits for mental health benefits. A more recent piece of legislation has extended this parity in benefits to co-payments, deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, and caps on the number of inpatient or outpatient visits. The passage of this law is being hailed as a tremendous success by advocacy groups. However, the law has problematic limitations that may actually serve to increase systemic barriers to mental health treatment, particularly among the working poor and the lower middle class.

In this analysis we will examine the consequences of the present mental health parity law, and the structural barriers that continue to limit access to mental health services. We will examine the consequences of these limitations, both for the affected individuals and for the society as a whole. Finally, we will propose changes to the current policies which could remedy the problems we outline.

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Welcome Advocates, Activists, and Policy Wonks!

by on August 21st, 2009 § 0

Mental Health Parity RallyWelcome to the public policy & advocacy group blog on Chicago Psychology. This community blog is for sharing and discussing the latest trends and developments in public policy, and opportunities for psychological professionals to take political action. Post your own ideas about the direction of public policy and comment on the ideas of others.

Participating is very simple: once you’ve set up your free account on ChicagoPsychology.org, just join the Public Policy & Advocacy group and then ask a group administrator to grant you access to post on the Public Policy & Advocacy group blog. This will allow you to post your own thoughts and ideas, experiences, announcements about new findings or events, or anything else you think is relevant to the psychological community. Other members will be able to post comments on your post, or write their own separate posts in response.

An account on ChicagoPsychology.org also allows you to create your own free web site or blog to promote yourself and your practice, or to just share information and ideas that you think others will find interesting or helpful.