The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.
When you think about mental health care, you might think that everyone has access to the same services. Unfortunately, this may not be true. This is why it is important to work towards inclusive mental health services for everyone. Here’s a look at what this means and how it can be accomplished.
You can find out even more about inclusive mental health here. This webpage may explain the specifics surrounding this issue.
Issues Present
Inclusive mental health care is a term that means that everyone should be able to get the mental health support they need. For example, no matter if someone lives in America or a third world country, it would be beneficial if they were able to get the same quality of care to address their mental health.
However, this is not the case in many situations. For example, there are areas in the United States where residents don’t have access to psychiatrists and if they do, they are not able to afford to see them.
Moreover, some ethnicities and groups are not able to get the mental health care they need as well. In some instances, LGBTQ+ individuals are not able to acquire the healthcare they need because of their lifestyle or due to the stigma surrounding their lifestyle.
This is something that needs to change. Mental health is an important aspect of a person’s wellness, so when you are unable to seek treatment, this can cause you to remain sick. Imagine if you had a disease and you were unable to go to the doctor for medicine. This could cause you to die from your condition.
Solutions
There may be ways for anyone to get the help they need, however. One way is through talking to your doctor. They might be able to speak with you about government programs you can take advantage of, where you won’t have to pay pricey out of pocket fees. In your area, there may be resources that are affordable, based on your income. If your doctor doesn’t know about any, you can do an internet search to locate a clinic in your area. Of course, these options may only be present in larger cities.
Another way that individuals may be able to get the mental health care they need is by choosing online therapy. There are numerous online therapy apps that you can download onto your smartphone. These allow you to be paired with a counselor within minutes. Many options permit you to seek help for a number of reasons and are affordable. Some sites offer monthly or weekly payment options, depending on how you want to interact with your counselor. When you opt for this type of therapy, you can utilize it wherever you are. You won’t have to go to a different location or worry about keeping appointments.
Something else to keep in mind is that online therapy can be just as effective as traditional therapy, for some conditions. Of course, for more serious disorders, you may still need to work with a therapist in-person, which is another reason why inclusive mental health care is very important.
Even though there are a couple of options available that could close some of the gaps that individuals experience, a lot more work might need to be completed before everyone has the same access to mental health care. Having additional programs in lower income neighborhoods or within certain communities may be beneficial, and affordable therapy could also make a big difference. The good news is that there are helpful programs being developed in some areas, when needs arise for them.
If you want to know more about what is available in your community, you can check out your local government’s website or ask your doctor. They may be able to tell you what exists in your city.
Conclusion
Mental health care is an important aspect of health care in general, and it would be helpful if everyone could visit a therapist when they need to. This isn’t always an option, but it can be improved, especially as mental health issues are becoming less of a taboo topic. There are options for many, including community clinics and online therapy. You may want to look into these options if you don’t know where else to turn.
