Policy Issue: Caring for the Mentally Ill The healthcare system, as a whole, faces many challenges when caring for vulnerable populations. This population includes individuals with mental illnesses. More than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders (WHO, 2010). Mental health and suicide prevention should become national priorities. With the lack of resources and public knowledge of this population, healthcare providers are faced with the difficult task of educating the public about the importance of “mental health to overall health.” Public attitudes and stigma associated with mental illness represent a major barrier to treatment. Those suffering from mental illnesses are deprived of the care and support they need due to low self-esteem and a sense of hopelessness, resulting from public stigma. Poor mental health is associated with exclusion from social groups, difficult work environments, unhealthy lifestyles, risk of violence, poor physical health and human rights violations (WHO, 2010). There is a lack of access to quality care, as well as early mental health screening and reporting, which should become common practice. Further research in this area is vital, as is improved quality of mental health care. Background SOCIAL FACTORS Individuals living with serious mental illness represented 9.8 million adults in 2008. Among these, 58.7% used mental health services, 40.5% received outpatient treatment. inpatient services, and just over 7% received inpatient services for a mental health problem (Center for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, 2009). Globally, there is a possibility that one in four people will experience some sort of mental healing… middle of paper… runaway mental illness being high, the need for treatment is growing. Access to adequate care is an issue for people who need mental health services. Lack or delay in treatment has resulted in a large number of suicides. The high cost of mental illness coverage was a problem until the passage of the Mental Health Parity Act. Other bills and policies have been proposed to benefit those suffering from mental disorders so they can receive the care they deserve. The goal is to reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental health disorders, promote health among younger populations with expanded school programs, treat mental health with the same respect as physical health, and conduct early screening for disorders mental health and drugs. abuse. People with mental disorders deserve access to quality care. After all, there is no overall health without mental health.