Background
Mental health is one of the most critical factors that help an individual ensure a quality lifestyle within society since it enables one to make appropriate and informed decisions. Mental health is greatly interrelated with an individual’s psychological, social, and emotional well-being, which are significant factors in making healthy decisions in life (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The government of the United States of America, through the State Department of Health, has ensured adequate allocation of resources to help mitigate the menace of mental health illnesses in the nation (CDC, 2019).
Individuals majorly start experiencing mental health issues from the adolescent stage up to their old age years and hence require the adoption of effective intervention approaches that will enable long-term solutions for better well-being. Women make up many patients experiencing various forms of mental illnesses due to the different challenges they encounter at different stages of their lives. Depression is one of the mental illnesses that affects the well-being of women from their adolescence stage to post-menopausal years (CDC, 2019).
The American government has considered mental health illnesses a major health concern in the nation due to the rising number of negative impacts of poor mental health. 50% of women in America start experiencing mental health issues during adolescence and are at greater risk if the cases are not dealt with in the early stages (Harrison, 2022). Statistically, depression and anxiety are the leading causes of poor mental health in the United States of America.
The national government has also partnered with the state governments to ensure that their citizens are saved from the negative impacts of mental illnesses. The New York City Department of Health has made significant strides to ensure that it can effectively deal with the menace of mental illnesses. More than 200 mental illnesses and disorders may affect young and grown women in New York City (CDC, 2019). However, depression and anxiety are some of the major cases that have been recorded in the New York City Department of Health and hence have ensured elaborate measures in the state to reduce the prevalence rates of mental illnesses within the state.
Most of the healthcare institutions in New York State have recorded that 2 in every ten patients who visit their institutions for various health interventions portray symptoms of poor mental health. The data emphasize that adolescents and post-menopausal women are disproportionately affected by mental health issues in New York State (Harrison, 2022). The New York State Department of Health has also highlighted how poor mental health has become a significant burden to most women in the city (CDC, 2019). This is because most victims end up spending huge amounts of resources trying to regain a healthy mental state for their well-being.
Depression is a mental illness that negatively affects an individual’s emotions, feelings, and how one thinks. New York City is ranked fourth nationally among states with high percentages of cases (Harrison, 2022). Approximately 450,000 women in New York State portray symptoms related to depression (Harrison, 2022). However, the number varies when compared to men’s cases, which is less than the total number of women’s cases. This highlights how women, both young and post-menopausal, are at great risk of being affected by the devastating effects of depression.
Negative Impacts of Depression on Women in New York
One of the major negative impacts of depression on women living in New York State is that it has led to increased cases of suicide. A significant number of teenage girls in New York State have committed suicide due to it. Most young girls fear expressing their feelings to other individuals because they feel that no one is able to save them from their worries(MedlinePlus, 2018). Adult women in post-menopausal years also make up a significant number of women who commit suicide due to depression in New York City. All the suicide-related deaths of women in New York are from individuals who have a history of poor mental health.
Another negative impact of depression as a mental illness on teenage girls in New York City is that it greatly diminishes an individual’s academic performance. Poor mental health in school affects a student’s relationship with their peers and tutors, which is an integral aspect of an individual’s academic excellence (Kepler et al., 2018). When one is depressed, their attention in class during lessons is hindered, which affects their academic performance since they miss various academic concepts due to a lack of concentration. Poor academic performance from women in New York City not only affects them at a young age but also affects their future negatively since most of them miss opportunities such as scholarships and employment opportunities within the state (Kepler et al., 2018).
Hence, dealing with depression cases at an early stage will save most women from the devastating impact of poor mental health on personal development. Adult women working in different institutions in New York City have also experienced the devastating impacts of depression on their productivity in their workstations. Both employers and employees are required to be in the appropriate mental state to enhance productivity within an organization (MedlinePlus, 2018). The job market in New York City suggests that women’s employment status is greatly affected by mental illnesses, affecting productive women within the state (Kepler et al., 2018). The major factors contributing to the increased prevalence of depression among female individuals include socioeconomic inequalities within various communities in New York State.
Healthcare Promotion Approaches to Tackle Depression in New York
Creating Awareness Through Communal Education
Women in New York City should be protected from great exposure to poor mental health conditions to enhance their well-being within society. The most effective approach to dealing with the menace of depression among women in the state is by creating awareness of its negative impacts on members of society (MedlinePlus, 2018). Educating the members of the community on the ways of coping with depression will have a positive impact on the quality of life of most women in New York City (CDC, 2019). Providing victims with safe spaces to talk about their feelings and emotions is one of the appropriate ways of dealing with it. The national government and the state government should also declare depression as a major threat to an individual’s life.
Training and Education
Proper training of individuals who act as caregivers to the victims of mental health issues, such as depression, is also one of the most effective ways of dealing with and coping with the menace. The New York City state government should set aside financial resources to set up training programs for both caregivers and members of the public for free (Kepler et al., 2018). Instilling knowledge of mental health and how to cope with mental health cases is one major way of enhancing healthcare promotion (CDC, 2019). Training programs can be conducted through workshops, conferences, and seminars in various parts of the state.
Improving Healthcare Facilities in New York
Another significant approach in which the management of New York City can ensure healthcare promotion within the state to reduce the prevalence rate of depression among women is by building more mental health centers. Investing resources in facilities such as psychiatric hospitals and separating adult facilities from children’s facilities will have a positive impact on ensuring good mental health for the people (CDC, 2019). Another important approach is ensuring that they hire professionally trained staff to ensure quality service delivery to women in New York suffering from depression.
Encouraging Evidence-Based Practices in Dealing with Depression
An evidence-based approach is one of the most effective intervention strategies when dealing with mental illnesses within the health sector. Clinical depression is one of the most devastating types of mental health conditions since it is difficult to identify without a trained medical practitioner (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Clinical depression is different from the common, short, and mild one since the symptoms persist for a long time and hence take longer to discover and treat (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The government of New York State should commit to creating awareness in every part of the state to educate the members of the public on the different types of depression that may affect women’s quality of life.
Public Health Education on Drugs and Substance Abuse
Substance abuse within different parts of New York City has dramatically contributed to poor mental health among a significant number of women. 1 out of 10 teenage girls is a drug addict (Kepler et al., 2018). A significant number of girls in New York City come from broken families since their parents are drug addicts, which contributes to their poor mental health, leading to depression. The government of New York City, through its health department, should ensure the construction of new ultra-modern rehab centers for both male and female victims of drug addiction (CDC, 2019). This will help reduce the number of depression cases recorded by women in New York, as well as educate women on the negative impacts of drug abuse on mental health.
Conclusion
Depression is one of the leading causes of mental health illnesses that negatively affect the quality of life of a massive number of women in New York City. Ensuring effective healthcare promotion within the state will help in reducing the prevalence of depression among women in New York City (CDC, 2019). Increasing the number of Psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities will help in dealing with various severe cases of mental health illnesses, such as clinical depression, in different parts of the state (CDC, 2019). Adopting appropriate measures to deal with the menace of depression and anxiety among women in New York will help improve the quality of life of a significant number of women in the state.
References
Harrison, R. (2022). Depression May Look Different in Black Women. www.nyu.edu. Web.
CDC. (2019). Depression. Web.
Kepler, K. L., Perlman, S. E., Chernov, C., Thorpe, L. E., Hoenig, J., & Norman, C. (2018). The burden of depression in New York City adults: results from the 2013–14 NYC health and nutrition examination Survey.Journal of Urban Health, 95(6), 832–836. Web.
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Mental Illness – Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. Web.
MedlinePlus. (2018). Mental Health and Behavior: MedlinePlus. National Library of Medicine. Web.