Mental healthcare is a wide landscape that has to bear the weight of huge, ever-growing needs. Mental illness and crises are at an all-time high, propelled by – among other things – the current political climate, the worldwide stress caused by Covid, rising costs and the scarcity of resources, and continuing barriers to adequate care for many sections of the population.
Mental-health crises often follow a pattern that can be observed in an individual’s personal experience with mental illness. It is also observable from a larger, public-health vantage point.
The following is a simple framework to explain the basic phases of crises in mental health.
Phase one: pre-crisis
The pre-crisis phase of a mental-health event is usually the point at which the first hint of trouble appears. It might be an early warning sign or symptom, a jarring conversation or realisation. Perhaps it is an observation made by a family member or close friend.
From a public-health or populace perspective, it could be the first statistics indicating that mental-health needs are beginning to exceed availability of care, or an independent audit that reveals a lack in adequate or appropriate mental-health services.
Phase two: crisis
One definition for “crisis”, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a situation that has reached a critical phase”. In the case of a mental-health arc, the crisis point is often when it becomes clear that intervention is needed.
Individuals experience this phase in various ways. It could be the moment when mental health gets in the way of one being able to carry out everyday tasks. Perhaps it causes one to miss an important event, fail an important test, or even lose a job. Perhaps family members leave.
Most clear-cut is when one receives a professional diagnosis or doctor’s order.
From a public-health perspective, the crisis point is more nuanced. Perhaps a state of emergency is declared; the mental-health-related mortality rate spikes; or a notable publication might draw attention to a growing mental-health problem.
Phase three: response
When a problem reaches a crisis point, some kind of action must be taken. Education and awareness about mental health, and how to react, can help those afflicted to navigate their experiences more effectively.
Resources need to be in place to support individuals who require mental-health aid. This often involves an interweaving of government welfare programmes, private or non-profit aid organisations, the mobilisation of personal support networks, and more.
Public-health response programmes vary depending on the nature of the crisis and the particulars of the population at hand. Providing effective mental-health crisis support for a given population can prove to be a complex problem that might involve any number of initiatives or strategies.
Phase four: recovery (or resolution)
The recovery phase can vary widely in size, shape, involvement, and duration, depending on the nature of the crisis in question. In cases of diagnoses caught early, or involving children who are much more resilient, this phase might take a relatively short amount of time. Full restoration to normal quality of life and healthy living is often possible.
For other recovery processes, these results might differ.
Public-health strategies for achieving recovery across populations tend to take much longer. Healthcare providers must respond to complex mental-health needs with innovative solutions, strong leadership, and future-focused thinking.
Moving a population out of a mental crisis is an incredible challenge and must be navigated with intentionality.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg and host of ‘The DRH Show’. Connect with him on Twitter @dennisr_howell.