Identify the Population Health concern you selected.
Unfortunate Elevation of Suicide Rate in America
Describe the Population Health concern you selected and the factors that contribute to it.
Suicide is mental illness when people direct violence at themselves with intent to end their life which is a major public health problem and leading cause of death in America. According to Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide is tenth leading cause of death in US claiming the lives of over 47,0000 people. During 2001 2017 total rate increase is 31 percent from 10.7 14.0 per 100,000 and in male suicide is four times higher than female (National Institute of Mental Health).
Administration (President Name)
(Current President)
Donald J Trump
(Previous President)
Barack Obama
(Previous President)
George W Bush
Describe the administrative agenda focus related to this issue for the current and two previous presidents.
President Trump issued a National call to Action to Empower Veterans and End the National tragedy by Veteran Suicide, this administrative agenda focuses on improving the quality of life of Americas Veterans and ending the tragedy of veterans suicide. Despite significant efforts and billions of dollar investment veterans suicide has raise to 26 percent from 2005-2016. Presidents aim through this agenda is to revolutionize the VA healthcare system (U.S. Department of Veterans affairs,2016).
President Trump signed, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, which made civilian to access suicide crisis prevention by direct 3-digit number rather than long 10 digits (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,2018).
In Obamas administration, Affordable Care Act played crucial role in extension of mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protection among individuals who were suffering from mental health illness. Obama also focused in prevention of American Veteran suicide by making easy access to the mental health providers. President proclaimed September 10,2015 as world suicide prevention day by making awareness to citizen, government agencies, organization, health care institute and research institute. He focused on prevention of bullying and harassment which is major leading cause of suicide among teenagers
(The Whitehouse,2015).
In Bushs administration, suicide was introduced as one of the serious mental health problems among civilian and veterans. In 2001 Bushs agenda was focused in serving all person at risk of suicide in US through network of local, certified crisis call center. This program now called the National Suicide prevention lifeline. Agenda primary focus was to make it available 24/7. In 2009 on supervision of Bush VA added 1-1 chart service for veteran who prefer to reach through internet (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2012).
President Bush signed H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act and H.R. 1284 the Veterans compensation cost-of-living adjustment act,2007) into law which required VA to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans and increase beneficiaries of veterans disability compensation(Office of press secretary,2007).
Identify the allocations of financial and other resources that the current and two previous presidents dedicated to this issue.
The executive orders on presidents Roadmap to empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of suicide establishes a task force that includes the secretaries of VA, Defense, Health and Human services and Homeland security. Frequent meeting of the taskforce is held for topic prevention of suicide which includes head of other executive department and agencies to other senior officials in the Whitehouse office. President Trump secured a record $73.1 billion in funding for the VA to provide quality medical care which includes $8.6 billion for mental services and $206 million for suicide prevention (Whitehouse, 2018).
The president has expanded access to telehealth services to help reach more veterans through Anywhere to Anywhere effective VA health care initiative (Whitehouse,2018).
Affordable Care Act (ACA) created Prevention and public health fund which funded 27 grants for prevention of suicide (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2012).
President George W Bush signed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act on October 21, 2004, turning bill into law, the measure provides $82 million in grants to school, colleges, universities and American Indian organization for development of suicide prevention program (Kelvin,2004).
Explain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue.
Presidents roadmap to empower Veterans include a national research strategy for engaging with public and private sector stakeholders to better understand the underlying factors of suicide and lead to earlier identification and intervention, it also includes a proposal for equipping state and local government with the resource and tools to empower veteran communities. This roadmap helps to create on active engagement with each veteran because 70 percent veteran suicide without any mental assessment and intervention, it helps each veteran for easy access of healthcare (Whitehouse,2018).
Mr. Trumps order made a wide range of mental health services available to all veterans as they transition back to civilian society. Trump directed the department of VA for expansion of health care to telemedicine, which has the potential to connect veteran with care no matter where they live, and its use of technology allows former service members to schedule appointment online. If VA cant serve them quickly then Veteran can go for private and allowance will be given (White house,2018).
The Affordable Care Act extends mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protection to over 60 million Americans, helping men and women across country to access critical care. Protection under the health care law prohibit insurers from denying coverage because of pre- existing conditions, like a diagnosis of mental health illness and require most insurance plan to cover and recommended prevention service without co pays, including behavioral assessment for children and depression screening( The White House,2018).
In February, Obama signed the Clay Hunt suicide prevention for American Veteran Act to help fill serious gaps for serving veterans with PTSD and other illness. Obama announced 19 executive actions to make it easier for veterans to access care, including increasing the number of mental health providers at the department of Veterans Affair (The White House,2018).
Suicide prevention national strategy was first released in 2001, assembled by president George W Bush in 2002,the commission was asked to study mental health service delivery system, to make recommendations that would enable adults with serious mental health illness and children with serious emotional disturbance at work and school. Participating fully in their communities, after one year of study, reviewing and testimony the group issued its final report, which identified six goals and corresponding recommendation. Activity in the filed of suicide prevention has grown dramatically since the national strategy was issued in 2001.Government agencies at all levels, school, nonprofit organization and business have started program to address suicide prevention (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2012).
The network of local certified crisis call center was established in such a way that people in crisis get their call transferred in nearest place so that suicide prevention team can be in place of crisis quickly. There are greater than 100 suicide call centers in 49 states. In October 2011, lifeline answered about 3 million calls. (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2012).
