Mental Health is Misunderstood
"Mental Health" is a buzzword across multiple channels, yet this seems to have reduced its meaning. The social determinants that go into health are ignored. Therapy is discussed, but how it is utilized is still fuzzy. In therapy, people are diagnosed based on a set of criteria defined by DSM V (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and the purpose of going is to reduce or maintain a certain level of mental health. It is not uncommon for certain symptologies of mental health disorders to correlate with other diseases, such as depression and dementia. Similar to why some are prescribed medications, therapy has the goal of improving the quality of life of the patient. Therapy can search for patterns to find a potential cause-and-effect. Sometimes it is due to childhood development, neurological factors, and/or genetics.
A common belief is addressing mental health to feel better. Less anxious or happier. Therapists can effectuate this, but what some don't expect is that therapy is a long-term treatment plan that may not have immediate results. There can be issues in a person's life that are compounding other areas of their health including mental health and socioeconomic status. Those who have a substance abuse condition may have a mental health condition as well as physical and environmental that requires addressing these multiple areas to create change. Therefore, therapy along with it's long-term requirements, is time-consuming and very personalized to the patient. In addition to therapists, clinical social workers work in a similar manner with minority and underserved populations. Without continuous meetings and treatment, relapses and readmission increase in commonality.
A part of clinical social work is engagement with common therapeutic techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies. This can be psychodynamic, focusing on the psychological roots of emotional suffering. Its hallmarks are self-reflection and self-examination. An integrative approach, utilizing multiple therapy strategies, can create the best outcomes for patients because it addresses many influencers. Clinical social workers are faced with dominant healthcare systematic problems like patients being bounced around, distrust with the system, high costs, and not seeing results.
Why has therapy and social determinants of health been siloed? This is partly because interventions for the social determinants of health are still being built. A person may not want to go to the hospital without someone accompanying them, even if free transportation is offered. There are other complex challenges, including health literacy, financial planning, and structural forms. There are many factors that go into a person's life and health, which all circle back to the central topic of an issue in healthcare that many situations are too time consuming and require interdisciplinary collaboration.
Psychiatrists are often siloed with therapists. This means many patients are prescribed medication in addition to therapy to reduce their negative symptoms. Even as we address and pay attention to mental health today more than we ever have in the past, therapy or social work is rarely covered by insurance. If you can afford the out-of-pocket costs, the next issue is finding a therapist you connect with and trust.
Radect Health removes all these separated silos. By creating a continuous care system that is interdisciplinary and utilizes team-based care methods. We integrate non-traditional health practitioners, like yoga instructors, who can assist therapists and social workers with their therapies to ensure a broader view and addressment of all external factors. Our system gathers data and customizes this information into a personalized plan. It is online, encrypted, and total-care. RADECT envisions reducing the excess time that both practitioners and patients face, such as repeated tests and administrative work. RADECT seeks to provide greater access and democratizing the knowledge of healthcare practitioners to operate in a non-siloed system.