Topic > Sociological Model of Mental Health - 1294

The objectives of this policy, and other health policies, must not be separated from the way in which actors interact within institutional and social structures. Social structures in the past have rejected mental illness as a health condition, leading to perceptions of madness and abusive actions, resulting in minimal awareness and political action (Foerschner, 2010). Currently, there is a gradual change in acceptance, due to the change in perception of what is normal among various actors in society. The agents, in this case, are those who are able to influence changes in the social structure and simultaneously have push factors for change through the structures themselves. In the case of mental health, changing attitudes towards the problem have led to changes in policy design, service availability and awareness, but these in turn have contributed to changing social norms and awareness..