Presidential Agendas
Rather than focus on the treatment of chronic disease, policies that influence population health tend to emphasize prevention and wellness; the reduction or elimination of waste and the eradication of health disparities based on race, ethnicity, language, income, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors. The reasoning is that good health belongs to the whole, not just an individual. (New York State Dept. of Health, n.d.)
Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen has a stake in healthcare policy decisions. Hence, it is little wonder why healthcare items become such high-profile components of presidential agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.
Consider a topic (mental health, HIV, opioid epidemic, pandemics, obesity, prescription drug prices, or many others) that rises to the presidential level. How did the current and previous presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
Reference:
New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). Making New York the healthiest state: Achieving the triple aim. Retrieved June 21, 2021 from https://www.health.ny.gov/events/population_health_summit/docs/what_is_population_health.pdf
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
- Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues become agenda priorities.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post your response to the discussion question: Consider a population health topic that rises to the presidential agenda level. Which social determinant most affects this health issue? How did two recent presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
By Day 6 of Week 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by expanding on their response and providing an example that supports their explanation or respectfully challenging their explanation and providing an example.
Solution
Mental Health: A Population Health Crisis
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2024), about 57.8 million adults in the United States have some mental illness every year. This shows that close to one in five adults experiences a mental disorder. Unlike physical health, mental health has, in most cases, been pushed to the margin in the context of addressing healthcare policy over several years (Short, 2022). Biden’s administration has been reported to have a rise in these disorders more than Trump’s, drawing mainly from the pandemic of COVID-19 and the aggravating state of mental disorders prevalent in society (National Institute of Mental Health, 2024). Therefore, tackling the mental health crisis requires a comprehensive approach targeting access to care, social determinants, and stigma reduction.
The Social Determinant of Poverty
Poverty is one of the most significant social determinants affecting mental health. Among those living in poverty, harsh conditions add to new incidences or serve as reinforcing factors in the development of mental illness, mainly due to poor access to health care, shoddy housing, food insecurity, and crime (Short, 2022). Furthermore, poverty results in poor treatment practices for mental health conditions, as well as recurring illnesses and the perpetuation of disadvantages.
Recent Presidential Approaches
President Donald Trump (2017–2021)…………..Kindly click the purchase icon above to access full solution at $10