Utilization of Mental Health Services for Hemophilia Patients
Literature Review
Statistics on Caregivers
Khair & Chaplin (2016) posits that hemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder that is sex-linked and it is contributed by inadequate clotting factors in the human body. According to Schwartz, Powell & Eldar-Lissai (2017), in every 5000 male births, it is only 1 person that is found with hemophilia disorder. Recent studies conducted in centers that cater to hemophilia patients indicates that the number of patients as increased to 33,000 males as of 2018 compared to the 20,000 that were recorded in 2012 within the United States. Notably, these increasing numbers of patients require a proportional increase in the care services provided. On the other hand, it has been witnessed that American society had not considered mental health services as a significant therapy in treating people with hemophilia for varied reasons.
Due to the fact that people with such a disorder are born with it, the members of his family are initiated as the first caregivers as soon as this person is diagnosed. It should be noted that the provision of care to someone with a disease that is chronic sometimes becomes a challenge (Khair & Chaplin, 2016). This is because such care requires one to offer constant and continuous vigilance, as well as multiple changes in the victims’ lifestyle. In other words, caring for a hemophilia patient is demanding. In addition, when a person engages in providing such care it can result in a serious impact on his finances, social connections, career path, physical health, and employment (Schwartz, Powell & Eldar-Lissai, 2017). Most people who get drowned into caring for hemophilia patients through mental health services usually experience challenges in their families as much attention is on the patients other than his family preferences.
Generally, caregivers within the United States have been linked to being underutilizing mental health services to treat hemophilia patients. From the population margin of the people that are most vulnerable to be affected by hemophilia, men take the biggest part. Based on the conducted by Schwartz, Powell & Eldar-Lissai in 2017, this group of people is rated to be amongst those that are less likely to engage in mental health services. These people have a belief that the matter or disorder can be solved without visiting a mental physician. However, the truth remains that there is still a need for the healthcare body to ensure that this group of people is adequately rehabilitated as a provision of their medical welfare and this has to be considered at all times.
Besides, the current statistics on caregivers within the United States indicate that the country has been reluctant towards using mental health services. Reports highlight that most of these individuals have a tendency of underrating, forego, as well as delay such health services. According to Khair & Chaplin (2016), most patients that suffer from hemophilia defect attempts of using mental health services yet, it is through these mental health services that they can prevent unwanted attention that is likely to develop from the public. Ideally, it leaves the victims with a fear of being exposed to anything related to such defects.
Complications Associated with Care-giving
Research made by Wiley, Khoury, Snihur, Williams, Page, Graham, Laudenbach, Milne‐Wren & Stoffman (2019) indicates that the hemophilia disorder prevents blood from clotting normally, which causes the victim to bleed for a long period. The authors state that up to now; there is no specific definitive cure for hemophilia. Particularly, the healthcare goals, in this case, are only looking at providing timely treatment, preventing bleeding, determining episodes of bleeding, as well as implementing all interventions that could avert the complications. On the contrary, research indicates that hemophilia affects all kinds of people regardless of their race and socioeconomic class. As a way of creating awareness of this disorder, a world hemophilia day is annually celebrated every 17 of April (Wiley et al., 2019). This day helps people to improve their accessibility treatment and care, which help in combating such a disease.
As mentioned in previous chapters, the suggested treatment is associated with challenges since hemophilia is a chronic blood disorder that requires frequent interventions. Some of the challenges experienced during intervention with mental health services include family stress, financial stress, as well as emotions among others. According to Okide, Eseadi, Koledoye, Mbagwu, Ekwealor, Okeke, Osilike & Okeke (2019), caregiving to victims of hemophilia is quite challenging as it merits the attention of many non-governmental, as well as governmental agencies. The authors add that some of these challenges entail but are not limited to having unsuitable jobs, meeting the financial costs needed for treatment, and concerns regarding self-disclosure. Besides, other complications related to caregiving include impaired work functioning, job loss, as well as poor interpersonal relationships among others.
Okide et al. (2019), assert that communities with people suffering from hemophilia experience inadequate education. It should be noted that education plays a significant role in strengthening the already existing community structures and it also establishes a sense of community among its beneficiaries. On the other hand, education offers equal benefits for people, their families, the community, and the entire society. For instance, it creates the aspect of social capital, inclusion, as well as cohesion. Various studies indicate that introducing education classes to victims of hemophilia allows the participants to obtain self-identity, improved mental health, and progress in education (Okide et al., 2019). Besides, the complication that is associated with caregiving is the increasing number of people with hemophilia. Also, it creates difficulty when determining the exact type of hemophilia in a human.
It should be noted that those in charge of providing care inside the US have been connected to being underutilizing mental health services to treat hemophilia patients. From the populace edge of the individuals that are generally helpless against being influenced by hemophilia, men take the greatest part. Okide et al. (2019), claim that these individuals are evaluated to be among those that are more averse to take part in mental health services. These individuals have a conviction that the issue or turmoil can be fathomed without visiting mental doctors (Wiley et al., 2019). The reality remains that there is as yet a need for the healthcare body to guarantee that this gathering of individuals is enough restored as an arrangement of their clinical government assistance and this must be considered consistently.
References
Khair, K., & Chaplin, S. (2016). The impact on parents of having a child with hemophilia. The Journal of Haemophilia Practice, 3(2), 4-14. https://doi.org/10.17225/jhp00075
Okide, C. C., Eseadi, C., Koledoye, U. L., Mbagwu, F., Ekwealor, N. E., Okeke, N. M., Osilike, C., & Okeke, P. M. (2019). Challenges facing community-dwelling adults with hemophilia: Implications for community-based adult education and nursing. Journal of International Medical Research, 48(1), 030006051986210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060519862101
Schwartz, C. E., Powell, V. E., & Eldar-Lissai, A. (2017). Measuring hemophilia caregiver burden: Validation of the hemophilia caregiver impact measure. Quality of Life Research, 26(9), 2551-2562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1572-y
Wiley, R. E., Khoury, C. P., Snihur, A. W., Williams, M., Page, D., Graham, N., Laudenbach, L., Milne‐Wren, C., & Stoffman, J. M. (2019). From the voices of people with hemophilia and their caregivers: Challenges with current treatment, their impact on the quality of life, and desired improvements in future therapies. Haemophilia, 25(3), 433-440. https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.13754