An Assessment into Mental Health Equity Strategies for Scotland (2015)
Mental Health Equity Strategies Dissertation – Equity in health services is a key health systems objective for the provision of equal health care and elimination of health inequalities. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) emerging global emphasis on mental health and reducing inequalities calls for the inclusion of equity in mental health services and policy. Scotland’s recent reports indicate that mental health services are typically inequitable in their provision.
Literature searches revealed three axes of inequitable services by age, geography, and ethnicity, and their underlying causes of funding, service variation, stigma, and human resources. This paper uses an equity framework set out by Whitehead (1991), with equity components of equal access, utilisation, and quality of health and its services, to analyse the mental health equity strategies for Scotland: 2012-2015 for its inclusion of equity in its commitments, answering the WHO’s call for equity in health policy.
The Strategy does not explicitly include equity in its policy focus. It generally commits to improving services by the axes of age, human resources, and service variation. However, it excludes equity concerns of geography, ethnicity, and funding. Future policies must intentionally recognise the established importance of mental health service equity to provide fair services and reduce mental health inequalities in Scotland. Research objectives include:
- Identify evidence of inequity in Scotland’s mental health services
- Who experiences inequitable mental health service provision?
- What are the driving causes of inequity in mental health services?
- Explore how mental health equity strategies for Scotland: 2012-2015 acknowledges mental health service inequities
- Analyse the extent to which the Mental Health Strategy addresses mental health service inequity
- 14,000 words – 54 pages in length
- Excellent use of literature
- Excellent analysis of subject area
- Well written throughout
- Ideal for health studies students
1: Introduction
Equity in Health Care
Mental Health Care
Equity in Mental Health Care
Using Whitehead’s Equity Framework
Research Question and Objectives
2: Methodology
Policy Selection
Framework Selection
Literature search
Articles
Grey Literature
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Limitations of Literature Search
3: Review of Literature
Introduction to Literature Results
Age
Geography
Ethnicity
Underlying causes of inequity
4: Policy Review
Policy Recognition of Equity
Policy Recognition of the Axes of Mental Health Service Inequity
Age
Geography
Ethnicity
Recognition of the Underlying Causes of Inequity
5: Discussion
Summary of Literature and Policy Review
Critical Analysis of Mental Health Service Equity Inclusion
Access
Utilisation
Quality
Gaps in the policy
Inclusion or Exclusion of Equity
Implications for Policy
Implications for Health Services and Research
Strengths and Weaknesses of Analysis
6: Conclusion
