The treatment of mental health problems has had limited success in both England and Ireland. Since the Percy Commission in 1957 in England, and the Commission of Inquiry into Mental Illness in 1966...Show moreThe treatment of mental health problems has had limited success in both England and Ireland. Since the Percy Commission in 1957 in England, and the Commission of Inquiry into Mental Illness in 1966 in Ireland, both countries have strived to modernise and improve the quality of their mental healthcare systems. Despite this, they have experienced several shortfalls surrounding funding, staffing and community care amongst other issues. As a result of these problems, both countries have some of the highest rates of mental illness in Europe, with 18.5 percent of Irish people and 17.7 percent of English people experiencing at least one mental illness. While both England and Ireland inherited a similar system based around asylums and a focus on long-term institutionalisation the outcomes for the respective countries were vastly different. Additionally, both countries have moved towards a community-based approach in the hope to rehabilitate and reintegrate patients into the community. Though, England has seen lower rates of hospitalisation and shorter hospital stays for mental illness than in Ireland, as well as historically having lower rates of mental illness. However, since the 1990s, English rates of mental illness have been increasing gradually. As a result, English rates of mental illness are nearly that of Ireland. By discussing the historic developments in mental healthcare in the two countries and issues around welfare and healthcare, the causes for this discrepancy as well as the recent increases in the rate of mental illness can hopefully be explained.Show less
In recent years, there have been a number of journalistic accounts of an increase in the demonization of the working class in Britain, with people who claim state benefit payments apparently...Show moreIn recent years, there have been a number of journalistic accounts of an increase in the demonization of the working class in Britain, with people who claim state benefit payments apparently bearing the brunt of this media assault. This study aims to look into the effects that negative portrayals of those receiving government payments has on attitudes to government welfare policy. The theoretical framework for this piece is based on framing, specifically thematic, equivalency frames. In order to investigate this, an experiment was employed in which a sample of undergraduate students were presented with one of five versions of an article followed by a survey regarding welfare policy. This allowed a comparison between the answers given by participants that received different versions of the article. The results of this study are largely inconclusive, suggesting that framing effects are not present in a manipulation so subtle.Show less
