Evidence Base Design

The health policy selected in this paper involves strengthening mental health policies on college campuses. This bill was proposed on September 29, 2021. The arguments made in support of this bill are based on the rising suicide rates and mental health problems that the youth and teenagers have been experiencing over the past few years. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health of most young adults and teenagers has been majorly affected. The suicide rate is said to take the second position as the leading mortality cause among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 (Congress.Gov, 2022). The majority of these people are on campuses, which explains why the bill was proposed to target campus students and help them deal with any mental health problems they might be experiencing.

I believe that there is sufficient evidence to support this bill. Research shows that there has been an alarming increment in the rate of poor mental health among students (Huang, 2018). It is reported that about 1 in 3 students on campus have a mental health problem. Some universities report that some of the students enroll in universities with pre-existing mental health conditions. As a result, over 95 percent of counseling center directors claim that meeting the needs of most students with major psychological problems has become problematic on campuses (Huang, 2018). The poor mental health conditions have been exacerbated during Covid-19 as reports show that more students reported suicidal ideations, anxiety, stress, and depression (Wathelet, 2020). University students are said to have been more susceptible to the detrimental effects of quarantine. In support of the arguments made to back the bill, Wathelet et al. (2020) claim that 15 to 25-year-olds have been experiencing poor mental health conditions, and suicide has been considered the second leading mortality cause. With such studies, it can be well stated that the legislation was evidence-based.

References

Congress.Gov. (2022). Strengthening Mental Health Policies on College Campuses; Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 170 (House of Representatives – September 29, 2021). https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2021/9/29/house-section/article/h5549-3?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22health+policy%22%2C%22health%22%2C%22policy%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=3

Huang, J., Nigatu, Y. T., Smail-Crevier, R., Zhang, X., & Wang, J. (2018). Interventions for common mental health problems among university and college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of psychiatric research, 107, 1-10.

Wathelet, M., Duhem, S., Vaiva, G., Baubet, T., Habran, E., Veerapa, E., … & D’Hondt, F. (2020). Factors associated with mental health disorders among university students in France confined during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA network open, 3(10), e2025591-e2025591.

When politics and medical science intersect, there can be much debate. Sometimes, anecdotes or hearsay are misused as evidence to support a particular point. Despite these and other challenges, however, evidence-based approaches are increasingly used to inform health policy decision-making regarding causes of disease, intervention strategies, and issues impacting society. One example is the introduction of childhood vaccinations and the use of evidence-based arguments surrounding their safety.

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In this Discussion, you will identify a recently proposed health policy and share your analysis of the evidence in support of this policy.
Review the Congress website provided in the Resources and identify one recent (within the past 5 years) proposed health policy.

Evidence Base Design

Review the health policy you identified and reflect on the background and development of this health policy.

Post a description of the health policy you selected and a brief background for the problem or issue being addressed. Explain whether you believe there is an evidence base to support the proposed policy and explain why. Be specific and provide examples.

https://www.congress.gov/