ITC211 Systems Analysis | Issue of Depression and Anxiety

Introduction

Currently, the issue of depression and anxiety is popularly becoming a problem and it is therefore better to understand the key signs and symptoms exhibited by children with mental disorders for earlier intervention. Headspace is an organization that has learnt of the predicament that children with mental disorders go through before they are finally assisted. (Canady, 2015). The organization therefore recommend a reduction in the number of specialties handling the cases of the children.

Problem

lign: justify;">New access is one of the latest intervention that is targeting children with ages below 12 years suffering from anxiety and depression. The method only focused on patients within the age group of 17 to 25 but is widening its scope to capture the younger children as well. Depression and anxiety is increasingly becoming a menace amongst children and should therefore be prioritized to avoid future damage.

In its attempts to expand its scope however, the said intervention is experiencing some obstacles. Head space is the Organization that trialing this system and it has already identified the key problem with the intervention. The problem identified is that the affected children, who are suffering from mental health have to negotiate along with different people before their cases are handled. The Headspace organization did find out that the children have to retell their story on several occasions and this makes them clam up in the long run thus eventually sharing very little about their problem. According to previous procedure, the children had to initially talk to the headspace worker, then the medical staff at the emergency unit, the General practitioner, psychologists and finally the psychiatrist. We realize that this is indeed a long chain of communication and the kids are justified to clam up.

The problem in this case is the long chain of specialties that the children have to go about and should be reduced at all costs.

Capabilities

This initiative has a lot of capabilities. One such capability is to reduce on the number of patients who line up at the hospital. Another capability of this particular initiative is that it will reduce the cases of mental disorders especially among the children who are below 12 years of age.

Benefits

The new access program is bound to come with a lot of benefits. One such benefits is the reduced costs of operation. This is an advantage or rather a benefit to the hospital. The organization in their finding, indicated that the children go through a long chain of communication or specialties before their case is eventually handled. As a system analyst, I would therefore recommend reducing the number of specialties handling the children to maybe one alone who is the psychiatrist (Lutz, 2018). With the reduced number of employees, there will be a reduced burden of costs on the hospital and the remaining or extra resources might be directed somewhere else.

Efficiency or rather effectiveness is another benefit that will accompany reduced chain of communication. In any hospital or organization set up, the longer the chain of communication, the higher the chances of information being lost. This is because the affected children will start cutting the long story short and this means that the final specialist will receive very little information and this will make it difficult for them to assist the mentally affected children. Having only one specialist who is the psychiatrist at first contact with the children will enable capturing of all the finer details and this will make it possible to assist the child fully or efficiently.

Cases of wasting time will significantly reduce at the Hospital. Having a longer chain of communication leads to wastage of time as the children have to move from one person to another. Reducing this chain will however reduce the time wasted (Happell, 2012). This will also increase the number of patients that will be handled at the facility.

Rationale.

As stated previously, the problem in this scenario is the longer or rather many healthcare experts that children have to share their predicament with whenever they have any mental disorder. This bothers them very much which make them to eventually share a very little portion of their issues. The rationale or rather the objective in this case therefore is to minimize on the number of specialties the child talks to so that the full details of the condition are captured at the initial contact.

Conclusion

Mental disorder is increasingly becoming a nuisance to children especially those below 12 years old. Headspace has however realized that one factor leading to higher cases is the longer chain of specialties that children go through before they are finally assisted. As a system analyst, I would therefore recommend reducing the number of specialties so that only person who is the psychiatrist handles the children. This act will reduce the loss of important information in between.

References

Canady, V. A. (2015). Suicides increasing in black children, decreasing in white children. Mental Health Weekly, 25(21), 1-7. doi:10.1002/mhw.30197

Happell, B. (2012). Dichotomies and differences: Challenges for mental health nursing. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 21(5), 399-399. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2012.00874.x

Lutz, W. (2018). Introduction to Part IV: People-Based Systems Analysis of Health, Education and Institutions. Systems Analysis Approach for Complex Global Challenges, 279-280. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71486-8_14