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The Urgent Need for Mental Health Reform: How America's Failure Endangers Its Citizens

Walt Whitman

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Published in The Insanity Offense: How America S Failure To Treat The Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens

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The Insanity Offense: How America's Failure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens

by E. Fuller Torrey

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1820 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
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Print length	:	284 pages

Mental illness is a serious public health issue that affects millions of Americans. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),one in five adults in the United States experiences mental illness each year. Of those, one in 25 adults experiences a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disFree Download, or major depression.

Untreated mental illness can have devastating consequences, both for individuals and for society as a whole. People with untreated mental illness are more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. They are also more likely to be involved in crime and violence. In fact, untreated mental illness is a major risk factor for suicide.

The United States has a long history of failing to adequately treat people with mental illness. In the 1950s and 1960s, a movement known as deinstitutionalization led to the closure of many mental hospitals. This was done in an effort to save money and to promote the idea that people with mental illness could be better treated in community settings.

However, deinstitutionalization did not lead to the promised improvements in care. In fact, it led to a significant increase in the number of people with mental illness living on the streets or in jails and prisons. Today, there are more people with serious mental illness in jails and prisons than in mental hospitals.

The failure to treat mental illness is a serious problem that endangers the safety and well-being of all Americans. It is time for a major overhaul of our mental health system. We need to invest in more community-based mental health services, and we need to make sure that people with mental illness have access to the care they need.

The Devastating Consequences of Untreated Mental Illness

Untreated mental illness can have a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities. People with untreated mental illness are more likely to:

Experience homelessness
Be unemployed
Live in poverty
Be involved in crime and violence
Attempt suicide

In addition to these individual consequences, untreated mental illness also has a significant impact on society as a whole. Mental illness is a major risk factor for crime and violence, and it is estimated that people with mental illness are responsible for up to 10% of all violent crime in the United States.

Untreated mental illness also costs society billions of dollars each year in lost productivity, healthcare costs, and criminal justice costs. In fact, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare estimates that the total cost of untreated mental illness in the United States is over $300 billion per year.

The History of Mental Health Treatment in the United States

The treatment of mental illness in the United States has a long and complex history. In the early days of the country, people with mental illness were often treated as criminals or outcasts. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of mental hospitals were built, but these institutions were often overcrowded and underfunded.

In the 1950s and 1960s, a movement known as deinstitutionalization led to the closure of many mental hospitals. This was done in an effort to save money and to promote the idea that people with mental illness could be better treated in community settings.

The Current State of Mental Health Care in the United States

The mental health care system in the United States is fragmented and underfunded. There is a shortage of mental health professionals, and people with mental illness often have difficulty accessing the care they need.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made some improvements to mental health care coverage, but there are still significant gaps in coverage. In addition, the ACA has not addressed the shortage of mental health professionals.

As a result of these challenges, many people with mental illness do not receive the care they need. This can lead to devastating consequences, both for individuals and for society as a whole.

The Need for Mental Health Reform

The United States is in desperate need of mental health reform. We need to invest in more community-based mental health services, and we need to make sure that people with mental illness have access to the care they need.

Here are some specific steps that we can take to improve mental health care in the United States:

Increase funding for community-based mental health services
Increase the number of mental health professionals
Expand mental health coverage under the Affordable Care Act
Address the stigma associated with mental illness

Mental health reform is a complex issue, but it is one that we cannot afford to ignore. The consequences of untreated mental illness are too devastating. It is time for us to come together and create a better mental health care system for all Americans.

A Person With Mental Illness Sitting On A Park Bench, Looking Lost And Alone. The Insanity Offense: How America S Failure To Treat The Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens