The American Mental Health Problem by Austin Taylor

Us humans are extremely visual creatures. We almost always tend to associate what we believe and react to, with what we can actually see. For example, when we see someone bleeding or clutching their ankle, we would be very likely to help that person get medical assistance. Since we are able to visualize the situation, we know for a fact that the incident occurred. But what if we cannot actually see that something is wrong? Would we respond in the same way? The answer is no, and that is why mental health problems are mostly ignored by society and our government.

Mental health issues are extremely common in America. In fact, 1 and 5 adults have a mental health condition (¨The state of mental health in America¨). That is over 40 million Americans; more than the population of New York and Florida combined (1). The frightening fact is that the problem is getting worse. The rates of youth with severe depression increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015(1). Even with severe depression, 76% of youth are left with no or insufficient treatment (1). That's right, people with mental conditions are simply not getting the assistance they need, and more people are needing medical care. Poor mental health in America is an epidemic that has been around for many years, and it will only get worse until people finally start caring about the problem.

Mental illness has been around since the beginning of mankind. Although mental disability has been present throughout human history, the evolution or progression of mental illness is unclear (Ferreras 1). It is extremely evident that humans were completely clueless about the causes of mental illness until recent times. During the middle ages, people used to believe that mental illness was caused by supernatural events, such as demonic possession, which they believed caused a person to act in such an abnormal way (1). Physicians of that time used religion-based practices to cure their mentally ill patients (1). They used methods such as exorcism, prayer rites, and confession (1). Women with mental illness at the time were considered to be witches, and many of them were killed as a result (1). Witch hunts continued into the 17th and 18th centuries, in which over 100,000 women are presumed to be killed (1).

It wasn’t until the 16th century that asylums began housing the mentally ill (Ferreras 1). These asylums, were built with the purpose of keeping the mentally ill away from functioning society (1). They lived in extremely dangerous and unhealthy living conditions and were treated like animals that were incapable of reason (1). It wasn’t until the 1840s when activist, Dorothea Dix began lobbying against the inhumane treatment of the mentally ill (1). Dix convinced the government to build over 32 psychiatric hospitals (1). However, these hospitals were underfunded and the living conditions were still sub-par (1). In the 1950’s, due to new advances in anti-psychotic drugs, countries moved away from institutional care to a more community- based care (1).

The mental health problem took a turn for the worst when Thomas Szasz, a prominent 1960s psychiatrist, wrote a book called The Myth of Mental Illness, which questioned the existence of mental illness in the first place (Powers 2). This book was so influential, it led to an extreme decline in the number of physicians who chose mental health as their specialty (2). In 1975, Szaz’s view was made a reality when congress passed a law that prevented the mentally ill from being hospitalized without their consent (2). This was an enormous mistake because many mentally disabled people don’t have the capability to make that decision on their own.

The social effects of poor mental health have had a severe impact on our society. The mental health problem has attributed to the rise of homelessness in America (Powers 6). This was a direct result of de-institutionalization (1). The mentally ill were thrown out into the world forced to fend for themselves (1). They can’t get a job and they don’t have the capability to get government help, so instead they are forced to live on the streets. In Massachusetts and Ohio, 27 and 36 percent of patients released from mental institutions became homeless within 6 months of being released (Mondics 1). This epidemic plays a huge factor in the number of homeless people in America, as many people with serious mental illness end up on the streets, or in prison (1).

Another social effect of mental illness is school shootings. The rise of school shootings has also risen with the number of people with mental illness. There is a clear link between mass shootings and mental illness. The truth is that ¨Peer-reviewed research has shown that individuals with major mental disorders are more likely to commit violent acts, especially if they abuse drugs¨ (Duwe, Rocque). Disturbingly enough, 59% of the 185 mass shootings committed between 1900 through 2017 were committed by either people who were diagnosed with serious mental disorders, or people who demonstrated symptoms of someone with serious mental illness (1). In addition, only one-third of the perpetrators in these mass shootings received any care prior to the incidents (1). Imagine how many lives can be saved if the mentally ill receive the care they need and deserve.

Mental disorders have a huge effect on our nation and communities, but no one talks about the effect of mental illness on the very root of our society, the family. According to a survey, 80% of mental health patients agree that their illness has had a detrimental effect on their family (Priorygroup 1). Poor mental health has a huge negative impact on the financial and emotional components of a family (1). One Swedish study discovered that one half of family members of the mentally ill developed poor mental health as a result of the stress induced from caring for their loved one with mental illness (1). The family is the heart of our society, and mental illness is causing a huge negative impact.

Having a family member with mental illness has had a negative impact on my family as well. My mother's sister grew up with autism and needed almost constant care. My mom and grandma explained how this caused a lot of stress within the family, as well as financial struggles. Although they loved my aunt very much, they often lost sleep worrying about caring for my her.

Recently, the role of mental illness in our society became a huge subject of controversy. On February 14, 2018, a school shooter killed 17 of his classmates at a high school in Parkland, Florida (Washington Post). The shooter was a well-known mentally ill person with violent tendencies (1). Everyone who knew him including law enforcement were completely aware of his psychological conditions and chose to do nothing about it (1). People can blame this incident on whatever they like, but the fact is no one in their right mind would ever commit such a heinous act.

There are huge gaps in our health system in the area of mental health (Nealon-Woods 1). Treatments exist, but many people with poor mental health are unable to receive them due to high costs (1). Mental illness is a steady growing problem in the U.S, and it is time for this issue to gain more attention. Many instances such as school shootings can be prevented with proper care. It is time for people to finally start caring about this problem.

When it comes to mental illness, people fail to recognize the problem until it's too late. It is so easy to evade and ignore the problem because the threat is often hidden. This is how our health care system treats those with mental disorders (Nealon-Woods 1). This is why ¨there are major gaps¨ in the system (1). The reality is, in today's health care system, people cannot be treated properly until a ¨clear threat is posed to themselves and others¨ (Powers 6). This problem needs to be solved because it causes unnecessary risks when the issue could have been fixed earlier on. An early diagnosis could prove to be a life-saver as well as a money saver. For example, the National Alliance on Mental Illness has estimated that the $50,000 it costs per sentence to jail a person with mental illness could be avoided by spending a mere two or three thousand dollars on treatment, thereby saving thousands of tax dollars (6).

To further add to this predicament, there is a severe shortage of mental health care providers as well as inpatient facilities nation-wide (Masand 1). On top of this problem, ¨there is a much higher demand for medical care due to the Affordable-Care act¨ (Jaspen 1). Non-psychiatric physicians, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other extended care providers account for 90% of psychiatric care in the United States, yet they only receive six to twelve weeks of training in psychiatric care over the course of their entire medical school careers (1). This directly correlates to misdiagnosis and under diagnosis of mental illness (1). For example, studies have shown only twenty percent of patients with bipolar disorder are correctly diagnosed (1). Also, in one-third of bipolar patients, it takes on average ten years to receive a correct diagnosis (1). In order to solve this problem, there needs to be much more training in psychiatric care. It is extremely evident that six to twelve weeks is not enough training to care for the mentally disabled. Our primary care providers, such as these nurses and physician assistants, need to be able to recognize mental disorders in order to complete an earlier diagnosis. Too many patients with poor mental health are being bounced around the health care system. Meanwhile, their condition continues to worsen without the care they need.

A substantial reason why the mental health crisis is so prevalent is that we just do not know that much about mental illness. Although we have taken great leaps as far as our knowledge of these issues, there is still so much more to learn. We are just beginning to understand the effects of our genes and the environment, such as trauma, impact our emotional and mental well-being (Hyde 1). Research needs to be invested in mental illness in order to care for patients more effectively and precisely. Research in the area of mental health does not ¨receive near as many donations as cancer or heart disease does¨ (Lock 1). The research on which services and supports work best for different kinds of people in a variety of circumstances needs more attention in and from the research community (1). If we do not know about these issues, then how can we expect to generate an effective policy? Research is of the utmost importance when tackling America's mental health crisis.

The mental illness problem relates to French 20th century author, Albert Camus, philosophical opinion in the way that people attempt to rationalize anything that seems out of the ordinary (¨Albert Camus- Biographical¨ 1. Camus believed in the concept of absurdity, which is essentially the belief that there is something deeply absurd in the human quest to find meaning since life has no meaning. Therefore, there is no way anyone can find meaning (Maguire 1). Camus believed that the attempt to rationalize everything we observe is a fruitless endeavor since life is utterly absurd (1). Camus would not find it very surprising that people attempt to rationalize abnormal behavior due to mental illness. He would believe this state of denial is what causes so many lives to be lost. Maybe if parents did not attempt to rationalize the erratic behavior of their children, then school shootings wouldn’t happen. He would say that if everyone embraced the absurdity of life, then maybe we could understand what these people are going through.

The mental health problem we are plagued with today is largely due to people simply not granting enough attention to the issue. Our history of caring for the mentally ill is filled with ignorance and misunderstandings of the nature of these various illnesses. Poor mental health impacts every aspect of our society that shows little regard for ethnicity, gender, or social class. There are possible solutions that may cure the epidemic, but we will never know if we do not take it upon ourselves to care.

Works Cited

 “Albert Camus- Biographical.” Nobelprize.org, www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1957/camus-bio.html.

Duwe, Grant, and Michael Rocque. “Actually, There Is a Clear Link between Mass Shootings and Mental Illness.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2018, www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-duwe-rocque-mass-shootings-mental-illness-20180223-story.html. 

Ferreras, Ingrid G. “History of Mental Illness.” Noba, nobaproject.com/modules/history-of-mental-illness.  

Hyde, Pamela. “Five Point Plan to Improve the Nation's Mental Health.” SAMHSA Blog, 18 Feb. 2015, blog.samhsa.gov/2015/02/18/five-point-plan-to-improve-the-nations-mental-health/#.WseWU2inHrc.

Japsen, Bruce. “Psychiatrist Shortage Escalates As U.S. Mental Health Needs Grow.”Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 Feb. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2018/02/25/psychiatrist-shortage-escalates-as-u-s-mental-health-needs-grow/#49cc7c791255.

Lock, Helen. “Mental Health Research: Underfunded and Failing to Attract Young Academics.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Feb. 2015, www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/feb/18/mental-health-research-underfunded-and-failing-to-attract-young-academics. 

Maguire, Laura. “Camus and Absurdity.” Camus and Absurdity, 27 Feb. 2015, www.philosophytalk.org/blog/camus-and-absurdity. 

Masand, Prakash. “Solutions to Mental Health in America.” The Daily Progress, 30 Mar. 2014, www.dailyprogress.com/opinion/guest_columnists/solutions-to-mental-health-in-america/article_f15dab4e-b6b1-11e3-9026-0017a43b2370.html.

Mondics, Jamie. “How Many People with Serious Mental Illness Are Homeless?” Treatment Advocacy Center, www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/fixing-the-system/features-and-news/2596-how-many-people-with-serious-mental-illness-are-homeless. 

Nealon-Woods, Michele. “Its Time to Close the Gaps in Mental Health Treatment.”Namijc.org, namijc.org/time-close-gaps-mental-health-treatment/. 

POWERS, RON. NO ONE CARES ABOUT CRAZY PEOPLE: My Family and the Heartbreak of Mental Health in America. HACHETTE BOOKS, 2018.

“Red Flags: The Troubled Path of Accused Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz.” The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/timeline-parkland-shooter-nikolas-cruz/?utm_term=.4c5f09deff9f. 

“The State of Mental Health in America.” Mental Health America, 18 Dec. 2017, www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america.