As long as we keep having mass shootings, the conversation about how we undervalue mental health will continue. While that is on the extreme, what people fail to do is focus on the everyday face that mental health puts. The intense focus on massacres caused by people known to have mental health issues leaves us vigilant on extremist online instead of looking at those closest to us for mental health issues.
What people fail to note is that an ICBC lawyer Vancouver expert might remain in bed for days due to depression. People who are undereducated on mental health might assume that the person is lazy or hates their job. The reality, however, is that they are overwhelmed and that the move to a foreign country only exacerbated the underlying mental illness.
The reality in the US is that healthcare is too expensive for the average citizen. It is no surprise that alternative medicine has become the go-to solution for those suffering any physical condition. In as much as mental healthcare is a massive industry, the costs continue to keep people away from getting the treatment they need. The reason for the poor care of those with mental health also has to do with the amount of resources allocated to the illness. The funding is low and cannot cater to the mass need for services.
It is not that Americans are not aware that they have a mental health issue. Most people cite pricing is the primary issue as to why they cannot seek medical help. For them, the out of pocket costs for out outpatient treatment leaves them unable to get or even sustain treatment. WHO declared depression the top mental illness is denting the global economy. Even with these statistics, countries around the globe, not just the US, continue to underfund this branch of the healthcare system. Though there are countries doing a much better job globally, the issue remains.
As the decades’ progress, there is less emphasis on inpatient treatments while the evidence points out that there is a need for it. What we find instead are outpatient services that include medication which in itself is not always enough. The reason for that is the budget cuts made during the recession that never got revised to cater to not just the post-recession population but those who needed mental health care before then. Those who should instead be receiving inpatient treatment are homeless, in shelters, in jail or worse. Even with that, there is an added layer to why that is the case.
Research shows that a majority of those who choose to seek medical help decide against it because indeed did think the problem would go away on its own. That primarily has to do with the current culture where phrases such as “I am stressed” get thrown around when it is not warranted.
There is indeed a conglomerate reason why mental health care continues to suffer. It is equally an indication of how citizens continue to suffer under the health crisis in America.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
