Mental Health Issues In America Essay

In the United States, one in every four people has some kind of serious mental illness, which is about 61.5 million people.1 Suicide is the tenth leading cause of life loss, and 90% of suicides are related to mental illness.2 In addition, in the case of mass shootings, 60% of shooters suffer from some kind of psychosis.3 It is a matter of concern that, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 60% of people suffering from mental illness were untreated.1 While more effort, more manpower and more money should be invested, the budget for mental health accounts only 5.6 percent of national health care spending.4
Based on my experience, most people do not even know that they are suffering from some kind of serious mental illness and need urgent attention. Even if at some point they realize they are having mental issues, they remain silent to avoid being socially discriminated against. First they have to overcome so many obstacles like social, monetary and so on.
First they have to overcome so many obstacles like social, monetary and so on. And after that when they or any family member will finally make a decision, then they will have to face another big challenge to find a mental health specialist. It is not unknown that United States

has shortage of primary care physician and specialists. The worst condition is in rural area. And the rural area are mainly the place of people living in poverty. It has been observed that psychological disorders like schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar, depression are more among the people who live in poverty.5
There are number of causes that making this situation even worst.

United States has significant shortage of physiatrists. Still most American do not want to apply for psychiatry residency and most of the positions are applied and occupied by foreign citizens.6 Because of less pay and less compensation and to avoid debt of huge amount debt, American medical students are reluctant towards psychiatry and are attracted towards other specialties. According to Association of American Medical College, about 2600 more psychiatrist are needed to provide adequate support to shortage area.6 So, even after health care reform which increasessing the number of insured American, people have less access to mental health

specialists.
Another obstacle is to find out psychiatrist in insurance network. Mental illness is so pricey and it requires to pay a lot of out of pocket if someone seek help out of network. It is not unknown that to find a physician in network is so hard in some states like Texas. According to federal health authorities, nationwide in about 4,000 areas for every 30,000 patients there is only one psychiatrist.7
Mental illness requires counseling, follow up, long term medication and sometimes long time hospital stay. But over decade, the outpatient supplies, inpatient facilities and manpower has been shrinking. Which is being unable to meet nation’s need.
There is a sequence of events taking place because of not noticing this issue. Disability rates are increasing because of mental illness and that ultimately rising the cost of health insurance and government spending. Not only disability, 40% adult with serious psychosis are arrested every year and spend some period of their life in jail.2 So before treating these patients, improvement should be made to notice these illness. Instead of cutting budget, government fund should be maximized. More and more residency positions of psychiatry should be increased and the medical students should be encouraged to work in this field. Silver lining in the cloud is policymakers and health care providers are working together to solve this issue and hopefully will find something effective soon that may alleviate this situation.