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Advocating for Government Resources to Address Mental Health

One in five Americans experience a mental illness as measured by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States will need 10,000 mental health care providers by 2025 throughout the country. A majority, 60% to be precise, of America’s counties lack at least one psychiatrist, and in rural counties the gap widens, with one psychiatrist for every 45,762 people. States like Alabama and Texas especially lack mental health care access, averaging one of any sort of mental health professional for every thousand people.


The dearth of accessible health care affects BIPOC the most. Due to economic inequality, Black Americans are more likely to experience toxic stress, a term developed by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, trauma from violence that can cause not only physical, but also psychological damage. Toxic stress is caused by adverse conditions without adequate support, including abuse and neglect.


There are several ways in which toxic stress manifests itself in the experiences of Black Americans. Due to the higher likelihood of exposure to stress, a study found that a group of Black women were more likely to experience premature aging (more than seven years older than White women their age), putting them at risk of heart disease and stroke with less access to screening and treatment. Additionally, more severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia versus disorders such as bipolar disorder are diagnosed for Black women compared to other groups, despite exhibiting the same symptoms. The struggle of overcoming medical health challenges and a mental health stigma particularly for BIPOC, where socioeconomic factors affect access to care, paired with the continuous misdiagnosis and/or dismissal of mental health symptoms create a country in turmoil.


Since BIPOC are more likely to have symptoms dismissed and are less likely to seek treatment, oftentimes due to discrimination and/or lack of resources, practicing self-care is a meaningful way to create sustained energy and empower systemic change. Nevertheless, self-care is insufficient to address the mental health disparities affecting BIPOC communities. Government aid and healthcare system reforms are crucial steps in repairing these inequalities.


Some legislation has been sought by the government to address health care on a broader scale. Key pieces of legislation include the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare, came into effect ten years ago. The intent was to provide healthcare for all Americans and to protect them from insurance companies. Those in favor state that millions of Americans, including people who would be otherwise uninsured due to preexisting conditions or restricted by time constraints, are covered with improved access to screenings and prescription drugs. Those opposed believe that it drives taxes and insurance premiums far too high and increases the workload on medical providers. The fines that can be incurred without insurance, and the businesses that adjust workers’ schedules in order to avoid paying for health insurance are potential downsides to the ACA. Medicare for All argues that the ACA fails to extend coverage far enough with some renditions of it eliminating private health insurance to better control prices.


The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act received an uncommon 89% bipartisan approval. Parity means treating mental illness in the same manner as other illnesses. The act called for no differences in co-pays, deductibles, and visit limits for mental health visits. Despite the widespread governmental support, there is still differential treatment of mental illness versus physical illnesses.


Access to mental health care is a major barrier. Only 25% of the calls for mental health services generate a response, and only 40% of psychiatrists take patients with no insurance, according to the National Council for Behavioral Health. Even if one can set up an appointment, insurance companies often refuse to pay, citing a lack of medical necessity and using their own psychiatrists to deem treatment unnecessary. Insurance companies deny mental health claims twice as much as they do medical health claims.


Not only can the government aid in establishing more responsive care, but also in reforming the healthcare industry to address inequalities within the system. Below are some ways that the government can address mental health:


Potential Governmental Solutions to Address Mental Health


TRAINING:

  • Require diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as culturally informed training for mental health professionals

  • Ensure mental health professionals adopt scientifically validated assessment tools

  • Increase diversity amongst mental health professionals, representing BIPOC in particular through pathway programs

  • Provide government funded programs/counseling to those coping with addiction, specifically addressing the opioid crisis


LEGISLATIVE:

  • Enable more mental health professionals to partner with Medicare by raising reimbursement rates to pay mental health professionals a living wage

  • Strip away laws that inhibit mental healthcare access, such as IMD exclusion, which restricts Medicaid

  • Ensure that the Affordable Care Act is protected to bolster mental health parity

  • Increase Department of Labor resources to monitor insurance companies

  • Fund National Institute of Health to allow innovation to increase access to healthcare


TECH:

  • Extend telecare to rural areas to account for nationwide hospital closures

  • Ensure consistent measures are applied to remove hate speech


Mental Health Resources


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