Brain Awareness Week highlights inadequacy of preventative care
The state of mental health in this country is abysmal. In 2006, the U.S. ranked first internationally for mental illness, and nearly half of all Americans met the requirements for mental illness at some point in their lives. Also, more than a fourth of adults suffer from a mental illness every year.
Although pervasive in so many spheres of American life, this problem isn't receiving adequate attention. The onset of psychiatric disorders is heavily weighted towards the early years of life, half the cases before age 14 and three-fourths before age 20. Though there is a great need for child psychiatrists and mental health in primary care, the U.S. falls shockingly short on this front. Only 7,000 child psychiatrists are in practice, a mere fifth of the 30,000 estimated necessary to accommodate the needs of children requiring psychiatric care. Thus, primary care providers, not adequately trained, often have to fulfill the psychiatric needs of children. This leads to high percentages of misdiagnoses and even dismissal of mental illness as a "phase."
There is little legislation facilitating better mental health. Congress seems to find the National Institute of Mental Health sufficient to fulfill the function of promoting mental health. However, the NIMH, which aims at research, hasn't been fulfilling its preventative function.
Some may argue that mental illness, due to its genetic nature, is not preventable. Significant research renders this a gross misconception. Genes aren't divine predestination. Rather, environment plays a strong role in gene expression, thus determining whether a disease is manifested during a person's life. Research has shown even psychiatric illnesses as serious as schizophrenia and major depression can be prevented or at least curtailed.
Mental health practice needs to move towards a prevention-oriented approach. Incorporating mental health screenings into general checkups is a starting point. Consequently, more effective networks of psychiatric referrals, an increase in child psychiatrists, and adjustments in psychiatric training to emphasize behavioral therapy are necessary. Beyond incentives, governments must pursue PR campaigns to de-stigmatize mental health care and to provide basic facts on what the individual and family can do to better serve their mental health. Just as guidelines on cold and flu prevention, mental health guidelines should become standard as well.
Strong mental health will allow the people of the U.S. to better deal with economic problems, natural disasters, war, and much more. These problems are usually even more difficult to cope with for individuals and families than they are for our nation. A more sane America will surely be a better America.