Headlines that Show Us How Bad our Mental Health Systems Are
Usually, I’m the first person to tell you to read the whole story and not just the headline, and in this case, I suggest you read the entire story on both of them. On the other hand, these headlines do tell a story on their own.
The first is from the US:
Teen with life-threatening depression finally found hope. Then insurance cut her off
The second is from Australia:
Pay for therapy or rent? The heartbreaking mental health choice faced by Emily’s clients
Both articles tell the stories of people who can’t get the mental healthcare they need, and both dig into some of the political decisions that have caused this. Both also demonstrate how complicated the issue is and how much damage is being done behind the scenes by some of the same leaders who claim to support mental health.
They don’t. There are a lot of political and industry leaders who benefit from the status quo. Many people are also left behind due to a lack of affordable care. Those patients, their families, loved ones, and society pay the price when mental healthcare is lacking. It doesn’t have to be this way. It will take more than words to fix it.
