School Shooting Newtown CT

[happilyanchored]

There was a really great article posted today by the mother of a mentally ill child who has violent episodes.

[ZTAngel]

Originally Posted by happilyanchored

There was a really great article posted today by the mother of a mentally ill child who has violent episodes.

I came here to post the same article. Beautifully written. My heart goes out to the mother. And my heart goes out to Adam Lanza's father. It has been reported that people who knew the killer knew that something was very, very wrong with him. I wonder if his parents had tried to get him help and found the same thing as the woman who wrote that article - the options are limited for the severely mentally ill. Back in the 50's and 60's, there were state run institutions for mentally ill....as well as the developmentally disabled. They were wretched and it's actually a good thing that most (if not all) were done away with. But, they were not replaced by better alternatives. Our health care system is in disarray and mental illness treatment is expensive - even with health insurance. The social stigma of mental illness is incredible. I hope this tragedy brings forth a new way to treat those who are mentally ill so that the people who died at Sandy Hook didn't die in vain.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by ZTAngel

I came here to post the same article. Beautifully written. My heart goes out to the mother. And my heart goes out to Adam Lanza's father. It has been reported that people who knew the killer knew that something was very, very wrong with him. I wonder if his parents had tried to get him help and found the same thing as the woman who wrote that article - the options are limited for the severely mentally ill. Back in the 50's and 60's, there were state run institutions for mentally ill....as well as the developmentally disabled. They were wretched and it's actually a good thing that most (if not all) were done away with. But, they were not replaced by better alternatives. Our health care system is in disarray and mental illness treatment is expensive - even with health insurance. The social stigma of mental illness is incredible. I hope this tragedy brings forth a new way to treat those who are mentally ill so that the people who died at Sandy Hook didn't die in vain.

The state run facilities needed to be reformed no doubt, but to me, the lack of appropriate mental health care goes back to the state of the health care industry. Insurance carriers limit what they are willing to pay; therefore providers aren't able to sustain operations. Perhaps spending a bit more as a society on health care could not only make us all healthier, but safer in the long run.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

The state run facilities needed to be reformed no doubt, but to me, the lack of appropriate mental health care goes back to the state of the health care industry. Insurance carriers limit what they are willing to pay; therefore providers aren't able to sustain operations. Perhaps spending a bit more as a society on health care could not only make us all healthier, but safer in the long run.

A lot of people I know with good health insurance STILL can't get the mental health care they need. Twenty sessions/year is standard (though maybe this changes in 2013 with Obamacare?), and that ain't much.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

A lot of people I know with good health insurance STILL can't get the mental health care they need. Twenty sessions/year is standard (though maybe this changes in 2013 with Obamacare?), and that ain't much.

My current policy from my employer is pretty top notch, and access to mental health benefits is extremely limited.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

A lot of people I know with good health insurance STILL can't get the mental health care they need. Twenty sessions/year is standard (though maybe this changes in 2013 with Obamacare?), and that ain't much.

...which is why people who can end up paying out of pocket to providers. Sometimes mental health care providers don't even take insurance. If they do, they might not be able to see you for months at a time, or might not be accepting new patients. The way mental health care in this country is addressed is shameful.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

...which is why people who can end up paying out of pocket to providers. Sometimes mental health care providers don't even take insurance. If they do, they might not be able to see you for months at a time, or might not be accepting new patients. The way mental health care in this country is addressed is shameful.

In Illinois, we have parity, so if your insurance covers visits to specialists of any type, they have to cover psychiatry at the same level. What does this do? It makes the cheapest option to see a psychiatrist (yes, an MD) for therapy, instead of a PhD. or an LCSW or whomever else. This is a ridiculous misallocation of resources.

On a related note, I teach students at two universities, both of which provide excellent health care to their students, but have under-resourced and under-staffed counseling centers.