Health Care Reform Mental Health: How can he Healthcare Reform Bill help those who suffer from mental illness?

Health care reform for mental health is an important topic that needs to be addressed. In the 1990’s there was a rise in mental health awareness and the need for a change in the way we treat mental illness. The article Bridging Mental Health and Public Health discusses the Surgeon General’s Mental Health report from 1999 (Satcher, 2010). I have been involved in the Behavioral Health field for the past six years. In his article, Satcher discusses the need for integration between the mental health and the public healthcare system.

The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was established in 1992 by Congress, to oversee mental health and substance abuse research, provide for the needs of mental health prevention as well as recovery and funding for public programs (www.samhsa.gov/About).  To improve mental health care, we need to also improve the way people look at mental illness. Once upon a time we did not understand what a mental illness was. A patient would be locked away as if nothing could be done. Presently there are psychiatric hospital wings, prescription medications to stabilize the chemicals in the brain and a general understanding of mental illness.

Across the nation, thousands of citizens are finding themselves without a job, without health insurance, and sometimes even without a home. According to Satcher, health care reform can offer the momentum needed to incorporate mental health benefits for all Americans. More Primary Care Physicians are prescribing medication for depression, anxiety, and stress. Satcher addresses the need for Physicians to coordinate treatment with mental health specialists. He also discusses the collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and SAMHSA in funding for the surveillance of mental health.

There have been many improvements made since scientists discovered the cause of some mental illnesses. But there is much more research needed. The CDC and SAMHSA help to collect data from this research. According to my mother, scientists are close to discovering the cause for Schizophrenia. Once they know what chemicals are effected a better treatment can be discovered.  There are a lot of depression and anxiety medications produced to regulate the chemicals in the brain that cause these disorders. Information gathered from the Food and Drug Administration website (www.fda.gov) has shown many of the medications used to treat mental illnesses can also pose significant health risks and birth defect risks. It seems the dangers posed by these medications are only discovered after a long period of public circulation. With better research we could lower the negative side effects of these medications.

Satcher’s article makes some important points about how essential mental health is and how it needs to be incorporated into health care reform.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 15% of the burden of disease in the United States comes from mental illness. In the U.S. about one in four adults suffer from some form of mental illness. With our countries current economy, I would think anything that can save money is well worth some serious consideration.