Title: Mental health and gun violence. Conflating the two hurts those who need… | by Patrick Ross | Healthcare in America
Headings: Mental health and gun violence
Mental health and gun violence
Conflating the two hurts those who need help most

Content: However, we can take definite steps to improving mental health care in the U.S. One avenue is strengthening the mental health “safety net,” making mental health care easily available and affordable to those who need it. 60% of people with mental illness won’t receive treatment each year, often as a result of access and affordability issues or fear of stigmatization. People with mental illness are more likely to be uninsured than those without, making care harder to come by. Particularly in rural areas, patients face shortages of behavioral health providers. Simultaneously, addressing mental health issues is a challenge for the health care system, as often providers must address the presence of one or more comorbid conditions. There are also proactive measures we could take using the public health model that improve learning and mental health for children. Introducing mental health promotion into school curriculums or after-school activities is an investment in kids’ social and emotional learning. This serves to promote health mental and social development for all children and provide easily-accessible support to at-risk children or demonstrating early signs of mental health problems. Bolstering the health care system to support mental health patients would improve care and quality of life for millions of Americans. As Monica Kriete says, “our emotional environment is the equivalent of John Snow ’s water pump.”