e-Claire

Gub'mint Mental Health Care?

For consumers of all ages, early detection, assessment, and linkage with treatment and supports can prevent mental health problems from compounding and poor life outcomes from accumulating. Early intervention can have a significant impact on the lives of children and adults who experience mental health problems. Emerging research indicates that intervening early can interrupt the negative course of some mental illnesses and may, in some cases, lessen long-term disability. New understanding of the brain indicates that early identification and intervention can sharply improve outcomes and that longer periods of abnormal thoughts and behavior have cumulative effects and can limit capacity for recovery.

Well, that sounds good -- sure. Help people out before being crazy becomes a habit. They're still calling 'em "consumers," but... ok...

Currently, no agency or system is clearly responsible or accountable for young people with serious emotional disturbances.

"No agency or system" Parents? oops - silly me:

Because of this important interplay between emotional health and school success, schools must be partners in the mental health care of our children.

Remember, these are the same people who can't reliably teach little kids how to read or count... Now they're supposta be able to diagnose and treat mental disturbances?

In his speech announcing the Commission, the President used an example that affirms this point. The President spoke of: "... a 14-year-old boy who started experimenting with drugs to ease his severe depression. This former honor student became a drug addict. He dropped out of school, was incarcerated six times in 16 years. Only two years ago, when he was 30 years old, did the doctors finally diagnose his condition as bipolar disorder, and he began a successful program ..."

Oh, George, George, George... Now that's a perfectly good reason to include professional diagnostic testing in the juvenile court system. But in schools? For everyone? The problems with older people experiencing depression and resultant substance abuse is outlined. The point is made that all people with both substance abuse and mental disturbances utilize the most expensive resources [ER, inpatient treatment, etc] The over-all point is that, by not having early diagnosis and effective treatment, we are hemorrhaging money. *ding*

Despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed, untreated, or under-treated in primary care.

Which seems to indicate a need for a more thorough training in mental health for all physicians, especially those headed toward General or Family Practice.

...significant barriers exist to referral, including lack of available specialists, insurance restrictions, appointment delays, and stigma.

There are some more clear goals. But schools? For everyone?!?

Congressman Ron Paul [TX] The greater issue, however, is not whether youth mental health screening is appropriate. The real issue is whether the state owns your kids. When the government orders “universal” mental health screening in schools, it really means “mandatory.” Parents, children, and their private doctors should decide whether a child has mental health problems, not government bureaucrats. That this even needs to be stated is a sign of just how obedient our society has become toward government. What kind of free people would turn their children’s most intimate health matters over to government strangers? How in the world have we allowed government to become so powerful and arrogant that it assumes it can force children to accept psychiatric treatment whether parents object or not?

Those are questions that can only be asked of citizens, not consumers.

1. This is scary.  The governement is now getting involved in the prescription drug craze.  Trust me, if they start this sort of testing, they’ll magically determine a mental problem for everyone.  Stock tip: If this thing goes through, buy stock in a couple phamecutical companies.  Especially those that make the latest happy pill.

   Posted by JonB  on  09/16/04  at  10:21 AM

2. I would bet most emotional problems children exhibit are due to poor family conditions and/or no parent at home. Even if it means subsidizing a fathers income so the mother can stay at home in the elementary years, the expense would be less, and the results much better, in the long run.

   If you think Ritalin subscription was a problem, just let the school’s mental health ‘professionals’ take over a child’s emotional health, and the anti-depressant drug demand will explode.

   Posted by  on  09/21/04  at  04:43 AM

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