This is a very troubling read that I saved on the day of the Newtown massacre but then failed to post until now ~ here's another question that begins "which is worst ...": the lack of mental health care or the stigma of mental health care? ~ ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating info in the original ~ Sooz

It’s Easier For Americans To Access Guns Than Mental Health Services
By Sy Mukherjee on Dec 14, 2012 at 3:35 pm

Details about Friday’s horrific shooting spree at a Connecticut elementary school are still emerging, and it remains unknown whether the suspected shooter suffered from underlying mental health issues. But the fact remains: in America, it’s currently easier for a poor person to get a gun than it is for them to get treatment for mental health issues.

Most murders committed in the United States involve a firearm — particularly handguns. A quick search shows that a typical handgun can be purchased for anywhere between $250 and $500. A .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle — which some reports indicate was the type of firearm used in today’s attack — costs between $700 and $2000. And contrary to the gun lobby’s most ardent hysteria about Barack Obama, gun ownership has actually been rising over the past four years, as has the use of guns in violent crimes.

By comparison, access to mental health services remains spotty, its funding and beneficiary requirements subject to the whims of governments attempting to balance their bloated budgets. People often do not know when they are entitled to preventative care services for mental health, and the people who do often forgo care due to the stigma associated with receiving such care.

And then there’s the cost of more extensive care. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a mere 7.1 percent of all American adults receive mental health services. Most of these Americans’ care is covered by private insurance, with children, poorer, and more elderly Americans being covered through public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. An additional ten percent are uninsured. But out-of-pocket costs for both inpatient and outpatient mental health services remain staggeringly high:



Obamacare will require health plans on statewide exchanges to cover mental health services as one of its “essential health benefit” categories. But states ultimately carry most of the discretion when it comes to defining what these services are and how much funding they get, and the coverage won’t help Americans in the absence of active efforts to identify and treat mental health disorders.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that Connecticut’s public mental health system currently provides coverage for less than one in five Connecticut residents with a serious mental health problem. The other four may not be able to afford to pay for those services on their own, particularly since mental health issues tend to disproportionately affect poor people.

Many states do require mental health evaluations and background checks before allowing their residents to purchase a gun. But doing an evaluation isn’t the same thing as actually treating people with ongoing mental health conditions.

Update: There are reports that the alleged perpetrator, Adam Lanza, had a history of mental illness. There are also reports that Lanza’s mother — who Lanza also allegedly killed — bought the guns legally.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/12/14/1338021/its-easier-for-americans-to-access-guns-than-mental-health-services/

I think the larger problem being, mental health care does not work at all if people do not access it. It also doesn't work very well when the clients don't take their meds or show up for appointments.

There is a lot of nonsense on other boards about schizophrenia and letting people from treatment facilities out on the street. Very few people have onset of schizophrenia in childhood. Before the first incidence of schizophrenia, one is generally fine. Most schizophrenics are not violent. I don't think this issue can be easily addressed.

I think it is great to say make Mental Health Care more accessible, but with all the news and all the message boards saying THIS is a mental health issue how much MORE stygma does it gain. "I get a schizophrenia diagnosis, everyone will think I'm a mass killer."

I am all for making it easier to get healthcare, but it's an inexact science with inexact treatments. We aren't going to catch everyone.

I can only speak to AtlantiCare Behavioral Health. If you don't have insurance they use a sliding scale for you to pay for therapy. It starts at $26 for a visit and they look at your paychecks to determine ability to pay. There are programs for the more expensive antidepressants. Plus there are a lot of $4 mental health prescriptions at Walmart.

Sad situation. Where did you hear that Walmart won't see music with dirty words in it? Our Walmart sells any/all kinds of music and I am sure some with dirty words. Haven't seen any porn though.

As the nation's largest retailer of American pop music, Wal-Mart wields significant influence over the recording industry, artistic creation and consumer choices.
Wal-Mart's refusal to sell certain albums carrying parental advisory labels or containing lyrics or album covers deemed offensive has altered the way the recording industry and musicians conduct business.

This policy most conspicuously affects residents in communities where Wal-Mart is the only place to buy CDs, and will only find those albums that Wal-Mart considers appropriate for retail.

With its roots in the southern Christian heartland of Arkansas, Wal-Mart has rigorously imposed the model of a small town, "family" store on its shops across the nation, says labor historian Dr. Nelson Lichtenstein of California at Santa Barbara, who hosted an April 2004 conference studying the mega-store.

Because of this family values credo, Wal-Mart refuses to carry albums with "parental advisory" stickers or CDs with cover art or lyrics deemed sexually explicit or dealing with topics like abortion, rape, homosexuality or Satanism.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business ... mpact.html

No one wants to pay for the kind of mental health care that is necessary for this population.

An example of accessed mental health care: having been denied access to mental healthcare/meds by family doctor (young man was labelled as a "drug seeker") young man, being convinced by family members that he was presenting symptoms of bipolar disorder as well as OCD and needed help, called a new doctor, told the receptionist his problem of mood swings, emotional instability, etc. and he needed a referral for psyc evaluation...

Receptionist made the appointment and young man went in to see the doctor, first paying $60 co-pay...
Doctor, who did not know the young man, stated flatly that he did not think the young man needed psyc services and that he was not bipolar and further, that doctor did not believe in prescribing psych meds...but of course he kept the young man's $60...

After being (and paying) denied help by 2 doctors, the young man remains explosive and puts his family through hell and refuses to seek further help...

I agree with this. I think the mental health industry needs a real overhaul, hopefully the ACA helps with that.

People have said that the major difference between the US and European countries, in terms of violence, is access to guns. I think the fact they have universal healthcare is also a huge difference to not overlook.

I do not think mentally ill people should have access to guns, but what defines mentally disturbed and how does a person get put on such an exception list? I am not comfortable with the government having access to my medical records or there being a database for a person who got an Rx for an anti-depressant, etc.