For years, people have been expressing concern about preventive mental health care; that is finally coming up in conversation alongside cholesterol levels, and cancer screening—and many agree that it’s overdue. A recent opinion piece in STAT argues that now is the time for preventive mental health care to be included as part of the national health strategy instead of only after someone experiences crisis. Many Americans can relate to this concept; they’ve seen so many friends, family members suffer for so long without seeing anyone take their symptoms seriously.
Currently, The United States’ healthcare system is set up to wait until someone has already developed severe levels of illness before engaging resources (such as those who suffer from depression or addiction, are diagnosed with schizophrenia, etc). The authors of this reception outline a plan that includes building out the infrastructure to implement prevention efforts by screening early, intervening quickly and coordinating services long before traditional hospitalizations and/or corrections systems intervene. In the authors’ opinion; “Preventive Mental Health Care” should have sufficient support/delivery in schools, Primary Care, Workplaces and Community Centers – the places where people actually live their lives.
In addition, it is critical to understand that preventive mental health is not simply about individuals being resilient or being advised to “find a way to cope.” Preventive mental health is made up of upstream entities that affect mental health such as reducing child poverty, stabilizing housing, addressing historic racism, addressing trauma, and restricting access to lethal means. Each of these determinants has a role in determining who will be at the highest risk for poor mental health outcomes prior to receiving a mental health diagnosis. Therefore, investing in preventive mental health is both a moral decision and an economic decision. Investing in preventive mental health can ultimately lead to a decrease in disability, decrease in health care costs, and decrease in crime.
On an individual level, preventive mental health may look like a pediatrician conducting a screening for anxiety, providing a college with free workshops related to stress and substance use, and providing employees with mental health days and confidential support/counseling for and about their mental health. For families, preventive mental health may entail recognizing early warning signs of mental health issues and knowing where to get help without feeling ashamed.
Advocates for preventive mental health care say the main hurdle is political will; preventive mental health will save society money and pain in the future, but society will need to spend and coordinate effectively to prevent mental illness from an individual level today. As the rates of distress increase for both youth and adults across the United States, the question is no longer whether we can afford to develop preventive mental health care, but rather, is it worth the cost in future dollars not to build preventive mental health?
Source: STAT – Preventive care must include mental and behavioral disorders
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