Tragedy in Newtown and Access to Mental Health Providers
December 19th, 2012The tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut last week has stirred strong emotions and a sense of tragedy in the U.S. There have been too many instances of the same type of seemingly non-sensical mayhem to be just a coincidence. Though some call the shooters “loners” or social outcasts, we must look to why these individuals needed to turn to violence and self-destruction. As we are delving into the cause of this recent massacre, I am reminded about how little mental health support is available right now.
In my years of practicing, I have found it appalling that there are so many barriers to the few mental health providers practicing in our country. Many do not accept insurance, and conversely many insurances do not cover psychotherapy without loads of red tape. I remember having a patient who had just lost her job, was in the midst of a messy divorce, and had the added responsibility of taking care of three children and her ailing mother. She had a panic attack that day and came to see me because she felt there was nowhere else to turn for help. A social worker in my office tried finding a psychiatrist for her to see, but the earliest appointment was months away. Even if she was able to get an appointment, how far along do you think the follow-up appointments would be? Certainly, this was not the best situation. I ended up treating her with anti-anxiety medications and scheduling multiple appointments just to talk about her problems. My social worker also took time out of her busy day to comfort her and called to check on her daily and the patient did finally get to see a psychiatrist three months later.
The sad realization is this: if she had a heart condition, stomach ulcer, or cancer, there were plenty of resources and she could be seen in a timely manner. For mental health, there is a disproportionate lack of providers and centers where care can be coordinated with social workers and case managers. As the recent tragedy in Newtown illustrates, adequate access to mental health care is just as important as other public health issues. People suffering with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia among others, need better access to mental health providers. Part of the blame, I believe is that the spectrum of psychiatric illnesses are still stigmatized in our society. Many people find it difficult to understand what it is like to suffer from illnesses such as depression. Trust me, it doesn’t mean someone is merely “lazy” or doesn’t have motivation in life. It is a real chemical alteration in the brain, just as real and concrete as finding atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries of someone with a heart attack.
It will take a long time for us to recover from the recent upsetting events. Out of despair often comes hope. I sincerely wish that this will be a wake-up call for the U.S. Government to realize that the lack of access to timely and cost efficient mental health services needs to be addressed immediately.
