An editorial from The Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — If you had a toothache, it’s likely that you would go to the dentist to have the cause of the pain fixed.
Sleepless nights, inability to eat, constant discomfort and excruciating physical pain would all cause you to sit with phone in hand, waiting for the doctor’s office to open to schedule an appointment.
Yet almost all of those same symptoms are caused by mental health conditions. And half of the people affected either aren’t seeking treatment or are unable to for a variety of reason.
“Once again, our report shows that too many Americans are suffering, and far too many are not receiving the treatment they need to live healthy and productive lives,” said Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO of MHA.
“Mental illness touches everyone. We must improve access to care and treatments, and we need to put a premium on early identification and early intervention for everyone with mental health concerns.”
The report ranked the states, taking into consideration 15 different measures, like access to care for adults or children, insurance, cost, proximity of treatment facilities or care-givers and substance abuse.
West Virginia has found its way to the bottom of yet another “bad category.”
When these factors are considered, West Virginia achieved the rank of 43. As if that wasn’t bleak enough, the state’s rank dramatically dropped from 28th in 2011 to 43rd in 2014, the most recent data available.
Even when you only look at treatment sought for mental health conditions, the rate of 56 percent left untreated really speaks to a national problem. The state with the best rank and access to care, Vermont, saw 43 percent of conditions left untreated.
There is a great cost associated with failing to treat mental health conditions. Like a toothache, the longer a condition is left untreated, the more difficult it becomes to treat over time. There is also a very direct correlation between mental health and physical health as it often deteriorates hand in hand.
There’s also not only a dramatic increase in suicide rates for conditions left untreated, but also an increased likelihood of self treatment, which can lead to major substance abuse issues and all of the problems associated with that.
The states that fare best when it comes to access to mental health care also have the lowest incarceration rates.
Untreated mental health conditions can result in a huge financial burden to prisons, law enforcement, state and federal programs, and society at large.
Yet, the stigma associated with being considered “crazy” or “insane” is often just enough to stop people from picking up the phone and calling the health professional who could actually help them.
Dealing with this kind of problem is going to take a massive multi-faceted approach, including improving public education, investing in more treatment facilities and services and making sure that the people who need care have access to it.