Sure mental health treatment and agencies are notoriously underfunded, understaffed, and underpaid. But
Mostly we have a society that views those with mental health struggles as 'less than' and not fully adults, because they can't support themselves in some fashion and contribute to the GDP (from a very 10,000 foot view).
We can pay for support all we want, until society at large stops viewing these people as burdens, it's not going to really fix anything.
Ignoring that many folks in this place are not only burdens, but severely incapable of handling themselves in a way normally required for adults doesn't help the situation either.
It's a sliding scale, and one that people can show up on at different points on every single day. Ignoring that a specific individual can and or is spending all or most of it in a place that would have them dead in a week without external help, or injuring innocent bystanders, just makes the problem worse.
With medication and lack of compliance, some very bad cases could get from perfectly functional to that state in a day or less.
To to be fair, a big part of the solution is recognizing these people as burdens, and deciding who will carry that burden and how. The idea that some of these people will ever be self sufficient is equally a challenge.
> ... We present background information and an interview with the President of the Cuban Society of Psychology to learn about current mental healthcare in today's Cuba. Mental and medical healthcare are free and fully integrated. Early diagnosis and intervention is standard as each patient is known by their community doctor/nurse team from infancy through old age and by yearly home visits.
There are more, it seems they do a pretty good job of supporting community-based approaches given low funding. It'd be interesting to see some harder numbers on outcomes. Not surprising that supporting small, integrated communities has positive effects on mental health though.
Just as a point, your argument is a false dichotomy. The only two choices you allow are a ruthless capitalistic society or a communist society. The poster could have allowed for any colorful regions of societies in between.
I would argue most societies throughout history have treated people with mental illness less than kindly. But if wish to treat them better we must stop thinking of people as factors of productivity, and therefore their worth is only as useful as the amount they add to the bottomline. (Though I'd presume, albeit with little evidence currently, that society would be benefited in probably cost and happiness if we were to take on the task of providing adequate mental care to all.)
Yes yes, let's argue which is more abstractly authoritarian - "capitalism" xor "communism" - rather than focusing on the substance of the point OP was making. Or better yet, just get back to work.
Loughla|4 years ago
Sure mental health treatment and agencies are notoriously underfunded, understaffed, and underpaid. But
Mostly we have a society that views those with mental health struggles as 'less than' and not fully adults, because they can't support themselves in some fashion and contribute to the GDP (from a very 10,000 foot view).
We can pay for support all we want, until society at large stops viewing these people as burdens, it's not going to really fix anything.
lazide|4 years ago
It's a sliding scale, and one that people can show up on at different points on every single day. Ignoring that a specific individual can and or is spending all or most of it in a place that would have them dead in a week without external help, or injuring innocent bystanders, just makes the problem worse.
With medication and lack of compliance, some very bad cases could get from perfectly functional to that state in a day or less.
s1artibartfast|4 years ago
at_a_remove|4 years ago
I am willing to bet that those examples aren't exactly brimming with fellowship and charity towards those unfortunate comrades.
WaxProlix|4 years ago
> Despite its limited resources, Cuba has developed an integrated mental health system that emphasizes prevention and community care.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3610072/
> ... We present background information and an interview with the President of the Cuban Society of Psychology to learn about current mental healthcare in today's Cuba. Mental and medical healthcare are free and fully integrated. Early diagnosis and intervention is standard as each patient is known by their community doctor/nurse team from infancy through old age and by yearly home visits.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ppc.12548
There are more, it seems they do a pretty good job of supporting community-based approaches given low funding. It'd be interesting to see some harder numbers on outcomes. Not surprising that supporting small, integrated communities has positive effects on mental health though.
siver_john|4 years ago
I would argue most societies throughout history have treated people with mental illness less than kindly. But if wish to treat them better we must stop thinking of people as factors of productivity, and therefore their worth is only as useful as the amount they add to the bottomline. (Though I'd presume, albeit with little evidence currently, that society would be benefited in probably cost and happiness if we were to take on the task of providing adequate mental care to all.)
lawn|4 years ago
mindslight|4 years ago
unknown|4 years ago
[deleted]
asfdgdthawerh|4 years ago
[deleted]