Thursday, March 12, 2009
Legislature / Politics Mental Health Services: Tennessee Gets Another Bad Grade
Posted by Pete Kotz on Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Tennessee has once again score poorly on a quality of life issue, but this time we're not alone. In its annual report card, the National Alliance on Mental Illness gives us a D for our mental health services.
The grade is based on availability and wait-time for services, promotion and collaboration between agencies, etc. But before we engage in another round of self-flagellation, it should be noted that no one seems to handle these services well. Four states received Fs, while a whopping 28 got Ds. No state received higher than a B.
None of which is surprising. If you think your normal health care is bad, mental care is bound to be worse. It's the easiest to short-change because it deals with a smaller group of people and doesn't have a powerful lobby. It's also not as easy to understand as, say, cancer, and a lot of older legislators believe it to be junk science.
Comments (4)
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This isn't bad news; we're Southerners- we just aren't as bothered by crazy, or "eccentric" as we prefer to call it.
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"It's also not as easy to understand as, say, cancer, and a lot of older legislators believe it to be junk science."
And that's a travesty.
JohnnyC, Your train of thought is one of the main reasons that people in this country continue to suffer horribly on a daily basis. Mental illness is not a character in a movie plot thrown in for a laugh. It is a sad and debilitating for the person that has to endure this and for their friends and families. It is not something to be proud of and to so "Oh their just eccentric. Also I have lived in the south my whole life and I don't look on having mental health issued as funny or colorful things to laugh and smile about. It is a horrible thing to have to go through and people should care just as much about the mental wellness of the citizens of this country as they do about any other health issue. It is a disease that chooses you and not caused by over eating, smoking or any other of the many things that can lead to physical illness. It is something that many suffer from and not a trivial issue.
