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November 20th, 2013
07:14 PM ET
Mental health care shortages to blame?
Police have revealed new details about the bloody attack on Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds - stabbed more than ten times by his own son, who went on to commit suicide. CNN's Chris Lawrence investigates how shortages in the mental health care system may be to blame.
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Yes, there might be a shortage of qualified mental health professionals. But one problem is the stigma associated with reaching out for help. Unfortunately, the stigma still exists in this day and age. With regard to communication between mental health agencies, it is poor, if it even exists. It is the same as it is between hospitals and physicians...it does not exist. The question is, should it? Would it not violate a patient's right to confidentiality? There are some difficult ethical questions to debate before making such a decision – if a decision such as this should ever have to be made.
Additionally, a major issue in the mental health field is insurance. Insurance dictates the type of care and how long a patient can be treated. This is one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of proper mental health care. Clinicians are not able to provide what they believe is the best treatment for their patients. Insurance also does not reimburse the clinicians fairly – as a matter of fact, reimbursement is very, very low. This is an area that needs much improvement.
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