“We have fewer psychiatric hospital beds, fewer outpatient treatment options, restrictions on the use of medications that can and do help those who are mentally ill, too few psychiatrists and psychologists and clinical social workers, especially child and adolescent specialists, and especially ones who are trained and specialize in treating the seriously mentally ill”, said Rep. Murphy.
On December 12, 2013 Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives regarding the mass shooting incidents in Newtown and other tragedies.
He then described accurately the psychiatric crisis in America:
“We have fewer psychiatric hospital beds, fewer outpatient treatment options, restrictions on the use of medications that can and do help those who are mentally ill, too few psychiatrists and psychologists and clinical social workers, especially child and adolescent specialists, and especially ones who are trained and specialize in treating the seriously mentally ill.”
“We have too many barriers that prevent doctors from communicating with parents of the sons and daughters with persistent serious mental illness”, she said.
“We have Federal barriers that block treatment, Federal dollars that go to grants for programs that do not work. The National Institute of Mental Health has insufficient money to engage in needed research. First responders who are called to deal with mental health crises have little or no training on what to do, and they miss critically important actions”, she continued.
“Treatment delayed is treatment denied; and where there is no help, there is no hope”, said Rep. Murphy (source: Congressional Record, Dec. 12, 2013 http://thomas.loc.gov).
See video: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4477276
See related video: America’s secret mental health problems revealed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNNRt7CIJtA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-W3veBUBBQ
See video: Half of all US teens meet criteria for mental illness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlMpL2_v6OE
See video: Mental health crisis in America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNU4JCaTcoA
See video: Experts discuss mental illness and mass shooting incidents in America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziDo0dkPUOU