Reduce negative perception of those with mental disorders

For much of history, psychosis was considered a result of demon possession.

In many ways that view is still evident today.

In the United States, slaves were diagnosed with disorders such as draptomania, described as a condition that caused black slaves to flee captivity.

People with mental illness were routinely imprisoned and only later put in primitive treatment facilities where many were subjected to barely tolerable hot- and cold-water baths, among other things.

Obviously, mental health care has improved with time.

With advances in neuroscience and increased emphasis on the worth of people, individuals began to receive relatively targeted medication.

Nevertheless, the mental health challenges facing communities in Texas remain stark.

In fact, the state ranks near the bottom when it comes to per capita mental health spending.

And it’s a grim likelihood that future generations will look at our present systems of care with the sort of shock and regret with which we view our past.

Unemployment and homelessness among people with mental illness are common.

More disturbing, those with mental illness are too often demonized as a source of community violence even though they are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators.

These issues are especially relevant to people of color, who suffer unacceptable disparities in mental health.

African Americans are more likely than whites to receive the least optimistic diagnoses.

Schizophrenia is consistently over-diagnosed, while more manageable conditions such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder are often under-recognized or misdiagnosed, resulting in higher incidents of seclusion, use of restraints and involuntary commitment, and lower levels of support for patients and their families.

This is a big reason why African American and Hispanics are far more likely to be arrested and incarcerated than whites, and why jails have become such tragically overused centers of mental health care.

It contributes to the deaths of Africans Americans, some of whom appear to have mental disorders, at the hands of law enforcement officers.

So what can we do?

We need a nationwide effort to reduce the negative perception of those with mental disorders.

Similar efforts have reduced the stigma associated with conditions as diverse as cancer and autism.

It’s time for a conversation to counteract the charged, uninformed movies, political statements and other cultural touchstones that portray mental illness as a menace.

It’s too easy for governments at every level to cut funding for mental health services, especially in the face of unavoidable increased costs for the homelessness and crime that results from sick people being unable to find treatment.

The good news is that the concept of recovery — that these individuals will not stay ill forever — is gradually becoming appreciated by the community.

Large-scale studies are showing that early interventions can create marked improvements in outcomes for these patients.

Governments should embrace new, cost-saving interventions. Family members should remain engaged and receive encouragement to do so.

And communities should embrace ill patients who need help, not run away from them.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Reduce negative perception of those with mental disorders."