The Trump Administration
Throughout history, medicine and psychiatry have interacted in various types of ways. Psychiatrists who worked with Nazis often prescribed and suggested extremely unethical means of “treating” people. Even though these means were very unethical, psychiatry and medicine was controlled by the state. Today in the United States, Trump approaches mental health in two ways: “his compromised relationship with reality and and his attack mode in response to crisis or criticism.” While this is an opinion of the author, many professionals think that because there have been public attacks on Trump’s mental health have skewed the way he approaches the issue. Instead of giving it thorough attention, he allows his policy decisions to be decided by how he reacts to public opinion.
Puerto Rico
In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico causing a record amount of damage. During this time, 236 suicides were reported by the Commission for Suicide for Prevention, a 55% increase from the year before. A record number in the country are reporting feelings of anxiety and depression, which goes largely unnoticed. These individuals, along with others with pre-existing conditions, are finding little help and their conditions are going untreated. The combination of mental illness, extreme trauma, and poverty can lead to dangerous results. These conditions are going ignored by the government, which is costing the public their lives.
National Basketball Association
A profession that would not necessarily be traditionally related to mental health is professional sports. The health focus in this field is always the physical health of the players is always the true focus. There has not been a large focus on the psychological and mental health of players. In November of 2017, a player in the National Basketball Association, Kevin Love, made a public statement about how he had a panic attack in the middle of a game. Since the issue of mental health took a back seat to the actual sport, the player’s profession was affected because his organization failed to address the member’s mental health needs.
New York State Mental Health Education
Starting this summer, the state of New York will be the first in the country to begin requiring mental health education in grades kindergarten through 12. Mental health is something that has long been ignored by schools throughout the country, leaving many children at a disadvantage that can affect them during their entire life. This new educational program will help children identify the symptoms of mental health conditions in themselves and also in people they know.
Mental Health Discrimination 