Resolutions for Mental Health Care

Below is an article by Christine Stapleton (second from left in the above photograph) of the Palm Beach Post as published in the Halifax Chronicle Herald on January 3, 2007:

I AM NOT big on New Year’s resolutions. If I need to change something, I change it. Doesn’t matter what time of year it is.

But to mental health advocates, I offer you these New Year’s resolutions:

1. Do something for people who suffer dual-diagnosis. It is estimated that as many as half of the alcoholics and addicts out there suffer from another mental illness, the most common being depression and bipolar disorders. In order for these people to have a shot of recovery, both illnesses must be treated. A sober alcoholic is ripe for relapse if a major depression sets in. An alcoholic still out there is fuelling his depression with booze, a depressant.

2. Organize support groups. There are hundreds of meetings every week in the area for alcoholics and addicts. Let’s have as many for people with depression or other mental illnesses. Arrange for meeting space in a church or a community centre. Advertise at pharmacies, on buses, on the radio and in newspapers.

3. Educate the medical community. How many general practitioners are prescribing antidepressants without requiring a checkup within a month to find out whether the drug is even working? Here’s what the FDA says about it: "Adults being treated with antidepressant medications, particularly those being treated for depression, should be watched closely for worsening of depression and for increased suicidal thinking or behaviour. Close watching may be especially important early in treatment, or when the dose is changed."

4. Support one-stop shopping. A person in the throes of a major depression is not capable of making all kinds of phone calls to get help, find a doctor, find a therapist, or figure out bus routes or how to pay for meds. Partner with local hospitals, clinics, the health department and crisis lines so that sick people need only make one phone call.

5. Talk to each other. Create a listserv and invite physicians, clinicians, social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners and substance abuse counsellors to subscribe. Post meetings, interesting articles, concerns, questions and problems. It’s free, it’s easy and the information comes right to e-mail.

6. Understand men. A depressed man won’t necessarily exhibit the same symptoms as a woman. Men with depression often take risks, abuse drugs or alcohol or engage in other compulsive behaviours.

7. Educate the legal community. I spent 12 years in courtrooms writing stories about all kinds of crimes. Here’s what I saw: An incredible amount of mental illness and a tremendous amount of misunderstanding by judges, prosecutors, defence attorneys and cops. The most prevalent mental illnesses I saw were alcoholism, addiction and depression. Why not send The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous to those in the legal system so they can better understand these diseases and the treatment programs to which they routinely sentence folks? I heard one judge sentence a defendant to a 10-step program. Last time I checked, there were 12 steps.

8. Encourage therapy. For many, drugs and lifestyle changes are not enough. The FDA and the American Psychiatric Association recommend cognitive behavioural therapy for treating depression and other mental illnesses. Partner with local psychologists, social workers and nurse practitioners to find a way to provide and encourage this invaluable treatment.

9. Fight the stigma. Speak up when you hear a wisecrack about whether someone with a mental illness has taken their meds. Show compassion but don’t condescend. Do what you can. And have a happy new year.