The Effects of Untreated Mental Illness

Over the last few days, three articles, two from newspapers in Pennsylvania and one from California, appeared in newspapers on the issue of the effects of untreated mental illness.

One appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times and was written by a student, Lisa Clattenburg, from the college where I work, All alone: Who will help the families of the mentally ill?. I've never met Lisa, but she raises points that many families and friends of someone with a mental illness and a lack of insight to remain in treatment often wonder how to resolve regarding the treatment laws that do not provide treatment until someone is a danger to themselves or others.

Lisa states, "These laws make it very difficult for family members to get needed help for these patients. Unless they are suicidal or homicidal, it is almost impossible to force them to get treatment. It has gone from one extreme to another. We should come up with an 'in between' so that patients who suffer from this illness can receive the help they need and deserve. "

The second article, from the Philadelphia Daily News was written by Elmer Smith: The cycle for mentally ill homeless must end. He writes about people with untreated mental illness, "whose homelessness results from untreated mental illnesses, [and] find themselves suspended between periods of life on the streets and enforced stays in homeless shelters, mental-health institutions and jail cells."

But even when housing is available, if someone who has been prescribed medications does not take them because they lack the insight to remain in treatment, then all of the programs, services, and housing options available will not help them.

The third article, State's shameful neglect of mental illness, by John Diaz appeared in the paper today. Although California has passed an effective treatment law, it has not been implemented across the state. The result is one that, "divides families, contributes to the crowding in our prisons and jails, explains why so many people are living on the streets, and causes more pain and suffering that can be calculated by any government statistic."

Providing timely, compassionate treatment is the answer and the results of Kendra's Law in New York offer a solution on how to solve these problems. In PA, once the proposed assisted outpatient treatment bill, SB 226, is passed, it will benefit many people including those with untreated mental illnesses and the family and friends who love them.