“How many more tragedies must this nation endure before we fully recognize that mental health and behavior disorders are forms of disease that deserve the same attention and resources as any other pervasive disease?” Ascension President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, asks in a commentary published by Modern Healthcare.
Following the horrific terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida, in which 49 people were killed and more than 50 injured, Tony shares sobering statistics about mental health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, he says, approximately one in five U.S. adults — 43.8 million people, or 18.5 percent of the population — experience mental illness in a given year. About 10 million U.S. adults experience a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. Among the 20.3 million U.S. adults who experienced a substance-abuse disorder, more than half of them — about 10.2 million — had a co-occurring mental illness.
“For our part, Ascension has established behavioral/mental health as a dedicated priority service line across our national healthcare system because we recognize the importance of quality mental healthcare in our communities,” he says. “We are connecting our clinical staff to share information and best practices to better address this specific need while working to improve access nationwide for those who need it most.”
“In the wake of the Orlando tragedy,” Tony concludes, “let us together as one nation turn our words and raw emotions into action with positive public policy that more effectively addresses the growing challenge of mental and behavioral illness.”
Click here to read the full commentary.
