Mental wellness is a foundational health pillar – the way to sustain our physical health. But should mental health treatment be free? Ultimately, some arguments can be made on both ends of the spectrum. In this blog, we’ll explore different perspectives and weigh factors for and against the provision of mental healthcare free of charge for individuals and the overarching trends that play into mental healthcare costs.
We’ll also explore the importance of equal mental healthcare, as well as the commitment of St. Mary’s Wellness Center to make mental health services more accessible to the public.
Building a Case for Free Mental Health Treatment
- Public Health: This argument believes that if mental health issues are not treated, they can become entrenched, the cascading effect: growing healthcare costs tied to people who end up in the emergency room or hospitalized and chronic physical ailments tied to mental health all become a drain on resources, free mental health treatment might lead to earlier intervention, earlier and better treatment of mental health issues and a healthier population.
- Increasing Productivity: Untreated mental illnesses can also negatively impact a person’s ability to work productively. A 2005 study by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that untreated depression alone cost employers billions of dollars a year in lost work productivity. A universal and free treatment system for mental health could help create a more productive workforce and drive up the economy.
- Reducing the Stigma Associated with Mental Health: Cost is a common deterrent to seeking treatment. This only in turn contributes to the stigma surrounding mental health. If treatment is free, it would normalize the need for seeking help and encourage more people to take charge of their mental health. In a de-stigmatized environment, people would feel free to openly discuss their mental health and also seek help much earlier.
- Promoting Equity: monetary barriers deny mental health treatment to those who need it the most. It’s primarily the poorest people and families who suffer from an unequal distribution of mental health resources. Providing free treatment would help to even out mental health inequality and ensure a level playing field of treatment. Mental health inequalities are known to have the greatest effect on widening existing structural inequalities in society.
Considerations for Free Mental Health Treatment
- Financing the Initiative: Providing free and universal mental health therapy would require a large amount of funding. This question alone would be a challenge, because the way to fund such a program is not obvious. It could be through direct allocation by the government, through raising healthcare taxes, or through an innovative public-private partnership. However, there is often a delicate balancing act involved to make sure the money is there in the long term, and that cost pressures on other parts of the healthcare provision are not created as a result.
- Lack of Workers: There’s already a shortage of workers in mental health. Free services would only exacerbate this. Possible solutions would include increasing funding for mental health education, implementing scholarship and loan forgiveness programmes to draw more students to the field, and fast-tracking licensing procedures to get qualified recent graduates into the workforce more quickly.
- Maintaining Quality of Care: It is a valid concern that in a free system, there could be a fall in the standard of care. Given that we have a better idea of what does or does not work in free systems that already exist in other countries, there’s no reason why we can’t introduce quality control measures, leveraging technology for more efficient delivery of services and training and supervision for mental health professionals who work on the ground.
Arguments Against Free Mental Health Treatment
There’s also the potential for moral hazard, the idea that making a thing free would make it seem less valuable to beneficiaries, or even less likely to complete their treatment plans. However, studies of the utilization of free, preventative healthcare services suggest the opposite. It can also be counteracted by promoting widespread mental health literacy.
- Abuse Potential: There is concern that an open system could be exploited by those who do not need the help, causing them to take the place of someone who truly needs treatment. Evaluation tools or questionnaires during the intake process can help screen out those who genuinely need the help of a professional.
- Rationing of care: If demand for free services outstrips resources, rationing of care may become unavoidable, which could lead to long wait times for those who are in desperate need of mental health treatment. In these cases, increasing the workforce or using technology to screen consults could mitigate the risk of failing to provide care for those who need it.
A Deeper Look at Considerations Against Free Treatment
- Cost-Effective: Though the initial expense of free treatment might be high, the long-term benefits of much better public health, more productive citizens, and reduced healthcare costs for chronic physical problems can be substantial, leading to great cost savings. Another recent study concluded that every $1 spent on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression returned $4 in reduced healthcare costs.
- Alternatives to Rationing: Expanding Mental Health Workforce Instead of rationing, efforts could aim to expand the mental health workforce strategically. Recruitment and educational initiatives for aspiring mental health professionals, financial incentives and loan repayment for mental health professionals to work in underserved areas, and licensing streamlining for mental health professionals can all boost workforce capacity.
Mental Health Equity: Beyond Accessibility
Equity, in its fullness, goes well beyond simply making mental health treatment affordable, available, or even culturally competent. It involves addressing historic and ongoing social determinants of mental health, as well as special efforts to dismantle systemic barriers keeping certain demographics from receiving or participating in appropriate treatment.
Social Determinants of Mental Health Beliefs about mental illness and the availability of support networks, institutional services, and other factors that influence mental health. They include poverty, racial discrimination, access to education and health care as well as geographic and political obstacles. Given the ripple effect these upstream factors tend to have, addressing political mandates, developing social programs, and engaging in grassroots community outreach are important steps toward true mental health equity.
The Role of Advocacy and Community Engagement
Free mental health treatment is an important step in the direction of equity, but it’s not the entire picture. Advocacy efforts are needed to:
- Stigma-Reduction: Creating awareness through public education or media outreach, as well as reducing stigma within communities, is the key to destigmatizing mental health. Advocacy groups should also work towards educating young people and encouraging them to normalize discussions about mental health.
- Policy Change: Advocacy can improve mental health equity through policy changes. This could mean advocating for increased funding for mental health services, lobbying for mental health parity in insurance coverage, or supporting legislation focused on social determinants of mental health.
The Road to a Mentally Healthy Future
So there is no real ‘either/or’ debate about free mental health care because it is not really about ‘either/or’, it is about the eradication of systemic barriers and ensuring that mental health is available and accessible to all, that the ruling politics of absolute lack does not continue to allow privilege and exclude the majority. While the uphill battle continues, creative solutions, persistent advocacy, and culturally competent mental health care already point to a mentally ‘for and by all’ future.
St. Mary’s Wellness Center: A Beacon of Accessible and Equitable Care
At St Mary’s Wellness Center, we took the concept of mental health equity a step further than just offering treatment for free or at a low cost, to be more inclusive and even to create a more welcoming environment. This is what we’ve put into action:
- Our clinical services team consists of experienced mental health professionals specially trained in culturally competent care. We offer services in a variety of languages and aim to be mindful of the diverse needs of our community.
- Trauma-informed care: Trauma and the impact of trauma on mental health is so prevalent that we use trauma-informed care principles as a way of organizing our work to create a safe and supportive space for people with a history of trauma.
- Community Outreach Programs: We partner with organizations in local communities to provide mental health education and resources to prevent individuals from suffering mental health problems in silence. These programs serve as ambassadors of mental health care in the community.
- Peer support groups: Peer support groups for people with most conditions who benefit from peer support.
Are you interested in seeking mental health treatment? Contact the St. Mary’s Wellness Center team today. We are here to help you get access to the mental health care and treatment you deserve.
