Letter to the Editor | Be an advocate for people with serious mental illness
May 3, 2023
Dear Editor,
As a future mental health professional, I am writing to advocate for people with serious mental illnesses. An SMI is defined as a mental illness that interferes with a person’s life and ability to function, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Specifically, I am advocating on behalf of those with an SMI who rely on public resources and do not have access to evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.
According to the NIMH, as of 2021, there were 14.1 million adults in the U.S. with SMI. Out of all non-elderly adults in the U.S. with SMI, approximately 65% received mental health treatment in the last year.
Millions of people with SMI rely on Medicaid and other public resources for their mental healthcare. Unfortunately, people who rely on public resources have very little access to evidence-based therapies. Adults with SMI are among some of the most vulnerable people, yet many of them don’t have access to proven, effective and scientifically based therapies.
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Here are a few quick facts about people with severe mental illness as outlined by the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. Almost 1 in 4 adults with SMI live below the poverty line. Those with SMI are 25 times more likely to commit suicide if they have a mood disorder. Approximately 2 million people with SMI are sent to jail every single year.
These are just a few of the hardships that people with SMI face, not to mention a poorer quality of life, increased hospitalizations and higher health care costs in general.
Now is the time to take action to make sure that people with severe mental illness have access to evidence-based therapies. We can use our votes and voices to ensure that those with SMI are not left to live lives that are steeped in misery or worse. We can make a difference.
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