Mental health... next public healthcare crisis

[JohnRoberts]

Er, what?  You're expecting things to get worse?

As long as local government's in some large cities mischaracterize the increasing street population as a "housing" problem instead of the mental health root cause, I don't see that getting corrected.  While the immediate public health concern is infections diseases growing as a hazard due to inadequate sanitation, growing rat population, etc.  Dr Pinsky describes this more concisely than I ever could for LA/Socal.

Actually so am I.

I am not very good about predicting the future but the increasing connectedness via internet is a  bit of a double edged sword. On one level it provides community and family. I value many of the friendships formed here and about.

At the same time there can be a downside to being surrounded by people bragging about how good their life is, and what they just bought, not to mention actual bad actors invading and merchandising private information. If you receive a free internet service, "you" are the product.

I think our society/culture will figure this out eventually, but it could be a little bumpy between now and then.  I repeat this is probably not even the top of the list, but on the list of things to fix.

JR

 

[desol]

Love, care, compassion? All missing in many of these lives.

 

[benb]

#2 Rationalization of privacy/civil rights rules/laws that make it so hard to force people into care. Of course this invites the nightmare horror story of people being committed against their will.. I'm sure there are people here who think I'm crazy.

This is a tricky area, as it's easy to imagine a government abusing this.

There's the three-day evaluation rule, but police have to believe the person looks like a danger to themselves or others. I suppose you could claim living and pooping on the streets is a danger to themselves and others.

And it keeps getting a lot easier to imagine (a government abusing this) with ICE detaining US-born citizens because maybe they don't "look white" or they have a name like Garcia. I'm glad I don't live within 100 miles of the border, or whatever it is that ICE has jurisdiction over. Woops, I'm getting off topic ...