Time to make funding for public mental health services a priority

The treatment of mentally ill patients has undergone radical changes in the past 150 years, and not always for the better. Unfortunately, public health treatment remains grossly underfunded and consequently care is fragmented and places a huge social burden on American communities.

People with mental illnesses range from perfectly functional individuals, to those with severe disabilities who are unable to care for themselves.

The role of government is to serve as a safety-net and to help dysfunctional, impaired people who may do harm to themselves or others.

Institutionalizing the mentally ill...