“We applaud the lawmakers in Congress who recognize the dire need to improve our nation’s mental health system,” Renée Binder, MD, president of the APA, said in a press release, according to Healio. “But we call upon Congress as a whole to embrace this issue. Our poll findings show that the majority of Americans want to see improved mental healthcare and access.”
Findings of the poll, administered online to a nationally representative sample of 1,025 people in April, were presented at the APA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, which began May 14 and runs through the 18.
Approximately two-thirds of respondents indicated they felt untreated mental illness has a significant material effect on the U.S. economy, and more than 75 percent said mental healthcare reform is important for addressing various societal issues, such as suicide rates and access to care.
Only fifteen percent of respondents said the current mental healthcare system is meeting the mental health needs of military veterans.
About one-fifth — 21 percent — of the cohort said presidential candidate Hilary Clinton would “best ensure the needs of those living with mental health issues are met,” while 19 percent said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would be the best candidate for this effort. Ten percent of respondents endorsed Donald Trump.
Although 45 percent of respondents said they think there is less stigma regarding mental illness than 10 years ago, 31 percent said they would not vote for a political candidate with a diagnosed mental illness, even if they received treatment for it.
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