U.S. mentally ill and their families face barriers to care

Lori, a 39-year-old mother in New Jersey, would like to save for the usual things: college, retirement, vacations. But those goals are far down her wish list. For now, she and her husband are putting aside money for a home alarm system. They’re not worried about keeping burglars out. They need to keep their son in.


Mike, 7, began seeing a psychiatrist in 2009, after one pre-school kicked him out for being “difficult” and teachers at the public school he later attended were worried about his obsessive thoughts and extreme anxiety. He was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.


As she keeps trying to get help for him, “I am learning firsthand how broken the system is when dealing with mental illness,” said Lori. (Surnames of patients and their families have been withheld to protect their privacy.)

Source: http://www.health.am/psy/more/us-mentally-ill-and-their-families/

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