Is Mental Health Care Only for the Rich?
When necessity overshadows accessibility
The accessibility of mental health care, especially for the middle-class, poor, and unemployed people is a relevant issue that still requires a solution. Mental health shouldn't be just classified as a rich people’s problem. There are so many of us who advocate for mental health. But it’s a complex problem with many challenges associated with it.
The affordability of mental health care
“I’m not feeling it today, can I skip work today”? Can a person with a moderate or low income do this? Inequality exists and the choice is not applicable to all. Mental health is not a new problem, in fact, a lot of popular celebs are encouraging people to open up about their struggles. But that’s only the first part of the solution. Among the reasons for not seeking help include fear, shame, and financial hardships. Even if the first two are solved somehow, the last one is a hurdle that many of us find difficult to tackle.
A therapist costs around 100–200 dollars per hour and with health insurance it will be around 20–50 dollars. But not all health insurance holders can afford it. For some insurance, there is no mental health coverage which shows the disparity in health insurance. So for most people, it becomes hard to afford it and they tend to compromise their mental health for other amenities. Between paying rent and mental health care costs, most would choose the former option.
Make the Society Mental health friendly
A monumental change is yet to be seen in the healthcare sector where people can access without the fear of money. Spreading Awareness about the issue is just not enough, to bring people forward and help them is the real challenge. Some NGOs and other organizations are helping to tackle the financial constraint issue but a collective effort from everyone is still required.
