It is an unfortunate fact that Ohio, like the rest of the United States, tends to have an inadequate system for the treatment of mental illness, especially for those individuals who are economically disadvantaged. Many of the people most in need of mental health services simply do not get the treatment they need. This leads to those at-risk individuals ending up in emergency rooms or jails after encounters with first responders.
According to the head of psychiatry at the Ohio State University, the U.S. needs to take the provision of mental health services much more seriously. Some sources say that over 20,000 Ohioans have taken their own lives over the last 15 years, deaths which some experienced professionals in the field think could be prevented by better service provision infrastructure. This, of course, would likely mean increased funding from both the federal and state governments for such programs, as well as getting more psychiatrists and other mental health professionals into low-served areas of the state.
Those whose mental conditions are disabling to the point where they cannot work are some of the more at-risk individuals when it comes to the above sets of statistics. These people often live in areas where services are scarce, and have difficulty affording those that do exist. One way to help some of these at-risk individuals may be to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits. While getting such benefits will not make treatment more available, it can help ease the financial burden for those who cannot earn a living.
While mental illness can be more difficult to prove in some cases due to the subjective nature of certain diagnoses, applying for SSDI benefits with the help of an experienced Ohio disability attorney may make the process easier. Ohio residents suffering from mental illness should seek help to deal with their conditions before it’s too late, and those with questions regarding the SSDI or SSI process can find more information on our website.