It’s a question that has been asked time and time again, yet still remains unanswered. When did America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, become a place where those struggling with mental illness are left to fend for themselves on the streets? When did we as a society turn a blind eye to the growing population of mentally ill individuals, allowing them to become a marginalized and forgotten group?
The truth is, there is no one specific moment or event that can be pinpointed as the turning point for this issue. Rather, it has been a gradual decline over the years, fueled by a lack of understanding and resources for mental health.
To fully understand this question, we must first define what is meant by “mentally ill”. The term encompasses a wide range of conditions, from depression and anxiety to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is estimated that 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience some form of mental illness in a given year. That’s over 46 million people, a staggering number that cannot be ignored.
The roots of the issue can be traced back to the 1950s, when deinstitutionalization began to take place. This was a movement to shift individuals with mental illness out of large, overcrowded psychiatric hospitals and into community-based care. While the intention was to provide more humane and individualized treatment, the reality was that many of these individuals were left without proper support and resources. As a result, they ended up on the streets, where they were often met with discrimination and mistreatment.