Mental illness and suicide rates are high and rising. According to a September 2022 report from the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission, one in five Hoosiers suffer from mental illness each year. Shockingly since 2016, more than 1,000 Hoosiers have been lost to suicide every year. This heartbreaking crisis is impacting families across our great state, particularly our children. Beyond the significant human consequence, mental illness is costing Indiana over $4 billion a year in lost productivity, premature mortality, chronic disease, and other expenses.
As a physician, state health commissioner and U.S. surgeon general, I have seen the consequence of unaddressed behavioral health and its impact on well-being in communities large and small. But, perhaps most notably, I have seen this devastation at home. My family and I are among the millions of Americans affected by substance use disorder. My younger brother has struggled with this affliction, which started with untreated anxiety and depression, and led to opioid misuse. I’ve shared my family’s story because far too many Hoosier families face the same worries for their loved ones, yet feel they are alone.
If anything good came from the pandemic, there is now more open and honest discussion about mental health. Like any other medical condition, mental illnesses are treatable and not a moral failing or character flaw. However, for far too long, stigma has prevented many sufferers and their families from acknowledging their struggles and seeking help.
As the way we view mental health and mental illness begins to change, it is imperative that we build a sustainable infrastructure to meet the surging demand for services. Last summer’s launch of 988, a new mental health crisis response number, marked a historic opportunity to ensure that the growing number of people in crisis can get appropriate and more equitable access to mental health services and that our broader emergency response infrastructure (which includes 911, emergency medical services and law enforcement) can guide people to the right places at the right times. Policymakers now face an enormous but critical responsibility to ensure that 988 is effectively and equitably implemented, and to strengthen the broader crisis response system.
In Indiana, we are fortunate that a sensible path forward is already on the table. The 2022 Behavioral Health Commission report gave two specific recommendations to meet these needs: create a sustainable funding mechanism through a $1 surcharge on phone bills, for the comprehensive crisis response system, and support expansion of the number of certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) to increase access to quality care. These two provisions are now packaged for consideration by state policymakers in Senate Bill 1, authored by Sen. Mike Crider and supported by a wide range of stakeholders.
As the Indiana General Assembly considers this fundamental legislation, I am calling on state leaders to take this next step to better treat mental illness and mental health crises in Indiana. With the right coordination, training and financial support, 988 can work effectively with our existing emergency infrastructure to ensure that more Hoosiers can receive timely and effective services when they need them.
States that have implemented a comprehensive crisis response system like Senate Bill 1 would support have seen a substantial return on investment through reduced emergency department visits, lower hospitalization rates, and a reduction in law enforcement encounters. For example, in Missouri, emergency department visits and hospitalizations due to mental illness have dropped by 76 percent. Further, the state has saved over $15 million in hospital costs and seen a significant drop in law enforcement involvement. In short, better access to mental health services helps us all.
A comprehensive crisis response system in Indiana is vital to improving the mental health and wellness of Hoosiers. State policymakers have an opportunity to take meaningful first steps to build this necessary infrastructure with Senate Bill 1. For the health of our state now and for generations to come, I urge the Indiana General Assembly to give this key legislation the utmost consideration.
Dr. Jerome Adams was appointed as a presidential fellow and the executive director of Purdue University’s Health Equity Initiatives on Oct. 21, 2021. Prior to his appointment, Adams was the 20th U.S. surgeon general and is a former Indiana State Health Commissioner. Send comments to [email protected].
