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APA was represented at the event by President Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., President-elect Paul Summergrad, M.D., and CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D.
Vice President Joe Biden also spoke at the event and lauded advances in brain research, but he noted that the persistence of stigma toward mental illness and its treatment keep people who need care from seeking it. “There are treatments for mental illness and substance abuse that go unused, and so many people still suffer silently,” Biden emphasized. “Too many young people never get connected with mental health care. And it’s not only the individual that suffers but the entire family.”
Former member of Congress and long-time mental health care advocate Patrick Kennedy also addressed the forum. “In 1963, the mentally ill were relegated to the shadows, and Americans with disabilities were institutionalized and told they’d never recover," he said. "President Kennedy said this was outright discrimination and wanted to return mental health care to the mainstream of American medicine. Together we must ensure not only the quality of mental health care but also the equality of that treatment."
To view a video of APA President Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., discussing the Community Mental Health Act, as well as the recent parity law and the Affordable Care Act, click here.
(Image: Aaron Levin)