In America, methods of care for our mentally ill have become
intertwined with the politics of universal healthcare, hospital
administration, and prevention of violent crime, all of which
suffer under an increasingly budget-cut government. This issue
is not a new one, however. The Newspaper Clippings Digital
Collection of the Isché Library shows an emerging pattern: a
pattern of need. Hospitals and treatment centers need enough
beds for psychiatric patients; hospitals need staff to treat
those patients; police officers, clergy, and even the general
public need training to assess and assist the mentally ill.
Linkages of mental illness and criminal tendencies also surface.
In recent news, LSU psychiatrist Dr. Jose Calderon-Abbo joined
the vice president’s task force on gun violence; he has also
partnered up with Tulane public health criminology expert Dr.
Peter Scarf to present a paper of similar topic to the House
Subcommittee on Crime, terrorism, and Homeland Security at a
hearing on The Youth Promise act. Not