In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and ongoing recession, one of the services states have most frequently chosen cut have been those relating to mental health. Since 2010, nearly 4,000 state psychiatric facilities have been closed, and the duration of hospital stays have gone down 39 percent. However, it’s no secret that financial difficulties increase rates of depression and anxiety, and these shortened periods of observation have sometimes had fatal consequences. Tom Moroney is bureau chief for Bloomberg News in Boston. Marcia Knapp is the mother of Adam Knapp, a 30-year-old schizophrenic who died during a manic episode after entering and leaving three hosptials.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.