Report links higher rates of uninsured and suicide

Joe, since you're a good Catholic, I would hope that this report gets your attention and may even change your mind on voting for measures that provide health care for Americans.

Report links higher rates of uninsured and suicide

November 28, 2007

By MARILYN ELIAS

USA TODAY

The higher the percentage of residents in a state who say they can't afford health care, the greater the prevalence of serious depression and the higher the suicide rate in that state, suggests a report released to USA TODAY.

The state-by-state analysis also links fewer suicides to more adults receiving mental health treatment, greater availability of psychologists and psychiatrists, and "parity" laws requiring equal insurance coverage for physical and mental illness.

(Since your own chief of staff, Trent Wisecup apparently suffers from a serious mental disorder, maybe you will support mental health parity in health care coverage. Is he back to work yet, Joe or was the whole paid leave a cover for Trent being fired or let go from the campaign? Is he still on the payroll?)

The report doesn't prove that lack of care causes depression or suicide, says senior author Tami Mark of Thomson Healthcare. "But it suggests we should be monitoring mental health care and comparing outcomes," she says.

Mark used federal data on mental health and state databases to develop a "depression index," ranking states and the District of Columbia on seriousness and prevalence of depression, as well as suicide rates.

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