Join Us for an Important Discussion on July 24
I have been passionate about mental health care since I began my professional life as a young Capitol Hill staffer many years ago. As we honor Bebe Moore National Minority Mental Health Month, I am grateful to work for a company that is bringing important conversations about mental health inequities to the forefront. At Otsuka, we hold a deep respect for the value of every mind and strongly believe that effective treatment of chronic mental illnesses must be approached with the same priority and urgency as other diseases.
Each day, I am heartened by the progress being made nationwide to reduce stigma around mental illness. I hear people speaking about mental health more in the media and among friends and family. The conversation around this topic has become increasingly more comfortable. But, as a society, we still need to better understand the nuances between caring for an individual’s mental health and living with a mental illness. Although there is more societal support for broad mental health, and that is a good thing, a significant number of those living with mental illness are still disproportionately suffering and not receiving the care they need to lead productive and fulfilling lives. There is still much work to be done so that each person, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic background, can benefit from equitable access to care.
In fact, a recent report funded by Otsuka provided evidence that demonstrated how decades of systemic health inequities have yielded significantly worse outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities, marginalized, and medically underserved populations. It showed that between 2016-2020, at a minimum, more than 116,000 lives and approximately $278 billion could have been potentially saved by investing in proper mental healthcare for minority populations.
When I first saw these numbers, I was shocked by the loss. The alarming figures from this report compelled Otsuka to sponsor additional research on inequities in mental health treatment with hope that this research will shine a brighter light on our challenges and prompt meaningful policy reforms to improve access to care for those who need it most.
Despite mental health parity being a topic most everyone can agree on, we still operate in a system where those who experience physical health conditions have better and more timely access to care than mental healthcare. This is unacceptable, which is why Otsuka is committed to expanding much-needed research and programming to increase visibility to this critical social issue.
I’m excited that findings from the latest research will be shared by Daniel Dawes, Founding Dean & Senior Vice President, Meharry School of Global Health, Meharry Medical College at the upcoming Mind the Gap: The Cost of Mental Health Inequities event held July 24 and hosted by The Hill.
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I invite you to join the conversation so that you can learn more about the compelling statistics and recommendations to improve mental health care in the U.S. from Daniel and other noted mental health leaders including administration officials, lawmakers, medical providers, and advocates who are focused on finding solutions to mental healthcare inequities.
At Otsuka, we are proud of our role as a convener - bringing together experts and leaders in the field to not only highlight the mental health crisis in America, but also envision practical ways to increase access and remove barriers to individuals getting the care they need.
Join us. This discussion is too important to miss!