The Obama Plan — Spending Mental Health Money in All the Wrong Places – Allen Frances, M.D, Professor Emeritus, Duke University – Huffington Post – April 4, 2013.
Yet another Huffington Post article that juxtapositions political gun control issues with mental health. I never thought I would cringe over a federal commitment to spending big money on the mental health of children. But this program does seem sadly misguided. While some young children clearly can benefit from early therapeutic intervention, this program is bound to hurt more than help.
Educating teachers, parents and students to be ethical, emotionally intelligent and empathetic people, stressing collaboration over competition and prioritizing kindness over gain might be a better investment.
I concur with one reader who suggested parents, teachers, older students (and lawmakers) read, “When Anger Hurts.” As a good cognitive analysis and solutions based book on anger, it deals directly with the root causes of anger. There is good evidence that many of the acts of rage that lead to the terrible violence that we are seeing are the outcomes of shame, humiliation and isolation more so than innate mental illness. Let’s try to understand each other, teach appreciation of differences, tolerance, and inclusiveness; not more blaming, isolating and finger-pointing about what child is different and needs ‘mental health treatment.’