Editorials / Opinion

The recent guest column on mental health [“How to achieve better mental health care for lower costs in Obamacare,” Opinion, Jan. 12] calls attention to an incredible opportunity the state has to create powerful change in the lives of our patients. As one of the community health clinics that has participated in the Mental…

We can create change through education and increased awareness

I want to commend The Seattle Times and columnist Jonathan Martin for a very thoughtful and powerful piece on peer bridgers. The column helped increase the public’s understanding of mental illness and the mental-health system’s shortcomings [“The rare mental-health fixers,” Opinion, Nov. 21].

We need more outpatient mental-health support to assist individuals with transitions and throughout their recovery journey. Peer bridgers provide such support and also reduce demand on an overburdened psychiatric inpatient system that leaves too many people with inadequate and inhumane care.

Ensure early diagnosis to prevent needless suffering In his column, Jonathan Martin wrote about correctional facilities trying to fill cracks caused by a broken mental-health system [“Mental health in prisons: It’s a crime,” Opinion, Oct. 19]. That’s not the way it should be. We as a society need to recognize that mental illness is a brain disease…

Lawmakers in Olympia must focus on mental health issues Kudos to Jonathan Martin for a great column on the issue of mental health in our state’s prisons [“Mental health in prisons: It’s a crime,” Opinion, Oct. 20]. The issue has been swept under the rug for far too long, and something needs to be done about it….

Psychiatric hospitals need resources to keep staff and patients safe Thank you for your recent article “Report: Violence on the rise again at Western State after decline,” (NWThursday, Oct. 10). I was concerned with the tone the article took on violent behavior among patients receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. Describing “patient-on-staff” assaults without providing context contributes to the…

Thank you for bringing attention to this problem Thank you for you timely and much-needed articles on the crisis in mental illness [“Boarding mentally ill becoming epidemic,” page one, Oct. 6]. Lack of resources, treatment facilities and other issues raised in the articles are vitally important. However, there is another issue. Mental illness is different from other illnesses…

Mental illness does not predict violent behavior I wanted to thank you for your coverage of the “boarding” problem in Washington state in the article “Boarding mentally ill becoming epidemic”. [page one, Oct. 6]. This article turned a spotlight on the damage caused by keeping involuntarily detained patients with mental illnesses in chaotic and confusing emergency departments…

Psychic disorders allowed to languish on streets It has been 34 years since the Church Council of Greater Seattle sponsored its first conference on mental illness and the plight of the mentally ill. [“Caring for mentally ill: how a community succeeds,” page one, Oct. 7]. Seattle University provided the venue for the event. The program was an…

Involuntary commitment should be last resort The article about boarding the mentally ill sheds light on a huge social injustice done to people whom are being involuntarily committed for a mental illness. [“Boarding mentally ill becoming epidemic,” page one, Oct. 6]. The ethics of having someone involuntarily committed raises questions about basic human rights and freedom, as…

Focus on mental health Recent headlines regarding Aaron Alexis and Donnell D. Jackson have the same conclusions. [“Red flags before D.C. gunman’s first shot,” page one, Sept. 18,] and [“Fatal-stabbing suspect was ordered to mental hospital,” NW Wednesday, Sept. 18.] The two men both had serious mental-health problems and, evidently, they were not getting the…