[numbr1dbcksfan]

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p041001a.html


I personally think that this is a HUGE step over the line!! IT shouldn't be anyone's business... It sounds like a witch hunt to me. Parents should be able to opt out of this. Nobody should be stepping in and screening anyone for a mental health defect without their permission-- just as no one should be screening anyone for a physical health defect.

[lucyjoy]

I agree it's not right to force it on others. At the same time, I have a severely disturbed pregnang neice and I fear for her child.
Such a screening would easily detect her mental illness. On one side, having that info, someone could intervene to help her manage her meds and care for her child.
I still think it's way out of bounds, but can see where the idea come from. However, good intentions often lead to bad outcomes.

[Cobb]

I couldn't believe this! My question is what happens to the results after the screening takes place. Would doctor / patient privelege apply? Could they be accessed and used against a person later in life? I see the potential for serious civil rights issues.

Lucyjoy, while I understand your concerns for your niece and her child, I really think intervention should come through consultation with her private physician. Just as we cannot force a pregnant women to seek prenatal medical care (I hope I'm not wrong on this one), I don't think we should be able to force her to undergo a psychological evaluation.

I also worry if the requirement would cause more women to not seek treatment, because of the potential problems she could have as a result. Could the information be used to remove a child from it's mother, without any evidence of abuse or neglect (i.e. as a result of mental disorder it's probable that she will be a neglegent parent)? Does the father, if going to be caring for the child have to undergo the same screening?

I find this really scary!!

Cobb

[lucyjoy]

It is scary. I don't agree with it-just pointing out a reason that could have started this nutty idea.

[79nic]

Christine..... any news on ways to move to Canada????

[Howdy]

I think the article is very written in a very confusing way - I couldn't keep track of all the acronyms and who is in which organization. But the following quote from the article doesn't make it sound all that horrible:

"Shaw argued that the opposition in the state to the draft's support for screening of children and pregnant women was based on a misunderstanding of the kind of screening being advocated and, perhaps more broadly, on a mistrust of the mental health establishment in general. The ICMHP is promoting mental health screenings for children as part of their regularly scheduled physical well-child checkups. "We are advocating social and emotional screenings which point out areas of developmental support a child may need, from their parents for example, in areas such as coaching to remediate aggressive behavior," she explained. "We want to step in so we can prevent more serious mental problems from developing." "

Personally I don't have all that much confidence in either the mental health profession or the medical profession. For example, at my checkup last month I told my doctor I didn't have as much drive to get stuff done as I used to, and he wanted to put me on Wellbutrin (spelling?) for depression. I told him I didn't think I was depressed and he told me that what I has was a symptom of depression. It turned out that my problem was anemia, and now I've been taking extra iron for a month and my energy and drive is starting to return.

But in spite of my mistrust of the medical professions, I have to agree that there are too many crazy people wandering around committing crimes against their families and themselves. I think tho that drug tests would be a lot more effective than mental health screenings (not that I am really advicating mandatory drug tests).

[79nic]

Maybe you didn't mean it this way, Howdy, but....
As a "crazy" person myself, I need to say that I take offense at this statement:

there are too many crazy people wandering around committing crimes against their families and themselves.

It is a misconception that mentally ill people are a risk to society. Certainly some criminals have mental health issues, but not all; and not all people (far from it) with mental health issues are criminals.

But the thing that really bothers me about the above statement is that it advocates for mandatory screening to prevent crimes. Why should ANYONE lose their civil liberties in the name of preventing something that hasn't happened yet????? That's what shakes me. This is America. No one should be forced to undergo any kind of medical screening or treatment if they don't want it.

Now, if they simply added mental health checks to the regular well-baby/well-child checks, I might be OK with that. But I'm not sure they should be mandatory, perhaps at the parents' discretion.

Mandatory screenings of pregnant women? No way. Besides...... my ob/gyn always asked how I was feeling psychologically, anyway.

This has all kinds of repercussions for the medical field and the education field, too. Our teachers are already drained with 30:1 classroom ratios, standardized test score pressure, continuing education credits, monitoring extra-curricular activities.... now we want to take their kids and teaching time away from them for mandatory mental health screenings, too? And what if half the kids in their class turn out to be depressed? They are supposed to hold the hands of all those kids? Or do those kids all go into special ed classes because they've got mental health issues? How would that work?

What about medical doctors? My daughter's pediatrician is trained in pediatric medicine, not mental health. Shall we require pediatricians to take on another 5 or 6 years of medical school to learn pediatric mental health, too?

I like the system we have. It's not perfect, but it's less of an infringement on my rights. If I or my doctor notices my daughter exhibiting signs of depression, I'll take her to a child psychologist myself.

[michellemartin]

I just think its great that Pres Bush names things like he does.
Name it something like "The Patriot Act" and people wont care that they no longer are entitled to their civil rights. Name it something like "New Freedom Commission" and people wont mind being hunted down like the Salem witch hunts...

A really good book (but long) is "Atlas Shrugged" by Ann Rand. Ann Rand was from Communist Russia (I dont think she's alive any longer) and IMO the greatest philosopher of her time. Maybe even still. But anyway she predicted that we would end up like communist Russia if we continued on the path we were headed and I fear she is right. She wrote her fictional works to warn us. She also wrote non fiction.

[mess]

Hey,

I don't post much, but I had to here. That is one of my all time favorite books!! Maybe it's time for me to pull it out and re-read.

hmmmm

Jess

[mj77]

I didn't read the whole article--sorry. But I too don't agree with it based on what I did read. It's a nice idea, however, if mental illness would be able to possibly be detected that early, would that influence a mother who was undecided about aborting her baby be more likely to terminate her pregnancy? I think, genereally speaking, many of the pregnant moms out there (people in general) aren't educated on much of the issues involving mental illness and treatment. My concern is that if a pmom found out her child had a high likelyhood of a peticular illness, might she be more willing to abort than if she didn't know. I can see the reverse side of being able to hopefully get the child help in a more timely mannor--when symptoms arrise. I hope I'm following the purpose of this procedure correctly.

[michellemartin]

A much shorter one of Ann Rands is the one about the girl in Russia. She said the book was as close as she would ever get to an autobiography. I'm at a loss for the name of it... It was a great book also. That is my second all time favorite. Atlas Shrugged my first, then of course Men are From Mars! LOL Maybe something like the Artists Way thread should get started up for one of her books...