Mental health is a significant problem in America and has been neglected by the government for a long time. I believe mental health is a very important issue in America that is being overlooked by the government and needs to be addressed immediately. Considering that this problem affects 26.2% of Americans, it baffles me that such a serious problem goes overlooked and unaddressed for a while. long measure by the government. Mental health was only seriously addressed by John F Kennedy who envisioned the creation of a mental health system for everyone in America. The only other president to implement structured mental health care is Barack Obama, it's amazing how it took 50 years from JFK to Barack Obama's presidency to recognize the need for mental health reform. The positive effects behind implementing mental health are exponential: you can help prevent shootings, reduce the number of suicides in the United States, and help former veterans who have served our country. Most shooters today are almost always diagnosed with a mental health problem, but have never received adequate help, resulting in them going off and committing a dangerous act. The main issues that need to be addressed are the lack of mental health reforms, the positive effects these reforms have on society, and the issues that arise from the lack of mental health reforms. In the last three years alone, the government has cut $5 billion in funding for mental health care, affecting nearly every state in America. This is disturbing because the lack of adequate funding for these services leads these untreated mentally ill individuals to commit crimes. The New York Times accurately describes the issue with... middle of paper... has a positive effect on the economy but also helps society. Creating these reforms also helps teens because teens can be diagnosed early if they have a mental illness and receive the help they need. Providing them with aid results in lower unemployment and a lower likelihood that they will end up in prison. The government needs to stop cutting mental health programs because in the long run the government loses more money due to the many problems that arise from the mentally ill. Reforming mental health programs helps other programs, including many state prisons throughout the United States. Prisons do not have to house these mentally ill individuals and this translates into saving billions of dollars in the long term. Mental health is a very significant issue and needs to be addressed instead of cut off by our government.