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Mental health experts discuss current state of care, moving forward
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — Panelists at the OCTANe Medical Technology Innovation Forum discussed the overall effect mental health disorders are having on society and how the health care community can work to respond to this pressing need for nuanced care.
Marshall Moncrief, MFT, MBA, CEO of MindOC, the fiscal body of Be Well Orange County, opened the discussion by highlighting research into the declining quality of life that many Americans are experiencing. Specifically, he noted that in 2018, average life expectancy dropped in the United States for the third year in a row — a decline partially attributable to drug use and suicide.
“Here’s a snapshot: One in five Americans has a mental disorder, which is about 47 million people,” Moncrief said. “The biggest zinger is that 60% of those people do not receive treatment. That would be intolerable for any other illness that we’re challenged with today.”
Moncrief noted several barriers that may be contributing to the 60% total — stigma, a lack of providers and the resulting cost and patients’ potential lack of knowledge of where to receive the proper treatment.
Further, the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration projected that total mental health care in the U.S. will reach $280 billion by 2020, far outpacing the total cost of cancer care by 2020 which the NIH projects will reach $173 billion, according to Moncrief.
Richard Afable, MD, MPH, president of MindOC, emphasized the importance of having a system in place to offer proper mental health care. He used the example of immediate and effective 911 care for people having a stroke, and that the symptoms of a stroke have been widely disseminated within the public consciousness in order to act quickly and save lives.
“Let’s say you have a 19-year-old son or daughter who has a major mental health crisis, since most acute mental illness happens before the age of 25,” Afable said. “What would you do? Do we have a system in place for that 19-year-old? We do not. We need people to have access, but we also need them to know how to get access.”
Clayton Chau, MD, PhD, chief clinical and strategy officer for MindOC, highlighted the important role technology can play in addressing mental health needs. He offered the example of apps used to help families of people with dementia keep track of their location and to help find and guide them if they become lost. However, a need for more innovations still exists.
“How do you link a provider to a patient at the time of need, rather than having to wait for an in-person appointment?” he asked. “Sometimes when people are in a state of crisis, they really don’t know what they need. Perhaps an artificial intelligence component could walk them through what it is that they really need at this point and then link them to the appropriate level of care.”
Chau also noted that digital phenotypes are a “huge” area of research that might some day help recognize symptoms of mental health disorders.
“Technology for sure will play a role in helping to coordinate care, but policy is going to have to mature alongside technology to ease that path,” Moncrief said. – by Joe Gramigna
Reference:
Afable R, Chau C, Moncrief M. Industry Track — Future of Mental Health. Presented at: OCTANe Medical Technology Innovation Forum; Oct. 28-29, 2019; Newport Beach, California.
Disclosures: Ocular Surgery News was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at time of publication.