Oswald Newbold on the correlation between men’s mental health and crime reduction

Oswald Newbold II (Leading with Conviction™ 2024 participant) writes on Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month:

“The month of June is dedicated to raising awareness of and advocating for men’s mental health but has long been discounted, owing to traditional gender norms largely spreading from cultural and religious principles founded on patriarchy. These have placed unrealistic expectations on men, including the maladaptive belief that they must demonstrate a high tolerance for enduring mental and emotional pain. Consequently, many men internalize their feelings and are hesitant to seek help during times of distress, as admitting to these struggles may be considered a sign of weakness.

There is a correlation between access to mental health care and crime reduction.

“The impact is deleterious as untreated emotional turmoil that would initially present as anxiety and depression can rapidly progress into complex psychiatric conditions such as paranoia or schizophrenia. Additionally, research shows that men in the US are 3.5% more likely to die from suicide compared to women.

“The ramifications are far-reaching as they reverberate in the criminal justice system. In the United States, more than one-third of inmates were diagnosed with a mental disorder before incarceration. This is alarming, considering that at least 1 in 5 adults – or 58 million people in the country are reported to live with a mental health condition. This daunting statistic surpasses the national population of neighboring Canada or the entire Caribbean subregion.

“Worse still is that adults with a history of mental illness are more likely to be incarcerated within two years of losing access to health care. This loss in coverage could be due to various reasons, such as exclusions for certain health conditions, job changes, legal status, family changes, and geographic disparities, among others. Without comprehensive health insurance, life-changing treatment is delayed or foregone. While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – commonly referred to as ‘Obamacare’ attempts to fill this gap, there are loopholes that allow insurers to tailor down coverage. Furthermore, some healthcare providers do not accept the insurance plan altogether.

“Addressing this gap not only improves individual outcomes but also reduces long-term societal costs associated with untreated mental health conditions. There is a correlation between access to mental health care and crime reduction.

“Using punitive legal approaches to respond to illness is not only unjust but defeatist. It ignores the underlying causes of the scourge and fails to provide effective interventions. It creates a vicious cycle of stigma and discrimination that perpetuates societal injustices against vulnerable populations, including the homeless and those battling substance use challenges. In any case, incarceration often aggravates rather than resolves mental health challenges, leading to cycles of re-offending and worsening health conditions.”

Read the full story at GlobalHealthUnfiltered.com.