Never like today, in the United States, as in many places around the world, have psychiatric treatments and therapies been as effective on mental disorders as they are today. However, according to the Department of Health and Human Service (equivalent to a secretary of state for health) half of the 20% of the American population who receive these treatments still do not benefit from them.
The causes cited as being responsible for the lack of efficiency of the American system in the care of people requiring psychiatric support are twofold :
- The American care system is notoriously disorganised, and is complex due to the mixing of federal and state levels (with a lack of coordination as the main consequence).
- The American care system does not take sufficient account of the stigma attached to mental illness in the general population.
As a result, the American health care system is fragmented, disorganised, and does not provide effective care for the population in need of support. Moreover, a certain taboo surrounding mental illness remains in American society.