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Can America care for the mentally ill?

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    Dr. Keith Ablow weighs in

  • Duration 4:09
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This transcript is automatically generated

-- yeah.

Thank you Brian we may never be able to answer the biggest question in the Connecticut school shooting which is of course why.

A gunman at a Lanza may have had some form of mental illness experts have suspected similar conditions and other mass murder suspects like Virginia tech's.

Send huge Cho 02 sons Jared Loughner and Colorado's James Holmes.

So hot country tackled this very difficult issue of mental health care to weigh in as a member of our own Fox News -- eighteen psychiatrist.

Doctor -- -- all right doctor Evelyn this is so you're.

One of the line of work I think a lot of people don't envy your position of trying to care for people who have mental illness but where -- -- stand in society today.

With regard to taking care of the people who are mentally.

Well first of all to privilege to help take care of them and I'm constantly impressed by how effective psychiatry can be when properly harnessed.

These are tools that are miraculous and healing people however we don't deploy them.

We -- we stand right now in terms of mental illness is that we have disassembled the mental health care system such that for all intents and purposes it doesn't exist.

Somebody who is at risk for violence.

Who may have a history of violence is likely now.

To be treated potentially by a social worker hour week for counseling not a psychiatrist -- the insurance companies may not pay for that any nurse clinician ten minutes a month.

To get medicine because -- insurance companies may not pay for more than that.

And there and literally thousands and thousands of families trying to cope with the fact.

That their kids are mentally ill.

And that the best they can do even when they're incredibly sick and have expressed -- -- violence is may be.

Stay in a possible for say three or four days until they promised not to kill anyone.

And that's what we've allowed to happen we don't have a mental health care system at present.

So I've been trying to grapple with this question in my mind like why have we been seeing so many more of these young boys specifically.

Dude these types of things so so what did they used to do with they had this -- rage inside them.

What was the -- way in which state that manifested itself.

Well first of all.

There -- new stresses including the intrusion of technology and other things that we can talk about in the future that -- But you have to understand that we have removed the psychiatry.

From the mental health care system and psychiatrist.

Often are not trained any more in psychotherapy.

Literally they've become too many of us.

People who prescribed to six patients and our whom are seen.

Every ninety days and why because insurance companies pay.

Better for that it's presumed and the folks who want the real expertise of a psychiatrist who can.

-- great empathy and life story reasoning and Madison have to pay out of pocket.

Residency training programs don't even train for this anymore.

Well that is so sad to hear to hear that coming from -- is also stigma in our society about.

Mental illness -- I understand states have different laws.

With regard to even mandating medication can explain that to me.

Yes you know this is a big topic but it could be fixed.

Number one the state hospital system used to absorb the folks who couldn't be cared for.

By short stays in private hospitals as is but -- decimated that system so that even if you need more time you can't get it secondly.

Too many states the vast majority states don't have -- rule by which a well meaning psychiatrist can go to court and say hey look.

This young man needs to take his medicine.

There have been violent acts in the past he's been on reliable taking it and so -- should take it in the outpatient environment and if he doesn't he should go to a hospital.

Now what happens as you can be very violent.

Go to a hostile because you were so violent and once you get this -- there's no mechanism.

By which anyone can enforce your treatment right that have to go away.

And that is a scary way to end this segment -- to keep that low.

A so valuable in this part of our team thanks so much for your -- thank you speak.

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