The State of Mental Health in the Legal Profession
This week, President Trump gave his State of the Union address. Like all State of the Union addresses, this one laid out the White House’s agenda and gave some of its reasons supporting that agenda. Yet something else happened this week that also gathered our attention: Dr. Casey Means testified during her confirmation hearing to become Surgeon General. It is easy for this hearing to become overshadowed by the discussion of the State of the Union, which is why we wanted to highlight it.
Dr. Means positions would be in line with the general direction of public health under the current policies in place at the Department of Health and Human Services, which is to say she has a history of questioning the safety of vaccines and other opinions at odds with established scientific research.
In our view, concern over her potential appointment is not a political concern. As we’ve said before, we stay out of politics because mental illness knows no political party. Yet it is also true that science knows no political party. Science is as true for republicans as it is for democrats and vice versa. The fact is that countless studies have cast considerable doubt the argument that vaccines are unsafe, or more specifically, that they cause autism. It is also true no evidence exists to suggest that they are dangerous.
Similarly, it is also true that there is a large body of research on antidepressant medications, specifically Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs. And this is where the heart of our concern lies. Given statements and proposed actions that have already been made by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding SSRIs, it is deeply concerning that another key public health office would embrace positions at odds with science.
Dr. Means response to some of these concerns was that “science evolves.” That is certainly true. There are countless examples where what was considered to be settled science turned out to be wrong. Yet science evolves by following facts and evidence, and the evidence that vaccines are dangerous or that SSRIs are dangerous just haven’t materialized. Yes, there are risks, as there are with any vaccine or medication. Yet those risks are evaluated through safety trials and are best discussed in the context of your specific health position with your doctor. We support policies that allow for those conversations and for access to medications.
As we said at the outset, the focus this week was on the State of the Union. So let's finish with that template. What is the state of mental health in this union generally, and in the legal profession more specifically? Sadly, it is still one weakened by the cracks of stigma. Stigma is best combated, in our experience, when people are willing to share their story and when evidence-based practices are embraced by public health officials rather than questioned.
As for Dr. Means, we are not in a position to say whether she is qualified for the position. Many more learned medical minds have already shared their thoughts, and we invite you to read those opinions for yourself. However, we can say that we are concerned by the move towards anti-science policies currently happening and we can say that the state of mental healthcare in this country cannot move forward while public health officials and policy makers continue to entertain such policies.
And finally, one last note on the State of the Union. We recognize that in this polarized political environment people have different opinions about the quality of the President’s speech and of the actual direction this nation is going in. We are not here to weigh in on that polarization, but rather to recognize that it can create an awful lot of anxiety. If you find yourself in that boat, know we are here to help.