The nation’s mental health care system has been given a D grade by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The report, released today, is entitled Grading the States and it assesses the nation’s public mental health care system and also grades the states individually. The grades were based on 65 specific criteria such as access to medicine, housing, family education, and support for National Guard members.

This is the second such report issued by the NAMI. The first, issued three years ago, also grades the national overall as a D. Since that report, 14 states have improved their grades while 12 states saw their grade fall. In all, no states earned an A, but there were six Bs, 18 Cs, 21 Ds and six Fs.

Since the first report, the greatest improvement occurred in Oklahoma, which rose from a D to a B, while South Carolina was a mirror image, dropping from B to D.

The report authors stress that during tough economic times such as these, it is easy to forget about vulnerable communities such as the mentally ill. This year, state budget cuts are threatening the state of mental health care, and for most states, it’s not as if the existing situation is good to begin with. States which have made great progress risk losing those gains, while states that already have a poor grade are likely to see it get even worse. Researchers point out that in tough times, the need for mental health programs is greater than ever, but ironically, those are also the times when mental health funding is most likely to be cut.

Some may ask why they should care about mental health funding if no one they know sufferers from serious mental illness. When mental health care is lacking, mentally ill individuals, unable to get the help they need often end up hospitalized, on the street, or in jail and taxpayers end up footing the bill.

Want to learn more about mental health issues or share your experiences with others? Join the Healia Support Group for Mental Illness.

_{Photo: flasporty, Flickr, Creative Commons}