The election of Donald Trump is already having disastrous consequences for mental health. At a time when his presidency stands to undermine the nation's mental health, a Trump administration is likely to take measures to gut mental health services.
A Nation Already in Crisis
The country is already in the midst of a mental health crisis. Suicide is already a national epidemic, reaching 30-year highs in 2014, the latest year for which data is available. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed. Opioid-related deaths have tripled in the last 15 years. At least 1 in 4 Americans develop a mental illness each year, but more than half receive no treatment.
Americans lose nearly $200 billion in earnings each year due to mental illness. Mental illness costs the economy at least $300 billion annually.
The Disastrous Mental Health Effects of a Trump Presidency
The election of a president who has turned mocking people into a profitable gimmick is already affecting the nation's mental health. Calls to suicide hotlines spiked in the 24 hours following Trump's election. Many callers were LGBTQ youth expressing concerns about their safety under a Trump administration.
Trump's comments endorsing sexual assault and his history of sexual assault allegations appear to have triggered anxiety and depression in rape survivors. Following the release of Trump's now-infamous tape during which he bragged about grabbing women “by the pussy,” calls to rape crisis hotlines surged.
In October 2016, the American Psychological Association sounded alarm bells about election anxiety. Even before the election of Trump, 52% of Americans reported that the election was a significant source of stress.
Political stress will almost certainly rise, particularly if Trump follows through on campaign promises to target minorities. Though he has backpedaled on some of his plans, his Supreme Court nominees will almost certainly oppose gay marriage and abortion rights, spurring concern among women and the LGBTQ community.
Early in the campaign, Trump argued that women who seek abortions should be “punished,” suggesting that the president-elect will take a draconian stance on abortion rights. Abortion in Indiana and other conservative states is already under heavy attack. Evidence from other countries suggests that this trend could spell disaster for women's mental health. In El Salvador, where abortion is illegal, 57% of pregnancy-related deaths are due to suicide.
Trump's Dismal Record on Mental Health
As the first president to have no previous political experience and no history of military service, Trump has no political record to speak of. But his recent behavior doesn't inspire much confidence in his ability to handle a national mental health crisis. He has previously mocked people with disabilities, and claims that military suicides are because soldiers “can't handle it.”
Don't count on a Republican congress to push him in the right direction. The Republican congress has consistently failed to fund mental health initiatives. Even funding to fight the opioid epidemic, which has widespread bipartisan support among constituents, hasn't successfully made it through congress yet.
If Trump follows through on his promise to gut the Affordable Care Act, the Act's mandate to cover mental health care will soon be a thing of the past. If you're struggling to cope with Trump or have a history of mental illness, it's time to get therapy now, while your insurance still covers it.