CNN article counters Winston's claim that.....

[steve55]

CNN article counters Winston's claim that America has the highest rate of mental illness. Wow! How could such a well credentialed expert make such a claim when every study on the subject says we do? Even the World health organization says we do. If you google the question "which country has the highest rate of mental illness" or google any question about mental illness around the world, all articles clearly state that we do. This article is the only one I've found that denies it. I wonder why this expert thinks that? Why would he risk his reputation by staying something so contrary to all the other articles and evidences ??

He says:

"We do not have more major mental illness than most other countries. But we may be less caring of our mentally ill."

His credentials : Editor's Note: Dr. Frank Ochberg is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and former Associate Director of the National Institute of Mental Health.



See the article here : http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com ... shootings/

[hammanta]

I didn't read the article but I come from a background in mapping and statistics. I can tell you this, I can't see how easy it would be to map out and gather relevant statistics for mental illness around the world. Regardless of opinions, USA is still the leader in health care worldwide. The records are dense and thorough, our health professionals are the best, and we have hospitals in even the remotest of areas. We are also quick to classify someone as having autism, ADD, ADHD, or any other form of mental illness. I can't imagine countries in Africa, Latin America, or South East Asia having the ability or technology to track and diagnose mental illness properly. Just look at the varying definitions of HIV and AIDS worldwide. Technically a person could be HIV positive by definition in the USA and hop over to Mexico and not have the illness. Also their are plenty of times in even the USA where cases of mental illness are misdiagnosed. This can skew the numbers as well. Then there's the definition of mental illness. Would you include bouts of depression or what about temporary "insanity." What about suicide? Can you classify a mother killing herself and children in Uganda to escape rape and torture from the LRA as the same as a 45 year old man committing suicide because he just lost his job and family?

So in my opinion both men could be correct, its just a matter of what stats and sources you use. Keep in mind also that the WHO and UN get a lot of their figures from the home countries government and some countries skew the numbers (maybe not in particular to mental illness) in order to get more AID monies and funds from world powers.

[nicho12]

I didn't read the article but I come from a background in mapping and statistics. I can tell you this, I can't see how easy it would be to map out and gather relevant statistics for mental illness around the world. Regardless of opinions, USA is still the leader in health care worldwide. The records are dense and thorough, our health professionals are the best, and we have hospitals in even the remotest of areas. We are also quick to classify someone as having autism, ADD, ADHD, or any other form of mental illness. I can't imagine countries in Africa, Latin America, or South East Asia having the ability or technology to track and diagnose mental illness properly. Just look at the varying definitions of HIV and AIDS worldwide. Technically a person could be HIV positive by definition in the USA and hop over to Mexico and not have the illness. Also their are plenty of times in even the USA where cases of mental illness are misdiagnosed. This can skew the numbers as well. Then there's the definition of mental illness. Would you include bouts of depression or what about temporary "insanity." What about suicide? Can you classify a mother killing herself and children in Uganda to escape rape and torture from the LRA as the same as a 45 year old man committing suicide because he just lost his job and family?

So in my opinion both men could be correct, its just a matter of what stats and sources you use. Keep in mind also that the WHO and UN get a lot of their figures from the home countries government and some countries skew the numbers (maybe not in particular to mental illness) in order to get more AID monies and funds from world powers.

I disagree with you, all you have to do is look at how many miserable faces that you see in America compared to even the poorest of countries, I myself am from Uganda, and believe me, I had never had any mental illness before I came to the states and am not even rich back in Uganda. The problem is that people in America equate wealth and technology with happiness. But that is so superficial, happiness also can be derived from have a community of family and friends who care about you which a good number of people in America lack.

I can assure, you, you can go to the remotest part of Africa where kids don't even have shoes but you will find it hard to find anyone who is miserable or mentally ill, the reason is because they have a rich social life which America doesn't have. They may be poor technologically and in terms of material wealth, but they have a very rich social life, you will never find PUA type guys in most parts of Africa, even in the cities. All you have to do is take a look at the random violence in America, Mass Shootings happening almost on a daily basis without any purpose, Cult suicides, Homosexuality etc. That's enough to tell you that America has a mental illness problem not found in any other country

[Moretorque]

Look when your civilization is in a situation to where your rulers can crash the system financially anytime they want and kill 90% of the populace you are bound to have a loony bin.

The thing that gets me is the herd is so dumb most cannot see this and figure out how it effects them and their overall well being on a daily basis.

We used to produce as a people now we shuffle paper and allow ourselves to be buried in debt by legal fiction and over seen at gunpoint.

This system is a loony bin house of cards we live in.

[somedude]

Look when your civilization is in a situation to where your rulers can crash the system financially anytime they want and kill 90% of the populace you are bound to have a loony bin.

The thing that gets me is the herd is so dumb most cannot see this and figure out how it effects them and their overall well being on a daily basis.

We used to produce as a people now we shuffle paper and allow ourselves to be buried in debt by legal fiction and over seen at gunpoint.

This system is a loony bin house of cards we live in.

Yep.

Mentally ill is status quo for those in the looney bin and the virus continues to spread.

Happier on another Planet might be more fitting.

[hammanta]

I didn't read the article but I come from a background in mapping and statistics. I can tell you this, I can't see how easy it would be to map out and gather relevant statistics for mental illness around the world. Regardless of opinions, USA is still the leader in health care worldwide. The records are dense and thorough, our health professionals are the best, and we have hospitals in even the remotest of areas. We are also quick to classify someone as having autism, ADD, ADHD, or any other form of mental illness. I can't imagine countries in Africa, Latin America, or South East Asia having the ability or technology to track and diagnose mental illness properly. Just look at the varying definitions of HIV and AIDS worldwide. Technically a person could be HIV positive by definition in the USA and hop over to Mexico and not have the illness. Also their are plenty of times in even the USA where cases of mental illness are misdiagnosed. This can skew the numbers as well. Then there's the definition of mental illness. Would you include bouts of depression or what about temporary "insanity." What about suicide? Can you classify a mother killing herself and children in Uganda to escape rape and torture from the LRA as the same as a 45 year old man committing suicide because he just lost his job and family?

So in my opinion both men could be correct, its just a matter of what stats and sources you use. Keep in mind also that the WHO and UN get a lot of their figures from the home countries government and some countries skew the numbers (maybe not in particular to mental illness) in order to get more AID monies and funds from world powers.

I disagree with you, all you have to do is look at how many miserable faces that you see in America compared to even the poorest of countries, I myself am from Uganda, and believe me, I had never had any mental illness before I came to the states and am not even rich back in Uganda. The problem is that people in America equate wealth and technology with happiness. But that is so superficial, happiness also can be derived from have a community of family and friends who care about you which a good number of people in America lack.

I can assure, you, you can go to the remotest part of Africa where kids don't even have shoes but you will find it hard to find anyone who is miserable or mentally ill, the reason is because they have a rich social life which America doesn't have. They may be poor technologically and in terms of material wealth, but they have a very rich social life, you will never find PUA type guys in most parts of Africa, even in the cities. All you have to do is take a look at the random violence in America, Mass Shootings happening almost on a daily basis without any purpose, Cult suicides, Homosexuality etc. That's enough to tell you that America has a mental illness problem not found in any other country

My argument was not to disagree with the fact that America has some of the highest mental illness in the world, it was simply to suggest that statistically it is difficult to truly know the answer. I agree with you that Americans are too materialistic and place way to much emphasis on corporate success. The stress in the usual American life is ten fold. But mental illness is not simply something you can always tell just by looking at people. I have a friend who does well with women, has a decent job and a good social life but takes depression medicine. I would have never guessed without him telling me.

To suggest that people in Uganda may be poor but aren't miserable is highly subjective. Have you interviewed every man, women, and child? Why is the world trying to fix poverty if people aren't miserable and are content with a lack of food, water, and shelter? The reason they don't appear miserable is the fact that they are accustomed to those conditions. I'm pretty sure doctors in the remotest parts of Africa aren't checking children for ADD or ADHD or even Autism. Just looking at many people with autism it is hard to tell unless you spend a lot of time around them.

What happened in Rwanda in the early-mid 90's? 800,000+ people slaughtered in a matter of months. You sure as hell don't see that in America. To rape and mutilate 3 year old children says a little something about the state of mind of certain individuals. Check out world wide suicide rates. America isn't even in the top 25, yet poorer countries like South Africa, Slovenia, Cuba, Sri Lanka have higher rates. And what is the leading cause of suicide, depression, which is a mental illness.

I agree that the USA has numerous problems, especially socially, but like i've said, its incredibly hard to truly say for sure who has the highest rates without being completely subjective.