Full access
Government News
Published Online: 2 June 2006

Rep. Kennedy Publicly Confronts MH Problems

Rich DalyAuthors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric News
Volume 41, Number 11
https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.41.11.0010a
The media coverage of Rep. Patrick Kennedy's (D-R.I.) car accident and its aftermath illustrated for him the huge gap between popular conceptions of mental illnesses and the science behind them, according to one of his staff.
He and his staff hope the incident can serve as a way to educate the public about the challenges confronting those with mental illness. He also urged other mental health advocates to continue their efforts to increase support for mental health treatment from the public and Congress.
Kennedy said in a written statement to APA that during his 15 years in public life he has felt a responsibility to “speak honestly and openly about my challenges with addiction and depression.”
“I've been fighting this chronic disease since I was a young man and have aggressively and periodically sought treatment so that I can live a full and productive life,” Kennedy said. “I struggle every day with this disease, as do millions of Americans. I've dedicated my public service to raising awareness about the chronic disease of addiction and have fought to increase access to care and recovery supports for the too many Americans forced to struggle on their own.”
He described a recurrence of an addiction problem triggered by“ things that happen in everyday life, such as taking a common treatment for a stomach flu.”
“That's not an excuse for [the car crash], but it's a reality of fighting a chronic condition for which I'm taking full responsibility.”
He hoped treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota will “ensure that I can continue on my road to recovery.”
“I hope that my openness today and in the past, and my acknowledgement that I need help, will give others the courage to get help if they need it,” he wrote. ▪

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric News
Psychiatric News
Volume 41 • Number 11 • June 2, 2006
Pages: 10

History

Published online: 2 June 2006
Published in print: June 2, 2006

Notes

A champion for the rights of those with mental illness hopes that his decision to seek treatment following a well-publicized car crash inspires those who suspect they need mental health care to seek it.

Authors

Affiliations

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

There are no citations for this item

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share