Why Bernie Sanders Is the Strongest Candidate on Mental Health Care
From rising anxiety to suicides to drug abuse, we’re in the middle of a mental health crisis. Bernie Sanders is the best candidate to tackle that crisis head-on.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a stop at a campaign field office on February 02, 2020 in West Newton, Iowa. Joe Raedle / Getty
The United States has a serious mental health crisis, and everybody knows it. The nation’s suicide rate rose 33 percent between 1999 and 2017, with the sharpest increase occurring after 2006. Anxiety levels are increasing. Overdose deaths are at epidemic levels. According to the Center for Disease Control’s most recent data, the national opioid overdose death rate rose by 9.6 percent between 2016 and 2017.
Epidemics like these aren’t complete mysteries, the product of biological phenomena or cultural shifts. They are political problems with political solutions. And the only candidate with the political solutions to solve these problems is Bernie Sanders. Here’s why.
Medicare for All
First among these is Medicare for All. Medicare for All is good for everybody, but there are some specific reasons why it is the most important policy to improve mental health outcomes in the United States.
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