2024 the best healthcare system in the world review

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This well-researched and highly critical examination of the state of our mental health system by the industry's most relentless critic presents a new and controversial explanation as to why--in spite of spending $147 billion annually--140,000 seriously mentally ill are homeless, 390,000 are incarcerated, and even educated, tenacious, and caring people can't get treatment for their mentally ill loved ones. DJ Jaffe blames the mental health industry and the government for shunning the 10 million adults who are the most seriously mentally ill--mainly those who suffer from schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder--and, instead, working to improve "mental wellness" in 43 million others, many of whom are barely symptomatic. Using industry and government documents, scientific journals, and anecdotes from his thirty years of advocacy, Jaffe documents the insane consequences of these industry-driven policies: psychiatric hospitals for the seriously ill are still being closed; involuntary commitment criteria are being narrowed to the point where laws now require violence rather than prevent it; the public is endangered; and the mentally ill and their families are forced to suffer.Insane Consequences proposes smart, compassionate, affordable, and sweeping reforms designed to send the most seriously ill to the head of the line for services rather than to jails, shelters, prisons, and morgues. It lays out a road map to spend less on mental "health" and more on mental "illness"--replace mission creep with mission control and return the mental health system to a focus on the most seriously ill. It is not money that is lacking; it's leadership. This book is a must-read for anyone who works in the mental health industry or cares about the mentally ill, violence, homelessness, incarceration, or public policy.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Prometheus; Illustrated edition (April 11, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 363 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1633882918
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1633882911
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.36 x 1.23 x 9.25 inches
Reviewer: pdrmlcsg
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Those who work in any aspect of criminal justice or medicine, read this book!
Review: DJ Jaffee explains and exposes in clear language the terrible neglect and mis-guided approach our society--- including the mental health industry itself!--has shown the seriously mentally ill. Jaffee is clear about who the seriously mentally ill are and who they are not. He provides solutions and insights as well as attention to detail and extensive footnotes that you will not find elsewhere.This is a valuable resource for all, but particularly for those who work in any aspect of the criminal justice system--lawyers, judges, policemen, corrections officers, etc.-- or any aspect of medicine or those of us who wish to understand some of the social ills of our day including crowded jails, untreated mentally ill persons, the failure of "wellness" programs, homelessness and more. Excellent book. The author took on the task of explaining to the public a vastly underserved population--the seriously mentally ill.

Reviewer: Linda M.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent book; a must read!
Review: As the mother of twin daughters with schizophrenia and bipolar/schizoaffective disorders, this book provided me with more reason to be angry at the mental health industry. But it also provided me with new ideas to advocate. I live in Stanislaus County, California and we have been advocating for Laura's Law. Our Board of Supervisors will be voting on it next month. I like the idea of developing a NASMI (National Alliance for the Seriously Mentally Ill). My daughters were diagnosed over 20 years ago. They were stabilized and had good lives for over 10 of them; with one working full time as a hair dresser. The system failed them when they began to relapse. I could not get them the help they needed. Now the one who was working lives in a group home and struggles each day with her mental illness. The other remains in her apartment but has in home support services tend to her daily needs of cleaning, laundry, and food preparation while she too fights off the paranoid thoughts in her head. Shame on the mental health system!

Reviewer: pageturner
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A valuable compendium of needed care for people with serious mental illness
Review: Anyone with a family member who is seriously mentally ill should read this book. You might already be familiar with some of it because you live it, but Mr. Jaffe gives a clear and compelling argument for what is wrong with our system of "care" in America for someone with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia. My brother suffered through 30+ years of mediocre non-care, till his untimely death at age 48. My family tried, unsuccessfully, to get him better care. This book explains how the system is stacked against people like my brother and my family. Those who are most seriously ill need potentially months and months of in-patient care to get them onto the road to equanimity. Mr. Jaffe's book should be in our hands when we petition our lawmakers to end the IMD exclusion, stop wasting tax dollars on care for the "worried well" and treat people with brain disorders in hospitals and out-patient care centers, not prisons.Thank you, DJ, for writing a great book.

Reviewer: Pat Morgan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A must read, especially for people who need/want to understand the mental health system
Review: This powerful, provocative book should be required reading for local, state, and national policy makers in the private, non-profit, and governmental sectors and every person who is serious about ending "street" homelessness and/or incarceration of people who are in jail or prison as a direct result of untreated, severe and persistent mental illness. Dr. Jaffe presents strong data in assigning responsibility to the mental health industry for putting its focus primarily on the "walking worried" while, for all practical purposes, paying far less attention (and providing far less funding) to treat people with severe and persistent mental illness. But this book isn't just a rant. It's a primer on what mental illness is and is not, with sometimes mind-blowing statistics to underscore Dr. Jaffe's points, and a history of mental health legislation. Most importantly, it's a challenge to lawmakers to address Dr. Jaffe's proposals for making much-needed improvements in mental health laws, resources, and, most importantly, outcomes.

Reviewer: Mary Ann Renz
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A must read for those experiencing a love one with a serious and persistent mental illness
Review: A must read for those experiencing a love one with a serious and persistent mental illness. For all to be knowledgeable on Mental Illness in America. A insight from a family point of view that would serve professionals well and a must for all advocates. The author gives you the sad truth of mental illness in America and the unfortunate truth of today's mental health system. I have known Mr. JD Jaffe for over 30 years and if there is one thing I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that Mr. Jaffe speaks only the truth (tells it like it is) the reality of mental illness in America. Mr. Jaffee has been and still is a tireless advocate. Just the list of impressive endorsements speaks volumes about Mr. Jaffe and the amazing advocate he is today and has been so many years. I met him at my first NAMI convention many years ago and he helped me endorsing the Mississippi Mental Health Reform Act of 1997 as a NAMI National Board Member at the time. Mr. Jaffe also was chosen by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey to help and establish the Treatment Advocacy Center and served on it's board for several years. Mr. Jaffee established his own non-profit Mental Illness Policy.org. Get your copy today and join us in advocating for the most neglected and devastated human beings in our society.

Reviewer: ReaderPetPersonAndMisc
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Useful, accurate
Review: Useful, accurate, and important book. I would recommend this to anyone. I don't share all of the author's views (and interpretations of evidence), but most of this book is the truth about what is happening to people with serious mental illness.

Reviewer: jds
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is probably the best book I have read in the past decade. Whilst the author focuses on the US the same is true for the UK.

Reviewer: Gabriel Elias Corrêa de Oliveira
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Excelente cultura para todos os trabalhadores psi. Um ponto de vista nu e cru sobre a Indústria da Saúde Mental - muito exacerbada nos EUA, mas também existente em formas mais cruéis aqui no Brasil.O autor traz sua experiência como usuário do sistema e advogado, contribuindo muito com o debate. É verdade que erra em alguns pontos técnicos de psiquiatria e suas propostas, se pensadas ao extremo, podem ser um tiro pela culatra.Mas como debate, vale muito

Reviewer: Susan Inman
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Read this book if you care about people with serious mental illnesses.DJ Jaffe lets people understand the misguided ideologies which have dominated mental health care in recent decades. We can see why so many people with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders have ended up untreated, homeless, incarcerated or dead. We learn why families have been powerless to get the help that psychotic family members have been too ill to understand that they need.