Why economic equality won’t fix mental health care

While such egalitarian suggestions are valuable in theory, they’re not an efficient solution to addressing the current pressing mental health issues in the U.S. This would be a lot like debating how to build a more flame-resistant structure while a house is burning down, instead of racing to rescue the people who are trapped inside. Sure, closing income gaps would be nice. But there’s a much more imminent problem in play: Poor people have always been more vulnerable to developing mental illness, and they are far less likely to have access to the resources that can help them.

What is this neoliberal rubbish? Why can't we work towards minimizing inequality, and ensure access to quality treatment for those that need it now? The author seems to suggest that we can't do that, therefore we shouldn't bother going after the big issue and just treat the symptoms. That's like treating emphysema while the patient is still smoking, it's a profoundly dumb strategy. We must identify and robustly address the root of the problem, be that inequality or something else, and not solely address its symptoms in a superficial way.