Nashville News Blog

Tennessee has once again score poorly on a quality of life issue, but this time we're not alone. In its annual report card, the National Alliance on Mental Illness gives us a D for our mental health services.

The grade is based on availability and wait-time for services, promotion and collaboration between agencies, etc. But before we engage in another round of self-flagellation, it should be noted that no one seems to handle these services well. Four states received Fs, while a whopping 28 got Ds. No state received higher than a B.

None of which is surprising. If you think your normal health care is bad, mental care is bound to be worse. It's the easiest to short-change because it deals with a smaller group of people and doesn't have a powerful lobby. It's also not as easy to understand as, say, cancer, and a lot of older legislators believe it to be junk science.