I think the main issue lies with the stigma surrounding mental illness and the lack of affordable, comprehensive care for mental illness (especially in the US, but worldwide as well).

Bingo’s analogy about mental illness being no different than a physical malady is apt and one I use myself quite often. Of course, in the legal realm it’s hard to say what should and shouldn’t be done, but in terms of how its treated by society and healthcare, it should be the same. You don’t tell someone with a broken femur to just “walk it off” or “get over it” because that’s ridiculous, and it should be the same with depression or schizophrenia or any mental illness.

The fact that we ignore the signs and symptoms because we don’t see them or willfully ignore them and then stigmatize the person who is ill, tell them to get over it and provide only the most basic care is the real issue here, in my mind.