NPR reported today on the mental cost of the recent economic woes in America. While we all know that a tight pocketbook or out-of-control credit card debt can cause anxiety, psychiatrists discuss how depression, addiction, eating disorders, and a host of other maladies can be triggered by monetary stress. And, for those who may lose their jobs during this time of belt-tightening, health insurance that covers the expense for treating these illnesses will also become harder to get. Do the newly unemployed pay exorbitant COBRA fees? What do they do if their income does not qualify them for Medicaid? Will they seek treatment at all if their options seem limited?
