Top 10 stories you didn’t hear in 2007

In 2007, media coverage concerning people with severe mental illnesses was understandably dominated by the Virginia Tech tragedy.

But for every Seung Hui Cho, there are thousands not receiving treatment for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder languishing in back bedrooms, living on the streets, or sitting in jail cells. Those stories don’t lead the evening news.

The Treatment Advocacy Center is the only national organization fighting to get needed treatment for people who are most seriously mentally ill – long before the untreated symptoms of their illnesses make their lives the stuff of headlines. Many of these individuals are unable to make informed decisions about their need for treatment because of brain changes caused by their diseases.

Here is the top 10 list, for 2007, of the most under-reported trends and issues brought about by our nation’s continued neglect of those who are the most severely mentally ill.