Patrick Kennedy Argues for the Equal Treatment of People with Mental Illness

June 18, 2013

Patrick Kennedy, the former U.S. representative for Rhode Island’s first congressional district and son of the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, argues for the equal treatment of people with mental illness. Kennedy argues that it is a moral issue that people with mental illness are treated equally. He believes that eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness is the next chapter of the civil rights movement in America. By eliminating stigma, people who have mental illness and brain injury would hopefully receive greater access to health care and increased resources. Kennedy believes that only by eliminating stigma can we attain equal treatment for people with mental illness. Asserting the words of his uncle President John F. Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy highlights the lack of resources and attention devoted to mental health. Kennedy is launching “The Kennedy Forum,” an annual event to promote efforts to reduce mental health stigma, to honor the efforts of President Kennedy, and to celebrate the progress that has been made thus far.

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