Also, in terms of numbers, for example:
20 percent of adults at some point in life will experience clinical depression. Very, very few commit suicide or even lose significant income due to it (1% or less). Granted, it’s painful, but they usually survive. Many health plans already offer some treatment, a fixed number of therapy sessions, etc, for depression.
However, only 1 percent of the population suffers from bipolar disorder, and 20 percent (1 in 5 people!) with that condition die by suicide. Many cannot work or only on a limited basis.
From a compassion standpoint, of course we want to help both groups. But depression is now much more widely understood; like the flu, it’s almost possible for the patient to treat himself except for Rx’s, and there are books, support groups, etc. For bipolar patients, intervention is essential.
Financially it makes no sense to mandate treating every depressive, or you would bankrupt the system, perhaps only those who are suicidal, for example, could be a distinction. However, the more serious illnesses are also much less common, so hopefully not so much of a financial burden on medical plans.
Abe Lincoln did, and recovered.