The Health and Safety of the Nation’s Population Health is among the items on the President’s Agenda.

The President’s Health Agenda is about Mental Health and wellbeing. Presidential Healthcare Agendas are related to mental health and wellbeing.

With its impact on millions of Americans and families, communities, workplaces and the healthcare system, mental health is now a presidential-level issue of population health. Depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorders and suicide are all mental health issues, which are continually increasing and causing social and economic issues across the United States. Given the worsening mental health crisis, presidents have needed to address mental health via policy, funding and national campaigns on mental health (McGINTY, 2023). Population health policies aim to prevent disease and promote health and access to health services for whole communities, instead of treating people when they are sick. The unmet needs of mental health were found to be a national priority, because mental illness is linked to homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, poverty, violence and poor quality of life.

Social determinants of health are factors that impact mental health.

Access to Healthcare

One of the social determinants that greatly affects mental health is access to health care. People experiencing mental health problems do not access necessary health care services for a variety of reasons, such as poor access to health care services, poor health insurance coverage, lack of financial resources, or lack of adequate mental health care providers. Lower income and resource-poor communities are more likely to have untreated mental illness. Lack of mental healthcare resources can exacerbate depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric illnesses, resulting in more hospitalizations, suicides, and substance abuse, suggests SAMPLES & SIMILAR KRAWCZYK (2025). The availability of counseling and psychiatric services or support programs may also be unavailable for people in rural or underserved areas. Improving access to health care services therefore is essential to tackle mental health issues at the population level.

President Barack Obama’s Response to Mental Health

Policies and Actions Taken

President Obama went the other route with mental health: health care reform and greater insurance coverage. His most significant contributions on this issue while in office include signing into law the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which included mental health as an essential health benefit. This policy accomplished this in two ways: by increasing insurance coverage for mental health care for millions of Americans and by eliminating mental illness discrimination. The Obama Administration also increased awareness of the issue of mental health and began mental health awareness campaigns to help reduce the stigma of mental illness. Several programs were created within the school, community and health care systems to enhance mental health services. The administration also encouraged suicide prevention initiatives and the mental health of veterans. While Obama’s policies have increased healthcare coverage for more Americans, there were some problems. Lack of mental health providers remained a problem in many communities, and a few people still had difficulty paying for and accessing mental health services even with expanded insurance coverage.

President Donald Trump’s Response to Mental Health.

Policies and Actions Taken

President Donald Trump also spoke about mental health — mental health concerns are very much on the rise across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also increased funding for mental health services and programs, suicide prevention efforts, and opioid-related mental health services during his tenure (Parker & Stern, 2022). Trump is proponent of crisis intervention services and has enacted legislation such as the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act. His administration also worked hard to promote mental health of veterans and the need of community mental health programs. But opponents have argued that efforts to weaken or defund parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have negatively impacted the access of many Americans to mental health care coverage. Further, some believed that the long-term reform of the mental health system was needed to better integrate mental health.

What I would do differently, if I could.

Here are some ideas for enhancing mental wellbeing:

As the Mental Health National Advisor, we would focus on mental health care being available and accessible, especially in rural and underserved communities, and, affordable and accessible. I would expand funding to school-based mental health services to support early detection and intervention for kids and teens. I would also advocate for better mental health education and awareness of mental health stigma and encourage help-seeking. In addition, I would budget for Telehealth and digital mental health services to improve access for patients that might not be able to get to health care facilities easily. An equally important measure would be to augment the mental health workforce through the support of training and recruitment of counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Last but not least, I would make sure that mental health care is fully incorporated within the primary care system, enabling easier access to comprehensive treatment.

Conclusion

Mental health continues to be a significant population health problem and a top concern on presidential healthcare agendas in the United States. Among the major social determinants that affect mental health outcomes is access to health care – many people simply are not able to access the treatment and support they need to get the best outcomes. President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump both tried to tackle mental health in their policy, funding, and national initiatives efforts in different ways. There is improvement, but more efforts need to be made to ensure that everyone can access a mental healthcare service of quality. To promote mental health and reduce health disparities overall in the community, prevention, education, expanded access to health care and community support are tools that can be used.

References

‌ KRAWCZYK, N., & SAMPLES, H. (2025). Integrating Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment With Emergency and Primary Care: the Case of Opioid Use Disorder and Suicide. The Milbank Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.70028

McGINTY, B. (2023). The Future of Public Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities. The Milbank Quarterly, 101(S1), 532–551. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12622

Parker, C. F., & Stern, E. K. (2022). The Trump Administration and the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 crisis: Exploring the warning‐response problems and missed opportunities of a public health emergency. Public Administration, 100(3), 616–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12843

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