The Corporate Capitalist Health Insurance Industry and America’s Mental Health Crisis

The U.S. Surgeon General declared a public health crisis in the United States in 2023. He equated the health risks of what he termed an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” to smoking fifteen cigarettes per day. This paper explores the relationship between a key feature of the U.S. corporate capitalist health care system—the for-profit health insurance industry—and its connection to the rising incidence of mental illness among Americans. Conceptually, we connect Marx’s concept of alienation to mental health and the inevitable failure of a health care system driven by profit to provide the care needed for mental wellness.