During a press conference in Uvalde County, Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said the state needed to focus on mental health and not restricting gun ownership to prevent future mass shootings like the one that happened at Robb Elementary School. He was jeered by former congressman Beto O’Rourke, who blamed Abbott for the slaying. “This is on you,” said O’Rourke, who is running for governor. 1
Mental Health America’s annual report is out, and it ranks Texas as the worst state in the U.S. for access to mental health care. With the pandemic putting a strain on many Texans’ mental health, people didn’t know what to do. 2
- PolitiFact, May 26, 2022 – Texas is “50th in the nation in mental health care access.”
- KVUE.com, October 22, 2021 – New report ranks Texas last in access to mental health care
NAMI executive director Greg Hansch said two-thirds of Texas’ counties don’t have a single psychiatrist.
