The Lewiston killer didn’t suddenly just snap. He left a long trail of signs that he needed mental health care which were unanswered by our failing health system.

Other countries with universal health care that guarantee services to all their citizens, no matter rich or poor, also provide better behavioral health than we do.

Sweden tops the list in many categories, including mental health care, followed by other northern European countries. None are perfect, but all follow a formula that Maine would do well to adopt: everyone needs access to comprehensive medical and mental health care. It can mean the difference between life and death, for them and for us.

The calls by some for better mental health services following the Lewiston shooting are in reality calls for a major overhaul of our failing health care system.

Geoff Gratwick, retired physician, Bangor

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