Hillary Clinton unveils comprehensive mental health plan for US

'Americans will no longer separate mental health from physical health'

Ms Clinton's campaign said there should be no difference in the treatment available for mental health as for physical health (AP)

Hillary Clinton has unveiled plans to tackle the crisis of mental health - an issue that affects one in five American adults.

Ahead of plans to publicly unveil plans for combating drugs and alcohol addiction, the Democratic candidate said she would improve the treatment of mental health by joining up treatment with existing care.

“Her goal is that within her time in office, Americans will no longer separate mental health from physical health when it comes to access to care or quality of treatment,” Ms Clinton’s campaign said in statement on Monday.

About 43.6m adults in the US experienced mental health illness in 2014, according to a government study. Meanwhile, around 17m children were struggling to deal with mental health issues, including one in five college students, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Nearly one in five veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars also reported experiencing post-traumatic stress or depression.

Highlights from her plan included creating a national initiative for suicide prevention, requiring mental health coverage to be covered in health insurance plan and implementing mental health training for police in how to deal with individuals

The former secretary of state also pledged to hold a White House conference on mental health during her first year in office. Her statement did not say how much her plans would cost or where the money would come from.

Polls suggest she is ahead of her Republican rival Donald Trump nationally and in key battleground states, about 70 days before the election in November.

He has raised questions about her health, pointing to unfounded conspiracy theories, and on Sunday he challenged her to release her full medical records.

Mr Trump’s doctor said on Saturday he spent just five minutes on a letter endorsing the Republican candidate's health, while Mr Trump’s waited in his car outside.

“Building on her longstanding commitment to health care for all, Hillary believes everyone should be able to access quality mental health care - without shame, stigma or barriers,” said Maya Harris, a senior policy adviser to Clinton’s campaign, in a statement.

The Associated Press said it would expand the reimbursement systems for collaborative care models under Medicare and Medicaid that aim to treat patients through a team of health care professionals, including a primary care doctor, a care manager and a behavioral health specialist.

It would also be helped by a Clinton campaign proposal to boost funding for community health centers that she announced earlier in the summer along with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.