April 18, 2006

Building Bridges: Mental Health Consumers and Primary Health Care Representatives in Dialogue

This report was written by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concerning the issue of decreasing the spread between mental healthcare and general healthcare. Although mental health and general health are clearly connected, a chasm exists between the mental health care and general health care systems in both practice and financing. The intersection of mental health and primary health recently has garnered increased attention and concern at the national and State levels. It has become apparent that consumers of mental health services experience unnecessary suffering, functional impairment, mortality, economic losses, and health care costs as a result of ineffective care due to the fragmentation of the Nation's multiple health care systems. The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health found that mental illnesses are shockingly common and affect almost every American family.

In March 2005, hosted by CMHS, a group of mental health consumers met with primary care providers, researchers, and policymakers in dialogue. The meeting provided a forum in which to develop trust and to build mutual understanding and respect, a first step toward creating effective alliances that support recovery for consumers who come into contact with primary care systems. Persons with mental health diagnoses now can expect to achieve satisfying, hopeful, purposeful, and contributing lives - despite any limitations their disorders may cause. Participants synthesized their discussions and developed recommendations to address attitudinal and bureaucratic barriers and to create opportunities for promoting recovery.