Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General of the United States Surgeon General's Report Offers First-Ever "State of the Union" for Mental Health Research and Services Dr. David Satcher, Surgeon General, and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, presented the first-ever Surgeon General`s report on mental health to Tipper Gore, the President`s advisor on mental health, on December 13, 1999, noting that over the last two decades a revolution in science and service delivery has broadened our understanding of mental health and illness, and improved the way in which mental health care is provided. "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General "addressed the biological basis of mental illness; the importance of scientific research; the impact of stigma; and gaps in treatment. According to the report, a range of effective treatments exist for most mental disorders, yet nearly half of all Americans who have a severe mental illness fail to seek treatment. The report, commissioned by HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, also focuses on the connection between mental health and physical health, barriers to receiving mental health treatment, and the specific mental health issues of children, adults and the elderly. About 15% of the U.S. adult population use some form of mental health service each year, but, according to the report, the complex and fragmented mental health service delivery system can create barriers to a full range of appropriate services. Financial barriers and stigma also serve as deterrents and create a gap between what research has shown to be effective treatments and what many people actually receive. The Surgeon General urged Americans to seek treatment and bring the topic out into the open. The report notes that disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders are real illnesses that, if untreated, can be as disabling and serious as cancer and heart disease in terms of premature death and lost productivity. The report proposed broad courses of action to improve the quality of mental health in the U.S., including continuing to build the science base, overcoming stigma, improving public awareness of effective treatment, ensuring the supply of mental health services and providers, ensuring delivery of state-of-the-art treatments, tailoring treatment to age, gender, race and culture, facilitating entry into treatment and reducing financial barriers to treatment. It also acknowledges areas in which further research and analysis is necessary to understand the impact of mental health issues on special populations. A full copy of the Surgeon General`s report is available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html For more information, contact Damon Thompson, Public Affairs Officer, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Public Health and Science, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 725H, 200 Independece Avenue, Southwest, Washington, DC 20201, 202-205-1842, fax: 202-690-4631, e-mail, DThompson@osophs.dhhs.gov, web-site: www.hhs.gov Shopping Cart | Contact Us | Home
|
OPEN MINDS Industry Resources