National Mental Health

The idea for the National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH] was born on July 3, 1946, when then-president Harry Truman signed the National Mental Health Act. On April 15, 1 949, NIMH was finally established, becoming a part of the National Institutes of Health [NIH], The mission of NIH is to support biomedical research, which it does by conducting research in its own laboratories as well as by providing funds to scientists at other institutions. There are presently 27 NIH branches, and although considerable overlap exists among these different institutes and centers, NIMH is the main supporter of brain research topics such as neurochemistry. NIMH headquarters is located at the Neuroscience Center Building in Rockville, Maryland, but many of the staff work at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. 

Motivated by the mental health problems of returning soldiers from World War II in 1946, the National Mental Health Act gave the surgeon general the authority to promote mental health through research. This law led to the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1949. 

Figure 5.3 The National Mental Health Association helps to education people about the signs and symptoms of bipolar depression. A poster from one of its advertising campaigns is shown here. The goal is to address misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of bipolar depression.

Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine 2001 Cambridge University Press, reprinted with permission 72 Information from World Health Organization 73 Noelle Nardone 74 Courtesy the National Mental Health Association (NMHA)... 

In 1950, funding for the NIMH was less than 1 million ten years later, it was 87 million in 1992, it reached 1 bilhon. In 1965, when Medicare and Medicaid were enacted, their cost was 65 biUion in 1993, it was nearly 939 billion. Between 1969 and 1994, the national mental health budget increased from about 3 billion to 80 billion. Between 1968 and 1983, the number of clinical psychologists tripled, from 12,000 to more than 40,000 the number of clinical social workers grew from 25,000 in 1970, to 80,000 in 1990 and membership in the American Psychological Association grew from fewer than 3,000 in 1970 to more than 120,000 in 1993. ... 

I propose a national mental health program to assist in the inauguration of a wholly new emphasis and approach to care for the mentally ill.. . . Government at every level—Federal, State, and local— private foundations and individual citizens must all face up to their responsibilities in this area. We need. .. to return mental health care to the mainstream of American medicine. ... 

President Harry S. Truman signs the National Mental Health Act into law. The Act authorizes the expansion of the functions of the Mental Hygiene Division of the Public Health Service. 

The American mental health movement shifts into high gear the Psychiatric Foundation, the National Mental Health Foundation, and the National Committee for Mental Hygiene merge to form the National Association for Mental Health. 

KATHY HOGANBRUEN, DAVID NELSON, and MICHAEL M. FAENZA National Mental Health Association, Alexandria, i rginia 22311. CAROLINE CLAUSS-EHLERS Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901. 

Koyanagi, C., Gaines, S. (1993). All systems failure An examination of the results of neglecting the needs of children with serious emotional disturbance. Alexandria, VA National Mental Health... 

Michael M. Faenza, National Mental Health Association, Alexandria, Virginia 22311... 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Results from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health National Findings (DHHS Publ No SMA 03-3836). Rockville, MD, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003. Available at http //oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda/2k2nsduh/ Results/2k2Results.htm chap3. Accessed November 5, 2004. 

Source. From the results of the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2003). 

Degenhardt L, Lynskey MT, Hall W Cohort trends in the age of initiation of drug use in Australia. Aust N Z J Public Health 24 421 26, 2000 Degenhardt L, Hall W, Lynskey MT The relationship between cannabis use, depression and anxiety among Australian adults findings from the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 36 219— 227, 2001... 

J Consult Clin Psychol 61 1100—1104, 1993 Stephens RS, Roffman RA, Simpson EE Treating adult marijuana dependence a test of the relapse prevention model. J Consult Clin Psychol 62 92—99, 1994 Stephens RS, Roffman RA, Curtin L Comparison of extended versus brief treatments for marijuana use. J Counsul Clin Psychol 68 898—908, 2000 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration The BASIS Report Marijuana Treatment Admissions Increase 1993-1999. Rockville, MB, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2002a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Brug Abuse Vol I. Summary of National Findings. Rockville, MB, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2002b... 

Stewart RD, Fisher TN, Hosko MJ, et al Experimental human exposure to methylene chloride. Arch Environ Health 25 342-348, 1972 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Preliminary Estimates from the 1995 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Rockville, MD, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996 Tenenbein M, PillayN Sensory evoked potentials in inhalant (volatile solvent) abuse. J Paediatr Child Health 29 206-208, 1993... 

Department of Health (1999). National Service Framework for Mental Health Modem Standards and Service Models. London Department of Health. 

Further detailed analyses of the ECA data have been extrapolated to USA national costs (Rice and Miller, 1998). It was calculated that the economic costs of mental disorders in 1990 in the USA totalled US 147.8 billion. Anxiety disorders were the most cosdy, amounting to 46.6 billion, just under a third of the total. Direct costs spent on mental health care totalled 67 billion, of which anxiety disorders accounted for only 11 billion (16.5%). Drug costs were 2191 million, of which anxiety disorders accounted for 1167 million—over half Morbidity costs—the value of goods and services not produced because of mental disorders — amounted to 63.1 billion, with anxiety disorders accounting for 34.2 billion, 54.2% of the total. This reflects the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in the community and the high associated rate of lost productivity. In contrast, patients with affective disorders appeared better able to function (Rice and Miller, 1995). In summary, anxiety disorders are common, disruptive and costly to society drug treatment is a substantial element of treatment costs (11%) compared with, say, schizophrenia (2.2%). 

Narrow WE, Regier DA, Rae DS, et al (1993). Use of services by persons with mental and addictive disorders. Findings from the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. 

Ellinwood, E.H. Amphetamine psychosis Individuals, settings, and sequences. In Ellinwood, E.H., and Cohen, S., eds. Current Conceprs on Amphetamine Abuse. Rockville, MD National Institute on Mental Health, 1972. pp. 143-157. 

This work was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award MH00188, National Institute on Drug Abuse Awards DA 02925 and DA 04398, and a Parkinson s Disease Summer Fellowship. 

National Institutes for Mental Health, Bipolar Disorder— http //www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/bipolarmenu.cfm... 

In a study promoted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) the Hutterites showed high rates of psychosis (Eaton 8c Weil, 1955). Nevertheless, a later re-analysis of the data using DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1980) showed that the rate of major depression was four times higher than that of schizophrenia (Torrey, 1995). 

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