Healthy People 2010—Conference Edition

Chapter 18 Mental Health and Mental Disorders

Opportunities

Promising universal and targeted preventive interventions, implemented according to scientific recommendations, have great potential to reduce the risk for mental disorders and the burden of suffering in vulnerable populations. Also, social and behavioral research is beginning to explore the concept of resilience to identify strengths that may promote health and healing. It is generally assumed that resilience involves the interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental processes. With increased understanding of how to identify and promote resilience, it will be possible to design effective programs that draw on such internal capacity.

There is increasing awareness and concern in the public health sector regarding the impact of stress, its prevention and treatment, and the need for enhanced coping skills. Stress may be experienced by any person and provides a clear demonstration of mind-body interaction. Coping skills, acquired throughout the lifespan, are positive adaptations that affect the ability to manage stressful events. Additional research can help quantify the public health burden of stress and identify ways to prevent or alleviate it through environmental or individual strategies.

Progress in fundamental science and an emphasis on translating new knowledge into clinical applications can strengthen opportunities for future clinical and service system innovations. Research-based treatments afford an unprecedented opportunity to achieve a major reduction in the burden of disease associated with mental illness. With enhancements of clinical services and service systems, recovery is an achievable objective of mental health clinical interventions.

Evidence that mental disorders are legitimate and highly responsive to appropriate treatment promises to be a potent antidote to stigma. Stigma creates barriers to providing and receiving competent and effective mental health treatment and can lead to inappropriate treatment, unemployment, and homelessness. The elimination of stigma associated with mental disorders will in turn encourage more individuals to seek needed mental health care.

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