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«« Go Back
Campaign on America's Mental Health
| Our Challenge: ? One in every five Americans experiences a mental disorder in any given year, but only one-third seek treatment. ? Depression and anxiety disorders--the most prevalent mental illnesses--are each estimated to affect more than 19 million people every year. ? According to the historic U.S. Surgeon General's report on mental health, major depressive disorders account for about 20-35% of all deaths by suicide. ? Up to half of all patients seen every day by primary care providers suffer from a mental illness, most often depression. ? Currently, clinical depression is one of America's most costly medical illnesses, resulting in economic losses due to absenteeism from work, lost productivity and direct treatment costs. ? By 2020, the World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the second leading cause of premature death or disability worldwide. Campaign Highlights: * National program with 10-year track record helping Americans recognize mental illnesses, get needed treatment and resume productive, fulfilling lives * Millions educated and screened annually * Hundreds of millions of media impressions generated yearly * Nationally recognized resource center * 60 sites in major media markets Effective public outreach: * Targeted educational programs * Year-round and online mental health screenings * Promotion of mental health assessments as routine part of care * Advocacy to improve access to care * Follow-up information/referrals * Media outreach * Coalition building * Culturally sensitive materials * Sponsorship of national awareness days National Partnerships: The Campaign partners with a host of national organizations, both in and outside the health care field, to raise awareness about the detection and treatment of mental illnesses. Grassroots Outreach: The Campaign draws strength from local Mental Health Associations throughout the country who organize community-based coalitions and conduct educational, screening, media and advocacy activities for diverse audiences. Why Primary Care Outreach: The first point of entry for many patients with depression and anxiety disorders is the primary care setting. Therefore, primary care professionals are in a unique position to provide early detection and integrated care for persons with depression, anxiety disorders and co-occurring medical illnesses. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce patient discomfort, duration and severity of illness, and the costs associated with misdiagnosis. Unfortunately, these illnesses go undetected all too often. To address this problem, NMHA's Campaign for America's Mental Health has a strong outreach component designed to improve the detection and treatment of mental illnesses in primary care settings. Co-occurring Illnesses The risk of clinical depression and anxiety disorders is often higher in individuals with serious medical illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. However, the warning signs are frequently discounted by patients and family members, who mistakenly assume feeling depressed or anxious is normal for people struggling with serious health conditions. In addition, the symptoms are frequently masked by these other medical illnesses, resulting in treatment that addresses the symptoms but not the underlying mental illness. It is a myth that depression or an anxiety disorder is a "normal" emotional response to another illness; it's extremely important to simultaneously treat both medical illnesses. Treatment Both clinical depression and anxiety disorders can be effectively treated, with more than 80% of those who seek treatment showing improvement. The most commonly used treatments are antidepressant medication, psychotherapy or a combination of the two. The choice of treatment depends on the pattern, severity, persistence of symptoms and the history of the illness. As with many illnesses, early treatment is more effective and helps prevent the likelihood of serious recurrences. Depression and anxiety disorders must be treated by a physician or qualified mental health professional. The Campaign is underwritten by unrestricted educational grants from the following corporations: Founding Sponsor - Eli Lilly and Company Campaign Sponsors - Abbott Laboratories Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Pfizer Inc., and Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals. Updated 3/00 |
