Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Foreword
Since the turn of this century, thanks in large
measure to research-based public health innovations, the lifespan of the average
American has nearly doubled. Today, our Nation’s physical health—as a whole—has
never been better. Moreover, illnesses of the body once shrouded in fear—such as
cancer, epilepsy, and HIV/AIDS to name just a few—increasingly are seen as
treatable, survivable, even curable ailments. Yet, despite unprecedented
knowledge gained in just the past three decades about the brain and human
behavior, mental health is often an afterthought and illnesses of the mind
remain shrouded in fear and misunderstanding.
This Report of the Surgeon General on Mental Health is the product of an
invigorating collaboration between two Federal agencies. The Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which provides national
leadership and funding to the states and many professional and citizen
organizations that are striving to improve the availability, accessibility, and
quality of mental health services, was assigned lead responsibility for
coordinating the development of the report. The National Institutes of Health (NIH),
which supports and conducts research on mental illness and mental health through
its National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), was pleased to be a partner in
this effort. The agencies we respectively head were able to rely on the
enthusiastic participation of hundreds of people who played a role in
researching, writing, reviewing, and disseminating this report. We wish to
express our appreciation and that of a mental health constituency, millions of
Americans strong, to Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., for inviting us
to participate in this landmark report.
The year 1999 witnessed the first White House Conference on Mental Health and
the first Secretarial Initiative on Mental Health prepared under the aegis of
the Department of Health and Human Services. These activities set an optimistic
tone for progress that will be realized in the years ahead. Looking ahead, we
take special pride in the remarkable record of accomplishment, in the spheres of
both science and services, to which our agencies have contributed over past
decades. With the impetus that the Surgeon General’s report provides, we intend
to expand that record of accomplishment. This report recognizes the inextricably
intertwined relationship between our mental health and our physical health and
well-being. The report emphasizes that mental health and mental illnesses are
important concerns at all ages. Accordingly, we will continue to attend to needs
that occur across the life span, from the youngest child to the oldest among us.
The report lays down a challenge to the Nation—to our communities, our health
and social service agencies, our policymakers, employers, and citizens—to take
action. SAMHSA and NIH look forward to continuing our collaboration to generate
needed knowledge about the brain and behavior and to translate that knowledge to
the service systems, providers, and citizens.
Nelba Chavez, Ph.D.
Steven E. Hyman, M.D.
Administrator Director
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
National Institute of Mental Health
Services Administration for The National Institutes of Health
Bernard S. Arons, M.D.
Director
Center for Mental Health Services
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