Useful Resources
Mental Illness: Few Families Untouched
November 04, 2009
Few families in the United States are untouched by mental illness. Estimates are that about one in four American adults suffers from some type of mental illness, and about 1 in 17 suffers from a serious mental illness. In a 1999 report, the U.S. Surgeon General emphasized the relationship between the mind and body and the importance of mental health to overall health and wellbeing. Since the 1970s, there have been great medical advances in treating mental illness, particularly with the use of mood-stabilizing and anti-psychotic medications. Yet significant social stigma still surrounds the diagnosis of a mental illness, and issues of affordability, health insurance and the availability of mental health professionals impede access to care. Health insurance coverage for mental health treatment has been troublesome for many families, but federal mental health parity regulations issued in January 2010 should help equalize insured Americans' access to mental health care.
Updated February 2010
Resource Links
Blogs
A blog published by an independent, nonprofit organization to provide information on depression.
A blog about bipolar disorder.
A blog on various topics from the Psychology Today experts.
This blog is one of the most popular mental health blogs and is part of a mental health social network and Web site created and run by mental health professionals. Its primary author is John Grohol, a psychologist.
Guidance for Consumers
MedLine Plus has pages dedicated to nearly every mental illness and disorder. Each includes an overview of the biological and social aspects of the disease, as well as links to additional resources.
A section of this Web site is dedicated to mental illness and includes information specific to various diseases and behavioral disorders.
Advocacy
This organization opposes stronger involuntary commitment laws.
This center advocates on behalf of people with mental illness. It uses litigation to press for patients' rights, expose mistreament in psychiatric hospitals, and preserve people's rights to live in the community of their choice.
NAMI advocates for people with mental illnesses and their families. It has an extensive network of state and local chapters, which can be great resources for information.
The center advocates for treatment and decriminalization of mental illness. Its support of stronger involuntary commitment laws is controversial
Public Policy
Information about the 2008 federal law, enacted as part of the bailout of failing banks, that broadly outlaws health insurance discrimination in employer-sponsored health plans.
The NCSL Web site provides an overview of state mental health parity laws.
This Web site provides statistics on the number of mentally ill inmates in state prisons. Prisons have been called "the new asylums of the 21st century."
New York adopted a law, commonly called Kendra's Law, that allows under certain circumstances for the forced treatment of people with mental illnesses. New York's approach has spread across the country, stirring up controversy over how to balance an individual's personal liberty with his or her families' wishes and public safety. This overview of the law is provided by the New York Office of Mental Health.
This law, the result of California voters' approval of Proposition 63 in 2000, restructured the delivery of mental health services in the state and poured new funding into the system.
Statistics, Trends and Research
WHO's Web site includes a metric called the "global burden of disease," which allows you to view the incidence of mental illness across nations. Another section of its Web site is devoted to broader mental health issues.
A clearinghouse of information on mental illness, including ongoing research, the costs of disease and statistics on prevalence and incidence in various populations.
Web site includes downloadable Excel tables of mental health statistics divided into state categories.
Understanding Mental Health
A good overview of current mental health issues and statistics
A clearing house of information on mental health disorders. It includes a mental health dictionary and Spanish translations.
