Mental Health America Celebrates 100 Years

On February 19, Mental Health America celebrated a century of achievements and looked ahead to future victories at a special event held at the McClendon Center in Washington, D.C. The event featured speakers from the most prominent areas of the mental health movement, who highlighted past accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead.

In 1909, Clifford W. Beers, a young businessman who experienced firsthand the treatment of individuals with a mental illness, founded Mental Health America (then called the National Committee for Mental Hygiene). It was the first association of its kind and the beginning of what we now know as the organized mental health movement in America. READ MORE

President’s Column with Dr. David Shern

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Clifford Beers

Dear Mental Health Advocates,

Mental Health America celebrated an incredible milestone in February —our 100th Anniversary. Mental Health America staff and supporters gathered at the McClendon Center, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. that serves individuals with mental health conditions, to honor our Founder Clifford Beers and the millions of Americans who have contributed their time and effort to the organization over the past 100 years. And we issued our Call for Action that “It’s Time for Mental Health.” It’s time to give mental health the voice and attention it deserves because it is essential to health and well-being of every American.

This issue of The Bell also marks a milestone: it is our first online edition. By “going green” and utilizing the web landscape, we can present you with even more information each quarter on Mental Health America’s advocacy, public education and affiliate activities and events.

The majority of this issue is dedicated to our 100 year celebration. We hope you enjoy reading about it and we look forward to you joining us in June for our Centennial Conference and Gala celebration. READ MORE

Capitol Hill Update

Mental Health Championed in Stimulus Package

The 2009 economic stimulus package includes several promising measures toward better mental health coverage

The Obama Administration hit the ground running in January, successfully moving through Congress several major pieces of legislation including significant health care provisions. The economic stimulus package, called the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), enacted on February 17 included substantial funding to maintain health care coverage and a number of other initiatives considered elements of health care reform. Many provisions of the ARRA were actively supported by Mental Health America, including an $87 billion increase in federal funding of Medicaid payments to states between October 2008 and January 2011. The legislation also further delays controversial regulatory changes to Medicaid that would restrict reimbursement for rehabilitative, case management, and school-based services.

While widespread adoption of health information technology (HIT) is viewed as a key component of health care reform, the Administration secured early adoption of a comprehensive federal initiative to support development and implementation of HIT as part of the ARRA. The legislation provides $19 billion in grants to states and incentive payments to providers while establishing important new privacy protections. READ MORE

Register Today for Mental Health America’s Centennial Conference Featuring A Conversation with George Stephanopoulos on June 12! Read more about our speakers and sessions at mentalhealthamerica.net Discounted Registration ends April 30th. Don’t miss out on Mental Health America’s Centennial Gala on June 11! PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Mental Health Month 2009

Mental Health America Says Live Your Life Well!

During these difficult times, Mental Health America wants Americans to know that there are tools that can buffer the effects of stress and help them cope better with the many challenges they face. This May, in honor of Mental Health Month, the organization is launching the Live Your Life WellSM campaign to provide people with 10 specific, research-based tools that can combat stress and promote health and well-being.

From relaxation techniques to journaling exercises to simple ways to get better sleep and improve eating habits, the materials offer a wide range of resources to build resiliency and well-being. The 10 Tools of Live Your Life WellSM also includes information on seeking the help of a mental health professional. On our website, you can read about these tools in our brochure, "Are You Feeling Stressed Out?" You will also find a fact sheet with information to help your family cope during these tough economic times, in addition to fact sheets on stress, depression and staying well when you have a mental health condition. Merchandise, such as stress cards, magnets, fans and post-it notes are also available. To purchase the brochure, fact sheets or merchandise, visit our online store.

Stay tuned in April for the launch of the Live Your Life Well^SM web site, www.LiveYourLifeWell.org!

realLIVES

realLlVES Goes Live at Centennial Celebration

New online anthology gives first-hand accounts of living with mental health condition

On February 19, Mental Health America officially launched realLIVES, a unique online community where mental health consumers can share their experiences of living with mental health conditions through original writing, artwork and poetry. This one-of-a-kind website is a bold step toward acclimating mental health conditions into Americans’ daily lives by breaking the silence that shrouds mental illness in America.

realLIVES gives a voice to the 60 million Americans living with mental illness by creating an environment where both daily struggles and personal triumphs can be shared freely and anonymously.

“The best way to eliminate the misunderstanding, prejudice and shame facing people with these conditions is to hear real stories of real people affected by mental illness,” said David Shern, President and CEO of Mental Health America

The nearly 200 stories published on realLIVES chronicle each step on the journey to recovery. The works come from diverse group of consumers who want to help people understand what it is like to live with a mental health condition and, in many cases, offer hope to those who struggle in silence.

“My story is one of hope and recovery,” Sese-Khalid said. “I am in recovery and I want the world to know.” READ MORE

A Century of Achievement

Mental Health America’s Top 10 Victories of the Past 100 Years

1. Established what is known today as the organized Mental Health Movement.

2. At the request of the Surgeon General, Mental Health America played a major role in assisting the U.S. Military in creating what became known as neuropsychiatric units.5

3. Mental Health America and its affiliates launched Mental Health Week (which eventually became Mental Health Month) with the Jaycees to educate Americans about mental illness and mental health.

4. Mental Health America helped to instigate and support broad reforms of the state hospital system follow ing World War II seeking to dramatically improve care and linking them to community programs.

5. Congress passed the “Community Mental Health Centers Act” (CMHC) authorizing construction grants for community mental health centers. Mental Health America played a key role in having this legislation enacted and signed by President Kennedy.

6. Mental Health America successfully advocated for inclusion of mandated mental health services in Medicare and Medicaid.

7. Mental Health America and its affiliates launched the Campaign for Clinical Depression which began a process that has dramatically changed public attitudes toward mental health conditions.

8. Mental Health America’s public policy initiative resulted in the passage of the Protection and Advocacy for the Mentally Ill Act by Congress.

9. Mental Health America played a leading role in the development of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which protects mentally and physically disabled Americans from discrimination in such areas as employ ment, public accommodations, transportation, telecommunications, and state and local government services.

10. Mental Health America, along with a coalition of mental health and health advocates, succeeded in getting the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 signed into law.

Research Snapshot

Bipolar Disorder Linked to Higher Mortality from Medical Illnesses: Bipolar disorders appear to increase the risk of early death from a medical illness, according to a literature review study published in the journal Psychiatric Services. Researchers said evidence suggests that people with bipolar disorder have a higher mortality from natural causes compared to people in the general population of similar age and gender but without mental illness. In the past, the higher premature death rate was attributed to a higher rate of suicide and accidents. More recently, researchers are finding that, while rates of suicides and accidents are greater among those with bipolar disorder compared to the general population, they only partly account for the higher premature death rate. (Newswise, 2/1/09)

Mental Illness Doesn’t Predict Violent Behavior: A new study challenges the perception that mental illness alone is a cause of violence. People with serious mental illness, without other big risk factors, are no more violent than most people, according to the study of more than 34,000 U.S. adults published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers say other factors, such as substance abuse and a history of violent acts, can drive up the danger when combined with mental illness. (Newsweek, 2/3/09)

Depression Increases Risk of Heart Disease: Depression contributes to the risk of heart disease more than genetics, according to a long-term study of twins. Other research has found that depression makes people more susceptible to heart trouble. But recent studies have found some genes that increase the risk of heart disease may also make people more prone to depression. This study indicates that depression takes a huge toll on the heart that can't be due to genetics. (USA Today, 3/3/09)

Kids of Bipolar Parents at Increased Risk for Disorders: When parents have bipolar disorder, their children are at increased risk for psychiatric disorders themselves, according to a new report. The Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring Study compared the occurrence of psychiatric disorders in 388 children of 233 parents with bipolar disorder with that of 251 offspring of 143 matched parents without bipolar disorder. The results show that children of parents with bipolar disorder are 13 times more likely to develop a bipolar-like disorder than those of parents without bipolar disorder. Similarly, having a bipolar parent increases the odds of having any mood disorder five-fold. (Reuters, 3/4/09)