Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Mental Health News

Leading Organization Calls On Presidential Candidates To Emphasize Mental Health In Health Policy Plans

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 25 Apr 2008 - 3:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article
Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:3 and a half stars

3.15 (26 votes)

Health Professional:3 and a half stars

3.16 (19 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

Mental Health America is calling on all three presidential candidates to address the critical importance of mental illnesses and mental health in their health policy proposals.

"Any plan to modernize our health care system and proposals to contain costs could hardly find a better target for achieving those goals than mental health," said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. "The candidates take different approaches on health policy. What they have in common is a failure to specifically and fully emphasize the importance of mental illnesses and mental health." (The full text of the letters can be found in the following PDF documents: Obama plan - Clinton plan - McCain plan.)

The three letters review the positions each candidate has taken on health reform and urge them to more fully address and incorporate three major mental health policies as part of their proposals:

- Ending discrimination and ensuring access. Enactment of legislation to outlaw all discriminatory barriers to mental health care is cited as critical to improving health coverage for people with or at risk of mental illness. The letters state that the need is emblematic of a broader principle that the country must approach mental illness and mental health with the same urgency as other illnesses and overall health. An additional consideration is that recovery from a severe mental illness may require different services and supports than other illnesses, and other programs, like Medicaid, must be flexible enough to finance those services.

- Increased emphasis and funding of prevention practices. A National Academies Institute of Medicine report to be issued later in 2008 is expected to underscore the importance of increased emphasis on prevention and health-promotion practices that can impede the onset or reduce the severity of mental health and substance-use disorders in children, youth and young adults.

- Integrating mental and general health care. The letters state that it is critical to recognize that behavioral health interventions are central to preventing and effectively managing chronic disease and must be part of a broader effort around care coordination and integration.

The letters were sent to the policy directors of the respective campaigns. Dr. Shern invited the campaigns to meet with him to discuss the issues more fully.

Mental Health America is the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. With our more than 320 affiliates nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation - everyday and in times of crisis.

Mental Health America




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Please fill in our survey

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
What Is Health? What Does Good Health Mean?
21 May 2009
The English word "health" comes from the Old English word hale, meaning "wholeness, a being whole, sound or well,". Hale comes from the Proto-Indo-European root kailo, meaning "whole, uninjured, of good omen"...


Stress and Sports image Stress and Sports

Many people turn to sports to unwind, but the pressure of competition can turn otherwise relaxing pursuits into sources of stress (and affect your game, too). Our panel of experts will discuss what you can do to make sure your sports life helps, rather than hurts, your state of mind...

Seasonal Depression image Seasonal Depression

Every winter, when the days get shorter, people with seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, experience depression. Learn how light can help chase away the winter blues...

View more videos...