Mental Health Prevention Becomes a National Priority in the United States

Mental health prevention is finally getting the national attention it deserves as mental and behavioral health disorders are projected to be on the upswing in the United States. “A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls on leaders to take mental health prevention as seriously as they would other public health priorities, such as vaccines and heart disease screening. Suicide still is one of the 11th leading causes of death in the United States and is one of the bigger causes of death in youth,” according to Erin Rank.

The report also emphasizes that there are effective mental health prevention programs that already exist, especially in schools and communities, and that there is an uneven level of availability and funding. Social-emotional learning, parenting interventions, and skill-based training in schools have been proven to enhance mental wellness, decrease drug use, and prevent depression and anxiety, but many school districts do not have the manpower or budget to do so. Mental health prevention, according to experts, cannot and should not be an afterthought among already overwhelmed schools and mental health facilities.

There is a call for more mental health prevention services within the communities where kids and adults already live, learn, and work. Also, there should be the integration of mental health prevention services into primary care, the establishment of neighborhood centers where group meetings can take place, and the fostering of culturally informed efforts among communities of color. As America struggles with feelings of loneliness, economic stress, and the shifting patterns of society, mental health prevention is already providing an optimistic and positive alternative long before any crisis develops.

Source: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Mental and Behavioral Health Disorders Are Increasing in U.S.