The World Federation For Mental Health is the only international, multidisciplinary, grassroots advocacy and education organization concerned with all aspects of mental health!.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the federal government of the United States and the largest research organization in the world specializing in mental illness.
It is one of the 27 component organizations of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is in turn part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It was formally established in 1949 and research is conducted at a central campus in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as being funded throughout the United States.
The stated mission of NIMH is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through ('biomedical') research on mind, brain and behavior.
NIMH is particularly known for studies of genetics, neuroscience and clinical trials of psychiatric medication.
NIMH supports innovative science that will profoundly transform the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders, paving the way for a cure.
Mission:
The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior.
To fulfill its mission, the Institute is committed to the following priorities:
*support the integrative science of brain and behavior providing the foundation for understanding mental disorders;
*define the genetic and environmental risk architecture of mental disorders;
*develop more reliable, valid diagnostic tests and biomarkers for mental disorders;
*develop more effective, safer, and equitable treatments that have minimal side-effects to reduce symptoms, and improve daily functioning;
*support clinical trials that will provide treatment options to deliver more effective personalized care across diverse populations and settings; and
*create improved pathways for rapid dissemination of science to mental health care and service efforts.
To reach these goals, the NIMH divisions and programs are designed to emphasize translational research spanning bench, to bedside, to practice.
The website of the Mental Health Foundation outlines the charity’s work in research, policy, service development and service user involvement.
The site offers information and publications to download on research, good practice in services and on mental health problems and key issues.
It provides a daily mental health news service and directories of organisations, websites and events.
Website visitors can use forums and bulletin boards, join a mailing list and find out how to support the organisation.
The information on the site is taken from a variety of sources including our own publications, external websites and forums, as well as materials submitted by visitors to the site: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/about-this-site
Moving People is a groundbreaking and diverse programme of national and local activity, led by four mental health organisations - Mental Health Media, Mind, Rethink, and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.
All too often people with experience of mental distress are misunderstood, labelled and denied the opportunities that others take for granted.
At Mental Health Media we know that the most powerful way to challenge this prejudice is to help them get across the real story about mental health, change media representations, and lead the fight against discrimination.
We’re developing and delivering a range of projects which aim to educate and give people the tools and skills to take action.
And we work with journalists and broadcasters to inform their coverage of mental health issues.
We also run the annual Mental Health Media Awards which recognise and celebrate television and radio programmes about mental health which have the power to change minds and lives.
Mental Health Media has always promoted and supported the voice of people with learning difficulties.
We’re now developing a dedicated project, MEdia, which helps people with learning difficulties get the most out of the media.
mental health Global Action Programme (mhGAP) Mental health has become a major international public health concern and WHO has placed high profile focus on the importance of mental health.
During 2001 the World Health Day (7 April 2001) was devoted to mental health and 155 countries celebrated the event.
World Health Day on April 7, 2001
World Health Day 2001 - Greek edition [pdf 16.73Mb] During World Health Assembly 2001, 135 Health Ministers participated in the Ministerial Roundtables on mental health to discuss mental health in all its dimensions.
They vowed to improve the mental health of their populations.
A Call for Action by Ministers of Health
The topic of World Health Report 2001 was mental health: new understanding, new hope. The report sheds new light on mental disorders and offers new hope to those suffering from mental disorders and to their families. This report provides a comprehensive review of what is known about the burden of mental disorders and the principal contributing factors. It examines the scope of prevention and the availability of, and obstacles to, treatment. It provides a critical review of service provision and planning and concludes with a set of far-reaching recommendations that can be adapted by every country according to its resources and needs.
World Health Report 2001 - Greek edition [pdf 8.61Mb] The mental health Global Action Programme (mhGAP) was developed as a follow-up to the 2001 World Health Report and provides a strategy for closing the gap between what is urgently needed and what is currently available to help individuals and families affected by mental illnesses.
This five-year programme prioritizes services for the most vulnerable population groups and focuses on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for people with six priority conditions - depression, schizophrenia, alcohol and drug dependence, dementia, epilepsy, and the risk of suicide.
This programme also aims to increase the responsiveness of governments to mental health concerns, to enhance services, to reduce the burden of mental disorders, and to reduce the devastating impact of stigma and discrimination.
Moving forward:
The impact of WHO's efforts is already significant. Countries are beginning to act and move forward innovatively.
WHO hopes to catalyze this new energy to improve the mental health situation around the world.
Through the mental health Global Action Programme (mhGAP), there is the opportunity to advance the momentum generated into intensive action so that people with mental illness, wherever they are, can access needed services and can achieve the highest level of recovery.
For more information, please refer to the list of publications. List of Publications on Mental Health:
The number of prescriptions for antidepressants in England has hit a record high despite national guidance advocating alternative treatments: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6653013.stm
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said by 2010, £170m a year would be spent - allowing 900,000 more people to be treated using psychological therapies: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7037400.stm
Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) 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.
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Scott_1984
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Re:Depression/Mental Health News Uk/World: - 2007/11/29 01:42According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND, people suffering from depression feel much better after eating a banana.
This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a protein that the body converts into serotonin to make you relax and improve your mood.
Trypotophan can also help sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Also, if you are stressed or nervous, bananas can help calm you down. Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Bananas also fight stress with potassium, as the mineral helps normalise the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water-balance.
