We support a continued investment in NIH to achieve the completion of the human genome sequencing project and applaud the accelerated timetable for completion. Mapping of the human genome will be critical to uncovering the genetic factors involved in mental illness and clarifying the phenotypes of major mental disorders. We are pleased that NIMH has compiled a database of families with mental illness for genetic analysis as the science and technology becomes available in the near future. A high priority should also be the epidemiology and clinical evaluation of individuals with manic-depression and their family members. Of utmost importance as these projects move forward is respect of the privacy of those individuals involved, especially given the continued struggle to fight the stigma of mental illness.
Confidentiality is of critical importance in the management of all medical records.
Clinical Research National DMDA believes that the translation of research from the laboratory to the bench in a rapid and efficient manner is of paramount importance and is pleased to see the Surgeon General's report and NIH leadership acknowledge the need for increased clinical research. The expansion of NIMH's Translational Centers program, dedicated to rapidly moving basic science from the lab into the clinical setting, is another strong step toward getting new and improved treatments to patients more quickly. Requiring third-party payors to support important patient care costs associated with promising experimental therapeutics would further facilitate completion of clinical evaluation at the earliest possible moment. National DMDA plays an important role in several large NIMH-sponsored clinical trials. National DMDA participates in the oversight of these trials because of its belief that the priority of all clinical trials must always be the safety of the patient.