That's just as true for mental health, in general. We know now more than we ever did before. What we do now with what we know is critical to the future of our nation's health. So, if you, or a loved one, are experiencing the symptoms of a mental disorder, seek effective treatment. Long before this report was published, we have been supporting the needs for a balanced community health system in this country one that ensures universal access to care, while balancing health promotion, disease prevention and early diagnosis.
Mental health is no exception.
A balanced community health system calls for strengthening our mental health system by applying a new paradigm, and it views mental health from a public health perspective that involves the entire community homes, schools, churches and businesses in sharing the responsibility for health. It calls for a balanced research agenda. And it calls for a partnership between public health and medicine, where attention is given both to the community and the individual. We must continue to do the science, especially in the area of treatment and the investigation of prevention strategies an area where we still have a great deal to accomplish. All of us together must work to overcome the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses by educating ourselves and each other.