meetara-lab/vectorstore-mental_health huggingface dataset:
NIMH Director Lewis L. Judd, M.D., worked closely with members of Congress to have the 1990s dubbed the “Decade of the Brain.” From left are Senator Pete Domenici, Senator Donald Riegle Jr., President George H.W. Bush, Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Wade Sullivan, M.D., Dr. Judd, and Representative Silvio O. Conte. Courtesy of George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

“

The human brain, a three-pound mass of interwoven nerve cells that controls our activity, is one of the most magnificent—and mysterious—wonders of creation. The seat of human intelligence, interpreter of senses, and controller of movement, this incredible organ continues to intrigue scientists and layman alike.

President George H.W. Bush Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

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President George H.W. Bush Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

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On September 25, NIMH staff, members of Congress, and mental health advocates attended a ceremony for the dedication of the NIMH Neuroscience Center and the NIMH Neuropsychiatric Research Hospital, located on the St. Elizabeths Hospital grounds.
13 Psychologist Marsha M. Linehan, Ph.D., and colleagues published findings from their NIMH-supported research on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a new treatment approach for people with borderline personality disorder. DBT enhanced standard change-oriented techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy with concepts of acceptance and validation of one’s present situation and emotional state. DBT also focused on helping people build skills to manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and improve relationships. This study and later research showed that adults who received DBT engaged in fewer and less severe suicidal behaviors, had fewer inpatient days in the hospital, and were more likely to stay in therapy than those who received standard care. Later studies showed DBT to reduce suicidal behavior in adolescents. Later in her career, Dr. Linehan discussed her lived experience and how it helped inform novel strategies to treat
DBT to reduce suicidal behavior in adolescents. Later in her career, Dr. Linehan discussed her lived experience and how it helped inform novel strategies to treat mental illness and reduce suicide risk.
On July 10, President Bush signed the ADAMHA Reorganization Act (P.L. 102- 321), abolishing the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration. The research components of NIMH, NIAAA, and NIDA rejoined NIH, thereby reuniting NIMH with the leading medical research agency in the United States and ensuring the future of neuroscience and mental health research. The service components of each institute became part of a new U.S. Public Health Service agency—the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Within NIMH, new offices were created to support research on prevention, special populations, rural mental health, and HIV/AIDS. 

NIMH coordinated a multi-institute effort to launch the Human Brain Project, a comprehensive neuroscience database accessible via an international computer network through cutting-edge imaging, computer, and network technologies.
On October 3, President Bill Clinton established the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. The commission issued the resulting report, Research Involving Persons With Mental Disorders That May Affect Decision-Making Capacity, in 1999. This report informed NIMH policies to safeguard and improve protections for human participants in clinical mental health research.

At the request of Congress, NIH created the NIH Autism Coordinating Committee to increase the quality of research on autism spectrum disorder. The director of NIMH was made co-chair of the committee along with the director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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14 1998

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1991

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14 1998

1999

NIMH launched several long-term, large-scale, multisite, community-based clinical studies to determine the effectiveness of certain treatments. Specifically, the studies focused on treatments for depression, treatments for bipolar disorder, and antipsychotic medications as part of treatment for schizophrenia and for the management of psychosis and behavioral symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The NIMH Neuroscience Center and NIMH Neuropsychiatric Research Hospital were relocated from St. Elizabeths Hospital grounds in Washington, D.C., to the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, in response to the recommendations of the 1996 review of the NIMH Intramural Research Program by the Intramural Planning Committee.

Aerial shot of the NIH campus. Courtesy of Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum.
Aerial shot of the NIH campus. Courtesy of Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum.

In June, NIMH developed materials and helped organize the first White House Conference on Mental Health in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together national leaders, mental health scientific and clinical personnel, patients, and consumers to discuss needs and opportunities to understand and treat mental disorders.

In July, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., released The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide. Another report, Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, followed in December. NIMH and other federal agencies collaborated to prepare both landmark reports.
15 In December, the main findings from the Multimodal Treatment of ADHD study were published. NIMH sponsored the multisite study to compare the leading treatment approaches for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most common developmental disorders in childhood. Study participants included nearly 600 children, ages 7-9 years, seen at six study sites. In contrast to previous short- term studies, this study examined treatment effects for up to 14 months. Results showed that a combination treatment approach that included both medication and behavior therapy and a medication-only approach were both generally more effective in reducing ADHD symptoms compared to behavioral treatment alone or routine community care. The study also showed that these benefits lasted for as long as 14 months. Subsequent analyses and publications examined the impact of the interventions on various areas of functioning and the long-term course of youth in the study.
On October 9, researchers Eric Kandel, M.D., Ph.D., Paul Greengard, Ph.D., and Arvid Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D., received the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their respective research on the functioning of signal transduction proteins in learning, memory, and movement. Dr. Kandel and Dr. Greengard conducted NIMH-supported research for more than 30 years. Dr. Kandel, who worked in the NIMH Intramural Research Program in the 1950s, received the prize for his research on the functional modification of synapses, which allow neurons to communicate in the brain. His work established that the formation of memories is a consequence of short- and long-term changes in the biochemistry of neurons and showed that these changes occur at the level of synapses.
The Nobel Prize recognized Dr. Greengard’s discovery that dopamine and several other transmitters can alter the functional state of neuronal proteins. These findings made it clear that signaling between neurons could alter their function not only in the short term but also in the long term. In addition, Dr. Greengard discovered that subsequent environmental signals could reverse such changes.

On October 17, President Clinton signed the Children’s Health Act of 2000 (P.L. 106- 310), which created the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate all autism-related efforts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. By 2001, NIMH had been designated to lead implementation of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, with the NIMH director as the committee chair.

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16 2000
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16 2000

On November 3, Nancy Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D., a psychiatrist whose research was supported by NIMH for many years, received the National Medal of Science for her groundbreaking work in schizophrenia that joined behavioral science with neuroscience and neuroimaging.

NIMH and other federal agencies collaborated to prepare a report on the Surgeon General’s Conference, Children’s Mental Health: A National Action Agenda. Released by Surgeon General Dr. Satcher, this report indicated that the poor mental health of many children and adolescents in the United States represented a national public health crisis. The National Action Agenda outlined goals and strategies to improve services for children and adolescents with mental and emotional disorders.
In September, NIMH published a national conference report, Mental Health and Mass Violence: Evidence-Based Early Psychological Intervention for Victims/ Survivors of Mass Violence: A Workshop to Reach Consensus on Best Practices. Although most people recover from a traumatic event over time, the report indicated that early psychological intervention guided by qualified mental health professionals could reduce the harmful psychological and emotional effects of exposure to mass violence. NIMH collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and the American Red Cross to prepare this report.
NIMH established the Limited Access Data Repository, the institute’s first effort to provide an infrastructure that could support data sharing among extensive NIMH- funded clinical studies. The repository served as a platform for researchers to access datasets to conduct secondary analyses until 2017, when data from those clinical trials were moved to the NIMH Data Archive.

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2005

NIMH’s large-scale practical clinical trial—the Treatment of Adolescent Depression Study—published significant first-phase results on the most effective treatment for adolescents with depression. The study showed that a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and the medication fluoxetine (the only FDA-approved antidepressant for children and adolescents at the time) was most effective at treating depression over 12 weeks.
The study’s principal investigator, John March, M.D., M.P.H., presented additional results to NIMH’s National Advisory Mental Health Council in September 2006. These results, which extended the study’s time frame to 18 weeks, once again showed that the combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and fluoxetine provided the fastest, most effective treatment for adolescent depression. Although psychotherapy alone was a viable option for adolescents who could not take medication, it took an additional six months to achieve the improvement seen with treatment that included medication.
The Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness research program— another NIMH large-scale practical clinical trial—provided the first real-world test of antipsychotic medications for people with schizophrenia. Its first phase compared the effectiveness and side effects of four newer medications and one older medication for treating schizophrenia. All the medications—even the older, less expensive medication, perphenazine—showed comparable effectiveness. However, many people in the study stopped taking the medications due to intolerable side effects or a failure to control symptoms adequately.
Results from the first phase of the study were released in 2006 and showed that antipsychotic medications commonly prescribed to treat delusions, aggression, hallucinations, and similar symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease could also benefit some people with schizophrenia. Still, the medications were no more effective than a placebo when considering adverse side effects. The study advanced the field by directly comparing multiple antipsychotic drugs within a single trial. The extensive information provided by this direct comparison helped clinicians determine the best medication for individual patients.

18 2006
18 2006

The NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) research program reported a series of results over the course of the year. A large-scale practical clinical trial led by NIMH, the study was also the nation’s largest clinical trial of treatments for depression at the time. The results provided real-world insight into depression treatment, including alternate options for people who do not respond to SSRIs, and highlighted opportunities for personalized approaches to depression care.

Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression

The Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study tested the effectiveness of different antidepressant medications. It was the largest and longest study ever conducted to evaluate depression treatment. The first study phase included 2,876 participants receiving care at 41 clinical sites around the United States.
A key strength of STAR*D was its focus on people receiving treatment in primary care and other real-world settings. The study had fewer exclusion criteria than usual clinical trials, and almost half the study sites were primary care. Participants’ depression symptoms and medication side effects were measured using standardized clinician and patient rating scales, which helped clinicians track participants’ progress throughout the study and provide them with consistent, measurement-based care.
STAR*D aimed to use a highly systematic approach to test depression treatments. All study participants were initially treated with citalopram, a standard antidepressant medication. Only about 30% of participants achieved remission in this initial trial. Those who did not achieve remission with citalopram alone were treated with an additional medication or switched to a different medication, with the option of adding cognitive therapy in both cases. Over the course of the study, clinicians continued to make treatment decisions in a consistent, stepwise manner based on this augment-or-switch approach.

At the end of 12 months, 70% of participants had achieved symptom-free status. However, many participants needed to try two or three medications and go through several months of treatment before finding a medication that worked for them. This result underscored the importance of continuing to try new treatments when initial efforts do not work.
The STAR*D trial showed the limitations of existing treatments for depression and for whom certain medications were most likely to work. The study also helped move the field toward personalized, measurement-based care and demonstrated the feasibility of conducting large-scale, community- based trials across many settings.

19 Building on previous research, several studies in the NIMH Intramural Research Program demonstrated that the medication ketamine could relieve symptoms of depression within hours in people with treatment-resistant depression, a marked contrast to existing medications that could take weeks to have noticeable effects. These studies also helped identify possible underlying mechanisms, moving scientists closer to understanding how to develop new fast-acting antidepressant medications.

New Hope for Treatment-Resistant Depression
New Hope for Treatment-Resistant Depression

NIMH-sponsored studies have shown that ketamine can be an effective treatment option for people with depression who have not responded to SSRIs and other antidepressant medications. NIMH intramural researchers carried out much of this work. 

In 2006, NIMH intramural researchers Husseini Manji, M.D., and Carlos Zarate, M.D., along with Dennis Charney, M.D., at Mt. Sinai Medical School, reported findings from the first study investigating ketamine for people with treatment-resistant depression. The researchers found that ketamine produced rapid, robust, and relatively sustained antidepressant effects in patients who had already tried several antidepressant medications without seeing improvement.
Dr. Zarate and other intramural researchers have continued this work, investigating the neurobiological mechanisms that drive ketamine’s therapeutic effects and examining ketamine as a possible treatment for people with bipolar depression and anhedonia and people experiencing suicidal thoughts.

On December 19, President George W. Bush signed the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-416). The measure called for increased research on autism spectrum disorder. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, co-chaired by the NIMH director, was also reauthorized and chartered as a federal advisory committee.

Findings from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder research project, an NIMH practical clinical trial, revealed that people with bipolar disorder were more likely to recover from a depressive episode and stay well over the longer term if their treatment included both intensive psychotherapy and medication.

2007

20 2008
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In August, NIMH published its Strategic Plan for Research with four primary objectives:

• Promote discovery in the brain and behavioral sciences to fuel research

on the causes of mental disorders

• Chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where, and how to

intervene

• Develop new and better interventions that incorporate the diverse needs

and circumstances of people with mental illnesses

• Strengthen the public health impact of NIMH-supported research
• Develop new and better interventions that incorporate the diverse needs

and circumstances of people with mental illnesses

• Strengthen the public health impact of NIMH-supported research

The Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study examined strategies for treating clinically significant anxiety among children ages 7-17 years. Results of the six- site clinical trial revealed that, although the combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressant medication was most effective at treating anxiety, each treatment alone was also effective. The findings indicated that clinicians and families have several viable treatment options for young people with anxiety disorders, depending on treatment availability and preferences.
The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) launched as a partnership between NIMH and the U.S. Army to conduct research to help reduce suicide rates among members of the military. The multisite, multiyear study, which included soldiers in all phases of service, was the largest study of mental health risk and resilience ever conducted among military personnel. 

The study showed a rise in suicide deaths from 2004 to 2009 not only among currently and previously deployed soldiers but also among soldiers who were never deployed. Nearly half of soldiers who reported a previous suicide attempt indicated that their first attempt was prior to enlistment. Soldiers also reported higher rates of certain mental disorders than civilians. Results from Army STARRS have informed actionable strategies to enhance mental health and reduce suicide risk among members of the military and civilians.
Twelve NIMH staff members received the 2008 Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America for their work addressing veterans’ mental health needs. These staff members developed a new initiative to support research that would describe and evaluate national, state, and local programs addressing the mental health needs of returning service members and their families.

21 The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research launched the Human Connectome Project as a Blueprint Grand Challenge. Supported by NIMH and other Blueprint partners, the Human Connectome Project aimed to map the neural pathways that underlie human brain function. The effort expanded to measuring macroscale brain connections across the lifespan.

2009
2009

White matter fiber architecture from the Connectome Scanner dataset. Shown are the corpus callosum and brainstem pathways. The fibers are color coded by direction: red = left-right, green = anterior- posterior, blue = ascending-descending (RGB = XYZ). Courtesy of Laboratory of Neuro Imaging and Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Consortium of the Human Connectome Project, www.humanconnectomeproject.org.

The Human Connectome Project

The goal of the Human Connectome Project was to acquire and share data about the structural and functional connectivity of the human brain. Researchers studied the brain’s complex wiring by collecting data from thousands of research participants using state-of-the-art brain imaging technologies. Researchers also collected participants’ DNA, demographic information, and behavioral data to examine how genetics and the environment influence brain connectivity.
The project was the first time that researchers combined different brain imaging technologies to map the brain’s long-range connections systematically. This research paved the way for a deeper understanding of how our brain circuitry changes as we age or because of psychiatric and neurologic conditions.

The Human Connectome Project led to new data models, informatics, and analytic tools that advanced researchers’ ability to image and analyze brain connections. These advances played a major role in accelerating progress in the emerging human connectomics field and contributed to the formation of the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative, or The BRAIN Initiative®.

22 2009

2010
22 2009

2010

The Treatment of SSRI-Resistant Depression in Adolescents research project was an NIMH-funded practical clinical trial that examined difficult-to-treat depression among adolescents across multiple sites. The study showed that teens who did not respond to a first antidepressant medication were more likely to see symptom improvement if they switched to another antidepressant and added psychotherapy instead of only switching medications.

In July, NIMH launched the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative, providing a research framework for developing new ways of classifying mental disorders based on behavioral dimensions and neurobiological measures. The intent was to apply modern research approaches in genetics, neuroscience, and behavioral science to studying mental illnesses, independently from the classification systems by which patients were typically grouped.
The overlapping circles in the RDoC framework represent the integration and intersection of multiple components— including lifespan development, environmental factors, and fundamental biobehavioral processes—in mental health research, as well as various ways to measure these intertwined components. Courtesy of NIMH.

On November 10, NIMH intramural researcher Mortimer Mishkin, Ph.D., was awarded the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony. In studies spanning more than five decades, Dr. Mishkin and colleagues examined the neural mechanisms underlying perception and memory. Dr. Mishkin’s work explored how the brain processes input from vision, hearing, and touch to encode memory and shed light on the organization of memory and memory disorders in humans.

2011
2011

On July 6, the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health initiative began. Co- led and funded by NIMH, the Grand Challenges brought together the largest- ever international Delphi panel—more than 400 participants representing work conducted in 60 countries—to determine priorities for research relevant to mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.

23 On August 25, NIMH was named by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for its efforts supporting research on suicide prevention. The White House Champions of Change initiative celebrated diverse individuals and organizations making an impact in communities and helping the country rise to the challenges of the 21st century.