Title: Mental Health and Mental Disorders | Healthy People 2020
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Mental Health and Mental Disorders
Goal
Overview
Why Is Mental Health Important?
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Understanding Mental Health and Mental Disorders
Emerging Issues in Mental Health and Mental Disorders
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References

Content: The understanding of how the brain functions under normal conditions and in response to stressors, combined with knowledge of how the brain develops over time, has been essential to that progress. The major areas of progress include evidence that: MEB disorders are common and begin early in life
The greatest opportunity for prevention is among young people
There are multiyear effects of multiple preventive interventions on reducing substance abuse, conduct disorder, antisocial behavior, aggression, and child maltreatment
The incidence of depression among pregnant women and adolescents can be reduced
School-based violence prevention can reduce the base rate of aggressive problems in an average school by 25 to 33 percent
There are potential indicated preventive interventions for schizophrenia
Improving family functioning and positive parenting can have positive outcomes on mental health and can reduce poverty-related risk
School-based preventive interventions aimed at improving social and emotional outcomes can also improve academic outcomes
Interventions targeting families dealing with adversities, such as parental depression or divorce, can be effective in reducing risk for depression among children and increasing effective parenting
Some preventive interventions have benefits that exceed costs, with the available evidence strongest for early childhood interventions
Implementation is complex, and it is important that interventions be relevant to the target audiences
The progress identified above has led to a stronger understanding of the importance of protective factors. A 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report advocates for multidisciplinary prevention strategies at the community level that support the development of children in healthy social environments. 7 In addition to advancements in the prevention of mental disorders, there continues to be steady progress in treating mental disorders as new drugs and stronger evidence-based outcomes become available. Emerging Issues in Mental Health and Mental Disorders
New mental health issues have emerged among some special populations, such as: Veterans who have experienced physical and mental trauma
People in communities with large-scale psychological trauma caused by natural disasters
Older adults, as the understanding and treatment of dementia and mood disorders continues to improve
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National Institute of Mental Health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Medlineplus. Mental Health and Behavior
As the Federal Government begins to implement the health reform legislation, it will give attention to providing services for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, including new opportunities for access to and coverage for treatment and prevention services. References
1 Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Behavioral health trends in the United States: