Mental Health

Other Links

Click on the mailbox below to e-mail us if you have questions or comments

In the United States, mental illness is comparable to heart disease and cancer as a cause of chronic illness and disability. Mental disorders occur across the lifespan, affecting persons of all racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and all educational and socioeconomic groups. In the past year, about 20% of Americans had a diagnosis of a mental disorder alone or a co-occurring mental and addictive disorder. Mental and behavioral disorders and serious emotional disturbances in children and adolescents can lead to school failure, alcohol or drug use, violence, or suicide. Americans 65 years of age and older may experience mental disorders that are not part of normal aging. These include depression, anxiety, and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease strikes 8 to 15% of people over age 65. 
     Consumer and family organizations, concerned about fragmentation and inaccessibility of mental health services, encourage individuals to seek needed mental health services. Such groups work to prevent discrimination towards persons with mental illness, promote self-help groups, promote recovery from mental illness, and overcome stigma associated with mental illness, all of which create barriers to providing and receiving effective mental health treatment.

Objective: 
Reduce suicide deaths (per 100,000 population).

	Total	Male	Female
NH Baseline 1996-1998	11.8 deaths	19.1 deaths	5.3 deaths15
US Baseline 1998	11.3 deaths	19.2 deaths	4.3 deaths6
NH Target 2010	4.0 deaths

Objective: 
Reduce suicide attempts (outpatient/ER self inflicted injury discharges per 100,000 population).

	Total	Age 15-44 years
NH Baseline 1998	112.2 discharges	212.0 discharges15
US Baseline	NA	NA
NH Target 2010	84.1 discharges	159.0 discharges

Suicide represents one of the leading causes of preventable death. It occurs most frequently as a consequence of a mental disorder. Although women attempt suicide more often than men, completed suicide is significantly higher among men. Suicide is attempted most frequently during adolescence and through mid-life.

Objective: 
Increase the number of persons who receive mental health screening and assessment in a primary health care setting.

	NH and US Baseline	NA
	NH Target 2010	Developmental

The primary health care setting is the initial point of contact for many adults with mental disorders. Attention to mental health in primary care settings can promote early detection and intervention, thus improving quality of life. 

Objective: 
Increase the number of persons who receive mental health screening upon entry into the criminal justice system.

	NH and US Baseline	NA
	NH Target 2010	Developmental

People with mental illnesses are over-represented in jail populations. Nationally, the proportion with severe mental illness in city and county jails falls between 6% to15%, and in state prisons, 3% to 11%. Comprehensive mental health assessment of persons entering the criminal justice system can determine the extent of the problem in New Hampshire.

“Mental illnesses are just as real as other illnesses, and they are like other illnesses in most ways. Yet fear and stigma persist, resulting in lost opportunities for individuals to seek treatment and improve or recover.” 

— Donna Shalala, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1999

Home

Next
Nutrition and Physical Activity