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Mental Health America urged business and elected leaders to recognize the importance of mental health and invest in programs and policies so it is integral to overall health. "We possess the knowledge and techniques that can help millions of Americans manage threats to their mental health, stay resilient and live healthy and productive lives," said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. "But they are not reaching the people who need them most. We cannot and should not wait for another time of trauma and tragedy to make them available. It's time for mental health." Founded in 1909 by Clifford W. Beers, a young businessman who experienced firsthand the treatment of individuals with a mental illness, Mental Health America (then called the National Committee for Mental Hygiene) was the first association of its kind and the beginning of what we now know as the organized mental health movement in America. In any given year, over 60 million adult Americans have a mental health condition and twenty percent of children have a mental health condition serious enough to hinder their ability to learn. Mental health and substance abuse problems are among the most chronic and disabling of all medical conditions, driving up health costs and destroying employee productivity and school achievement. People with serious mental illnesses die on average 25 years earlier than the rest of the population. But over two-thirds of adults and over one-half of children with a diagnosable mental health condition do not receive the treatment and services they need. Yet, these conditions are just as treatable as other medical conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Decades of rigorous scientific work have shown that mental illnesses are diseases of the brain and therefore can be reliably diagnosed and effectively treated. Recovery is not only possible, but likely. Mental Health America, which worked to pass mental health parity legislation last fall, said health reform proposals present an opportunity to expand services and access if concerted action is taken. But it also called on corporate America to follow the lead of many major companies that are expanding mental health services through the workplace and finding it helps their bottom line and benefits their workers' health. To continue efforts to end the prejudice and discrimination, Mental Health America today launched its realLIVES program, a unique online community where mental health consumers can share their stories of living with mental health conditions. Through their courage to speak out, participants give voice to the nearly 60 million American adults who have a mental health condition. For more information, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives. National leaders and long-time advocates in the mental health field today praised Mental Health America on its century of achievement: For fact sheets and additional information on mental health issues and conditions, go to www.mentalhealthamerica.net. www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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