Books, Articles and Research

Social inclusion: Its importance to mental health
This Mental Health Coordinating Council document outlines the importance of social inclusion for people with mental disorders and the role that community-based organizations can play in establishing a socially inclusive community. In addition to emphasizing the importance of a meaningful community connection, this publication also focuses on the need for supportive family and caregivers, strong consumer networks, and access to clinical services as a way of reaching social inclusion.

Barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking for young elite athletes: a qualitative study
Oftentimes, adolescents and young adults do not seek help with mental disorders. Research has found many barriers and facilitators to getting help for young adults. In this study, researchers worked to identify specific factors that impact help-seeking among elite athletes. They found that negative and harmful attitudes and beliefs related to mental disorders were key in deterring youth from seeking support, as were negative past experiences of help-seeking. Positive feedback from and attitudes of others, including coaches, and positive encounters with providers were identified as important ways of getting young adults to seek mental health support.

Prevention, treatment, and recovery supports for those with substance use problems: Opportunities for enhanced access and quality of care
While recognizing the negative impact that substance use disorders can have on an individual, one's family, and community, this article explores ways to improve access to prevention and care for substance use disorders.

The mental health recovery movement and family therapy, part I: Consumer-led reform of services to persons diagnosed with severe mental illness
This article outlines key concepts of mental health recovery for marriage and family therapists. It provides a history and practical means of implementing a recovery-oriented approach with clients. The introduction of this approach comes as a result of a 2004 consensus statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that called for public mental health organizations to incorporate a recovery approach to their work with individuals with mental and substance use disorders.

Adaptation guidelines for serving Latino children and families affected by trauma
The adaptation guidelines discussed in this publication highlight key factors that should be addressed when adapting mental health practices to be used in working with Latino/Hispanic individuals impacted by trauma. Focus groups composed of experts in various fields including child trauma research, clinical practice, and cultural diversity discussed a number of important areas to consider while supporting Latino/Hispanic children and families. Some of the key areas identified are cultural values, immigration, child welfare, communication and linguistic competence, and diversity among Latinos.

Former Celtics player discusses his struggle with addiction in new book
Chris Herren, a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, began his recovery journey to address a substance use disorder years ago. In his book, Basketball Junkie: A Memoir, he tells how he came close to losing everything, including his loved ones, and how he has regained control of his life.

The price of being strong: Risks to the mental health of athletes
This article explores how susceptible athletes are to psychological strain as they endure great pressure during competitions and throughout their careers. The prevalence of chronic trauma and traumatic brain injury in athletes is also discussed, as depression, suicide ideation, and loss of focus are common symptoms associated with these types of trauma. The likelihood of facing some forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as athletic careers come to a close for some is also explored, as PTSD has the potential to trigger depression or feelings of grief in retiring athletes. As a means of countering many of these risks, the author emphasizes the need for people to change the negative and harmful attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs held about mental disorders and embrace the idea of help as available and attainable. The support roles of family, friends, coaches, and teammates in identifying symptoms and encouraging athletes to seek help are also highlighted.

Integration of mental health, substance use, and primary care services: Embracing our values from a client and family member perspective
The focus of this paper is to provide perspectives of clients and family members about the integration of treatment of mental and substance use disorders within primary care settings. This paper discusses core values such as wellness-focused and person-centered treatment, the importance of involving persons with lived experience and family members in local planning efforts, and recommendations for stakeholders and for self-advocacy/self-management support. It also provides information, resources, and tools to support wellness, recovery, and hope.

Models for developing trauma-informed behavioral health systems and trauma-specific services
This report explores some history of trauma-informed services in State mental health systems, describes guidelines for establishing a trauma-informed mental health service system, and also describes the variety of trauma-informed service models and approaches for State systems and providers. It includes a broad range of models including trauma-informed models for parenting, for working with child abuse survivors, and for developing trauma-informed service systems and organizations.

Risking connection in faith communites: A training curriculum for faith leaders supporting trauma
This training guide is a resource for faith leaders assisting trauma survivors who are members of their congregations. The guide discusses the nature of psychological trauma and how it impacts individuals, including the impact of trauma on one's spirituality. The guide enhances faith leaders' understanding and skills and provides information they can use to help survivors.

Mental health first aid course removes stigmas associated with mental illness
This article describes the mental health first aid program, which assists individuals interested in learning how to better respond to individuals who may be experiencing a mental health crisis with responding to some signs and symptoms related to mental disorders. This article lists a five-step action plan associated with this program; some examples of who might benefit most from a mental health first aid course, including family members and healthcare providers; and some ways training in this approach has enhanced people's understanding of mental disorders by teaching people how to respond appropriately to unique situations associated with mental disorders.

Leading Change: A Plan for SAMHSA's Roles and Actions 2011-2014
This publication describes SAMHSA's plans for 2011 through 2014 to help people with behavioral health problems and their families. Their main focus is to help in developing strong communities, prevent behavioral health problems, and promote better health for all Americans. This plan is outlined by the eight new Strategic Initiatives that will guide SAMHSA's work, each Initiative with its own purpose, specific goal, action step, and measure for determining success.

Successfully exiting homelessness: Experiences of formerly homeless mentally ill individuals
This study sought to identify and describe the processes of change which contribute to homeless individuals obtaining and maintaining stable housing. The researchers examined the impact of a number of factors including employment difficulties, behavioral health problems, and relationships with family, friends, and service providers. A key finding was that relationships with family, friends and service providers were central to achieving stable housing.

Child wellness and social inclusion: Values for action
This article discusses various approaches to promoting inclusion of youth through Participatory Action Research (PAR). Recognizing the immense contributions that inclusion has on wellness, researchers address specific values of social inclusion on child wellness and the action needed to implement these values.

A common purpose: Recovery in future mental health services
This paper seeks to define recovery and discuss what recovery means for the development of future behavioral health services. It addresses ways the recovery approach can be beneficial for individuals' overall health and for social care services, i.e. services which address needs associated with the health and welfare of the population. The paper encourages mental health professionals, consumers, and friends and family of consumers to work toward enhancing current standards and making recovery a key component of developing services.

Peer-run supportive housing for families
This article describes the approach of Housing Options Made Easy, (HOME) Inc., a consumer-run supportive housing program. The article discusses the service approach HOME's peer providers use to support residents in achieving personal recovery and the positive outcomes experienced by residents including fewer and shorter hospital stays and reduced use of crisis services. The article also discusses system-level benefits realized through this program including cost savings, a reduction in negative attitudes, and improved overall effectiveness of the area's mental health delivery system.

Journal of Primary Prevention "SPECIAL ISSUE: Homelessness & Mental Illness"
This journal issue includes 16 articles that focus on the issues of homelessness and behavioral health problems. Articles included in this issue focus on a variety of related topics including homelessness prevention, Critical Time Intervention, homelessness among veterans, reemployment, and the role of family contact and housing stability.

The Role of Social Capital in Building Healthy Communities
This report focuses on the role that community-based institutions play in developing healthy communities and encouraging social capital. Information from case studies done in four U.S. cities are used to address the different views of social capital, local social service delivery systems, and influence of faith communities in providing support to families and communities.

Transforming the nation's health: Next steps in mental health promotion
In this commentary, A. Kathryn Power, Director of the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, advocates for a public health approach to behavioral health promotion and behavioral disorder prevention. She discusses the relationship of behavioral health to overall health and presents a strategy to build resilience at the individual, family, and community levels. She also describes SAMHSA's work to attain the goals within the strategy.

Infants of depressed mothers living in poverty: Opportunities to identify and serve
Depression can affect parenting and thus the health, safety, and development of an infant under the care of a parent experiencing depression. This paper discusses ways that existing service programs for mothers living in poverty can be used to identify and provide appropriate mental health services to mothers who are depressed and caring for infants.

Poverty, social stress & mental health
This article explores the relationship between mental health problems and poverty. Specifically, the authors discuss the prevalence of mental health problems and poverty, the effect of mental health on socioeconomic status and vice versa, issues specific to women and children, and the complexities of measuring mental health and socioeconomic status.

Mental health Stigma among Adolescents: Implications for School Social Workers
This study investigated adolescents with a mental health problem and their experience of stigma at school. Study results emphasize the important role school social workers, school administrators, and teachers can play by learning how to help adolescents with mental health problems succeed and overcome stigma.

An achievable vision: Report of the Department of Defense task force on mental health
This 2007 report of the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health identifies four interconnected goals that the task force deemed essential to maintaining the psychological health, enhancing the resilience, and ensuring the recovery of service members and their families, all of which are essential to maintaining a ready and fully capable military force. The report provided detailed recommendations for necessary steps to achieve these goals.

Q&A: First lady Rosalynn Carter on America's mental health crisis
TIME interviewed Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, advocate for improving the mental health system and ending the negative perceptions that keep many people from getting proper care. In the interview, Mrs. Carter comments on topics including psychiatric drugs for children and the needs of returning service members.

Within our reach: Ending the mental health crisis
This book, written by former first lady Rosalynn Carter with Susan Golant and Kathryn Cade, offers an assessment of the current state of mental health. The book focuses on both the progress Mrs. Carter has seen during her 35 years of advocacy and the serious issues that must still be addressed before the mental health system can adequately meet the needs of people with mental health problems.

Family network support and mental health recovery
This study sought to determine which aspects of the family support network are perceived by mental health consumers/survivors as most important to their recovery process. Study findings revealed that support and reciprocity among family members are important dimensions of a personal support network that aids in the recovery process.

IAVA and Ad Council launch historic campaign
This press release announces the launch of a historic public service announcement (PSA) campaign. Through a partnership of IAVA and the Ad Council, this groundbreaking, multiyear effort seeks to ease the readjustment for service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The PSAs direct viewers to the first and only online community exclusive to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, www.CommunityofVeterans.org. The social networking site offers a unique platform for veterans to connect with one another confidentially and serves as a portal for comprehensive mental health resources.

The Importance of Community Development For Health and Well-Being
This report examines the key role that environmental and community forces play in promoting health and preventing disease. In addition, the authors assert that social and public works programs will be more successful if people living in impacted neighborhoods are afforded the opportunity to participate in the creation and management of the initiatives that affect them.

Evaluation of a middle school mental health education program: Executive summary
Wahl details his findings that the "Breaking the Silence" curriculum may help prevent the formation of negative attitudes and foster more accurate understanding and acceptance of people with psychiatric disorders among middle school aged children.

Vision and Progress: Social Inclusion and Mental Health
This report examines the progress of the National Social Inclusion Programme as it works to implement the activities outlined by the 2004 Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report. Details are given on the progress made so far and on the work still to be done.

Mental Health and Social Exclusion: Social Exclusion Unit Report
This report examines the impact mental health problems have on increasing social exclusion. The report also developed a 27-point action plan to address this problem.

Effects of culturally relevant psychoeducation for Korean American families of persons with chronic mental illness
The goal of this study is to identify culturally relevant treatment methods and to assess the effects of family psychoeducational intervention for Korean Americans who had a family member with mental illness.

Attitudes toward mental health services: age-group differences in Korean American adults
The present study examined the attitudes toward mental health services held by younger and older groups of Korean Americans. The findings provide important implications for interventions targeted to improve access to mental health care among minority populations. Based on the similarities and differences found between young and old, both general and age-specific strategies need to be developed in order to increase effectiveness of these programs.

An emotive subject: Insights from social, voluntary and healthcare professionals into the feelings of family carers for people with mental health problems.
This paper explores the emotions of family carers from the perspectives of social, voluntary and healthcare professionals. Sixty-five participants were interviewed, the sample included directors, managers and senior staff from social, voluntary and healthcare organisations.

A new recovery advocacy movement
In this brief article, the author shares information about the recovery movement that is occuring across communities. He specifically provides information on the core strategies that community organizations are pursuing in their efforts.

Blame, shame, and contamination: The impact of mental illness and drug dependence stigma on family members
Family members of relatives with mental illness or drug dependence or both report that they are frequently harmed by public stigma. No population-based survey, however, has assessed how members of the general public actually view family members. Hence, the authors examined ways that family role and psychiatric disorder influence family stigma.

Making a difficult situation worse: Stigma and mental Health in children
This brief article discusses the recent study on children and mental illness; noting that children with depression or ADHD and their parents not only face the challenge of an illness, but may confront the stigma that accompanies treatment and social rejection.

Striving to help college students with mental health issues
In this article, the author suggests that the mental health problems in the college population appear to be increasing in number and severity. In addition, it is believed that many students do not actually seek much-needed counseling services due to lack of knowledge about mental health problems or services, stigma, or denial of the severity of the problem.

The stigma of families with mental illness
This article describes family stigma, which is defined as the prejudice and discrimination experienced by individuals through associations with their relatives. The authors also present strategies to eliminate stigma and discuss implications for the training goals of psychiatrists throughout the text.

MILITARY: Marine commanders told to remove stress stigma
This articles provides brief information on information that was shared during a three-day Marine Corps conference in San Diego addressing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and the effects those illnesses have on family members. The author also discusses the new tactics that the military is implementing to reduce stigma related to mental illness.

Stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about treatment and psychiatric medications for children with mental illness
Researchers interviewed a representative sample of noninstitutionalized adult participants of the U.S. population to obtain data on community responses to two treatment issues critical for children and adolescents with mental health problems are addressed: stigma associated with receiving mental health care and the willingness to use psychiatric medication.

Overcoming stigma: Involving families in medical student and psychiatric residency education
The primary purpose of this article is to present a possible mechanism for increasing communication about psychiatric matters such as diagnoses, treatment, and stigma between the physicians, including psychiatrists, and the families of persons with mental illness through a NAMI presentation.

Campus mental health: Know your rights
Campus Mental Health: Know Your Rights is a guide for college and university students to the legal rights one has when seeking mental health services. It also explains what can be expected in interactions with mental health service providers and what obligations one might have.

Gender and opinions about mental illness as predictors of attiudes toward seeking professional psychological help
The study investigated the relationship between students' opinions about mental illness and their attitudes toward seeking attitudes. Researchers also examined the effects of opinions about mental illness on help seeking attitudes above and beyond well-known gender effects.

Family heritage and depression guides: Family and peer views influence adolescent attitudes about depression
In this study, 15 adolescents were interviewed to examine how the views and behaviours of others influence teens' decisions about seeking care for depression.

Psychological distress among Latino family caregivers of adults with schizophrenia: The roles of burden and stigma
This study examined the relation between caregivers' mental health and perceived burden and stigma and characteristics of the patient and caregiver within the Latino community.

Family views of stigma
The views of 487 members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) concerning stigma were surveyed in 20 different States. Almost all identified stigma as a problem for their mentally ill relatives and for families in general.

Art therapy for children: How it leads to change
The aim of art therapy is to facilitate positive change through engagement with the therapist and the art materials in a safe environment. This article will explore how art therapy is used to help children with emotional, developmental and behavioral problems. It will show how change occurs during the process of physical involvement with the materials; through the making of a significant art object; through sublimation of feelings into the images; and through communication with the therapist via the art object.

Pastors' perceptions of mental disorders
Letter to the editor in which a study is discussed where pastors were surveyed on their views of mental illness.

School-age children's perceptions of mental illness
The purpose of this study was to describe how school-age children perceive mental illness.

Reaching out to high school youth: The effectiveness of a video-based antistigma program
This study evaluted the impact on Canadian high school students of a video-based antistigma program portraying real life experiences of individuals with schizophrenia. It also includes lesson plans to guide classroom discussions and active learning.

Reducing stigma and discrimination against older people with mental disorders: A technical consensus statement
This technical consensus statement is jointly produced by the Old Age Psychiatry section of the World Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, and other non-governmental organizations. It is intended to be a tool for (i) promoting debate at all levels on the stigmatisation of older people with mental disorders; (ii) outlining the nature, causes and consequences of this stigmatisation; and (iii) promoting and suggesting policies, programmes and actions to combat this stigmatisation.

Growing older: The lived experience of older persons with serious mental illness
The purpose of this qualitative paper is to describe, from the consumers perspective, the complex factors involved as persons with serious mental illness grow older in the community.

Mental healthcare for rural seniors. An outreach program in Cedar Rapids, IA, uses an integrated approach to break down barriers to care
Article discussing the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health in the Cedar Rapids, IA, and the work that the Center does in breaking down some of the barriers to mental health services for older adults in rural communities.

Beliefs about mental illness and willingness to seek help: A cross-sectional study
Evidence indicates that older adults underutilize mental health services, but little is known empirically about the perceptions older adults have about mental illnesses and their attitudes about seeking professional help for psychological problems. The present study examined beliefs about mental illnesses and willingness to seek professional help among younger and older persons.

Rural and frontier mental and behavioral health care: Barriers, effective policy strategies, best practices
This report focuses on the following areas: barriers to mental and behavioral health service delivery in rural America, model programs and effective activities for rural America, model policy strategies for rural mental and behavioral health care delivery, the role telehealth should play in service delivery to rural America, and the role that State Offices of Rural Health and other State and local organizations should play in service delivery to rural America.

A survey of preferred terms for users of mental health services.
This survey was conducted to determine how users of mental health services would like to be addressed by professionals. Three hundred two persons participating in a variety of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric programs were surveyed.

Demystifying mental illness in any language
It can be difficult to bring mental health care to some immigrant communities, where beside the great language barriers, one encounters stigma that can transcend the individual and include the entire family. This article looks at providing mental health care across cultures.

From Brother's Death, a Crusade
The death of her only brother, and the discovery that he had hidden his struggles with mental illness from his friends and family for years after he began hearing voices, rocked Ms. Malmon?s world, and by her junior year led her to start the student group that evolved into Active Minds Inc., a nonprofit organization with student-run chapters on 65 campuses, devoted to increasing awareness of mental illness.

Campus mental health services: Recommendations for change
College officials indicate that the number of students with serious mental illnesses has risen significantly. Media attention surrounding several high profile suicides has opened discussion of mental illness on campus. The authors summarize literature on college students and mental illness, including barriers to service receipt. Recommendations to improve campus-based responses for persons with a serious mental illness are presented on the basis of well-accepted service principles.

The journey of Native American people with serious mental illness: Executive summary
This report describes the first national conference on Native American people with serious mental illness. Describes meeting of State, tribal, and Federal mental health officials; providers; families; and consumers to tackle mental health delivery issues for Native Americans and to overcome barriers for developing coordinated, efficient, and culturally relevant systems of care.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a consumer-provided mental health recovery education presentation
The current study investigated the effectiveness of the In Our Own Voice (IOOV) mental health education program in improving knowledge and attitudes about mental illnesses.  

Stigma and discrimination towards people with schizophrenia and their family members : A qualitative study with focus groups
There is a scarcity of data regarding the actual stigma and discrimination experienced by schizophrenic patients and their relatives. Those experiences can vary significantly depending on the specific social group involved. This study explored such phenomena in our culture with a qualitative technique.

Talking about mental illness: An evaluation of an anti-stigma and educational program in Hamilton, Ontario
An evaluation of the "Talking About Mental Illness" program and its effectiveness in decreasing stigmatizing attitudes and increasing understanding of mental illness.

Mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices in two kibbutzim
This study explored mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in two kibbutzim (collective villages).

Lived experiences of family caregivers of mentally ill relatives
The aim of this paper is to report a study conducted to explore the meanings of the lived experiences that Chinese family caregivers in Malaysia ascribed to the care they provided to relatives with severe and persistent mental illness.

Advocacy for mental health: Roles for consumers and family organizations and governments
The World Health Organization urges countries to become more active in advocacy efforts to put mental health on governments' agendas. Health policy makers, planners and managers, advocacy groups, consumer and family organizations, through their different roles and actions, can move the mental health agenda forward. This paper outlines the importance of the advocacy movement, describes some of the roles and functions of the different groups and identifies some specific actions that can be adopted by Ministries of Health.

Psychiatric illness and family stigma
This study examines the perceptions of and reactions to stigma among 156 parents and spouses of a population-based sample of first-admission psychiatric patients.

Words have power: (Re)-defining serious emotional disturbance for American Indian and Alaska Native children and their families
Circles of Care grantees were provided the opportunity to develop a locally relevant definition of serious emotional disturbance (SED) that would be used to define what type of emotional, behavioral, and mental disability would be required to receive services. The definitions for SED developed by rural grantees included American Indian and Alaska Native concepts specific to each tribal community?s culture.

Appropriate language in discussing mental illness
A brief article discussing the use of appropriate language, when discussing mental illnesses. Following these suggestions can help to communicate acceptance and understanding.

Stigma impact on Moroccan families of patients with schizophrenia
The study was conducted among 100 family members accompanying patients with schizophrenia. Study used a heteroquestionnaire that inquired about family members' and patients' sociodemographic data, family members' knowledge of the patients' illness, their attitudes and behaviours toward the patient, and their perception of stigma

Treatment delay in first-episode nonaffective psychosis: A pilot study with African American family members and the theory of planned behavior
This pilot study examined associations between three central constructs of the theory of planned behavior and the length of treatment delay among patients hospitalized for a first episode of nonaffective psychosis.

Personal accounts: Help-seeking preferences of high school students: The impact of personal narratives.
Based on the author's personal experience with mental illness, she initiated a study to examine help-seeking behavior of adolescents and if an educational presentation aided in this behavior.

Perception of stigma among family members of individuals with schizophrenia and major affective disorders in rural Ethiopia
This study aimed to estimate the extent and socio-demographic distribution of stigma as perceived by relatives of mentally ill individuals in rural Ethiopia.

Church-based support groups for African American families coping with mental illness: Outreach and outcomes
This study examined the outreach efforts used to provide information about support groups to congregants as well as the participation outcomes reported by families who attended support group meetings.

Beliefs about causation of schizophrenia: Do Indian families believe in supernatural causes?
Beliefs about the causation of schizophrenia could influence the attitudes patients' families adopt towards the patient and may also influence their help-seeking behaviour. Indian families have been typically described as often believing in causes like supernatural forces and therefore seeking help from magico-religious healers. In the changing mental health scenario in India, this impression needs verification.

Shifting blame away from ill relatives: Latino families' reactions to schizophrenia
The present study examined attributions, emotions, and help-giving of 24 relatively unacculturated Latino-Americans toward a family member with schizophrenia.

Complementary spiritual beliefs in the Latino community: The interface with psychotherapy
This article is intended to help non-Latino mental health practitioners develop a level of understanding and respect for other spiritual traditions, as well as achieve the adjustment of clinical techniques necessary for better cultural responsiveness to patients who hold such beliefs.

"How much more can we lose?": Carer and family perspectives on living with a person with depression
This study was designed with the objective of exploring the experiences of careers and families of people with depression.

Stigma as a barrier to recovery: The extent to which caregivers believe most people devalue consumers and their families
This study was conducted to measure the extent to which 461 caregivers of persons with serious mental disorders believed that most people devalue consumers and their families was assessed, and the magnitude of the relationships between these beliefs and the diagnostic status of consumers was estimated.

Causes of schizophrenia reported by patients' family members in China
This study was conducted to develop a quantitative measure suitable for assessing the relationship of causal beliefs to expressed emotion, stigma, care-seeking and adherence.

Sources of burdens on families of individuals with mental illness
This study set out to explore the relationship between stigma, accessibility of mental health facilities and family burden through individual interviews of patients' relatives in order to understand the burden on mentally ill patients' relatives from their perspectives.

Social network's healing power is borne out in poorer nations
This article describes the findings of a 3-decade-long study by the World Health Organization (WHO) which found that mental health consumers in poorer countries have higher rates of recovering from schizophrenia. Key findings described explore the role that family support, culture, and other social networks have on individuals with schizophrenia. This article discusses the differences in the roles of doctors, the invaluable role of families, and the importance of integrating social and cultural supports with medicine to achieve more positive outcomes.

Effects of an educational program on public attitudes towards mental illness
The World Psychiatric Association promotes global anti-stigma programs. However, evaluation research is crucial to developing effective programs. The present study examined the effects of a lecture on mental health on public attitudes towards mental illness. Subjects were recruited from individuals employed by private companies and the government. Attitudes towards mental illness were measured using the Mental Illness and Disorder Understanding Scale developed by the authors and the Scale of Negative Attitudes Towards the Independence of People with Mental Disorders. Test scores obtained before and after the lecture were compared. The results demonstrated that scores on both scales improved significantly. The present study suggests the effectiveness of this type of educational program in reducing stigma attached to mental illness and disorder.

Diagnostic attributions versus labeling: Impact of Alzheimer's disease and major depression diagnoses on emotions, beliefs, and helping intentions of family members
Labeling theory suggests that applying disease labels to behavior may serve to medicalize deviance and produce stigma. Participants rated their emotional responses, attributions, and willingness to help.

A family's painful journey
This article discusses the issues faced in Maryland in seeking assistance for children with severe mental illness. It focuses on State budget cuts for wraparound mental health coverage. 

Cultural diversity series: Meeting the mental health needs of African Americans: Executive summary
A series of technical assistance reports focusing on the mental health needs and access issues of diverse ethnic and non-ethnic populations. The report provides a demographic and cultural overview of African Americans, describes their mental health needs, and describes traditional patterns of service utilization and suggests strategies for enhancing access to effective, culturally competent mental health services.

Behavioral health care needs of rural women
This report attempts to direct attention to this underrepresented group and presents a review of the literature related to the behavioral health care needs of rural women. With this knowledge, psychologists and other health professionals will be able to more effectively plan and deliver services to this population.

Changing middle schoolers' attitudes about mental illness through education
An article discussing the effectiveness of a curriculum supplement for middle school assessing their knowledge and attitudes about mental illness.

Focus on women: Mothers with mental illness: I: The competing demands of parenting and living with mental illness
The purpose of this study is to understand the parenting experiences of women with mental illness from the perspectives of mothers and case managers employed by the state department of mental health.

Report of the Surgeon General's conference on children's mental health: A national action agenda
This report introduces a blueprint for addressing children's mental health needs in the United States.

Drop the stigma: To keep kids from lashing out, parents must urge them to accept help
An article in which Tipper Gore addresses the need for parents and adults to "erase the stigma that prevents our kids from getting the help they need for their mental health."

Spirituality important to African Americans in treating depression
Brief article discussing study results that demonstrated that African Americans were three times more likely than whites to rate spirituality as an extremely important dimension of depression care.

Children's beliefs about people labeled mentally ill
A group of 104 third-grade students told stories in response to pictures of adults labeled mentally ill, physically disabled, or unlabeled, and answered questions regarding expected behavior of these adults. Results indicate that children of this age hold more overall negative attitudes about adults labeled mentally ill than about those designated as physically disabled or nondisabled.

The paradox of self-stigma and mental illness
Published narratives by persons with serious mental illness eloquently describe the harmful effects of stigma on self-esteem and self-efficacy. However, a more careful review of the research literature suggests a paradox; namely, personal reactions to the stigma of mental illness may result in significant loss in self-esteem for some, while others are energized by prejudice and express righteous anger.

Family burden and family stigma in major mental illness
Article discusses the stresses and burdens on families of mentally ill individuals, including stigmatization, and problems in dealing with mental health professionals.

Faith communities care about mental illness
A brief article discussing a video teleconference, "Mental Illness: Paint a Different Picture," held November 10, 1998, sponsored by United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries Health and Relief, the Board of Church and Society, Pathways to Promise, and United Methodist Communications.

Consumer experience of stigma: A national survey
This article summarizes the results of a nationwide survey of 1,301 mental health consumers concerning their experience of stigma and discrimination.

Data trends, summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. No. 60
This article presents the results of a study of premature termination patterns among residents of the United States and Ontario using mental health services.

Childhood revealed: Art expressing pain, discovery and hope
An overview of the book created by the New York University Child Study Center to help people overcome the stigmas attached to child psychiatric illness. The book contains over 100 pieces of art created by children from ages 4 through 18 who have a mental illness or have experienced a difficult life circumstance.

Children trapped by gaps in treatment of mental illness
A brief article in which the author addresses the need to close "the gap in mental health care," which "requires changes in attitudes and development of resources by all who care for children - families, schools, communities, health care agencies, the government, and children themselves."

Mental illness: The moral imperative
A sermon in which a rabbi discusses the push to educate Jewish congregations about mental illness and to advocate for enhanced resources to care for individuals with mental illnesses.

The church's voice on mental illness
Opinion article discussing the need for the proper education of congregations in response to the needs of individuals with mental illnesses.

Why do Christians shoot their wounded?: Helping (not hurting) those with emotional difficulties
Although its title refers to Christians, this book addresses biases and misinformation that are not unique to Christian communities. Dwight Carlson, a physician and psychiatrist, wrote this book to enable pastoral care providers and others to gain a new perspective on mental and emotional illness.

Stigma and expressed emotion: A study of people with schizophrenia and their family members in China
This study was conducted to explore the factors that mediate patients' emotional and cognitive responses to stigma.

Neuroscience and mental health education: A multimedia curriculum and teacher education project for middle school children
This study evaluated a mental health and drug awareness program for fifth grade students presented by the Hult and Crown Health Education Centers (HHEC and CHEC).

Student mental health: Secondary education no more
A brief article discussing the increase in students who are reporting more mental health problems and how college campuses are responding to the growing need.

Walking through the valley: Understanding and emerging from clergy depression
A book aimed at helping "clergy and those who work with them grasp the seriousness of depression, and see the signs that one is entering a depressed state," specifically addressing the stigma that is encountered within the clergy when faced with depression.