Psychological well-being is crucial to successful human development because of its strong influence on an individual's work and family life and on one's functioning in the community. Despite an increasing understanding of the fundamental importance of mental health and significant progress on many fronts, policymakers and the general public do not yet fully see the prevention and treatment of mental illness as a mainstream public health issue, nor do they understand fully the benefit to the larger society of investing in helping those with mental illness.
The U.S. Defense Department has expanded a pilot program that adapts a model for the recognition and treatment of depression in primary care to address post-traumatic stress disorder among military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Based on a successful pilot demonstration at Fort Bragg, NC, the program has been expanded to 12 bases and three international Army clinics. Over time, it will be used throughout the entire service. The essential components of the model, which is based on the work of MacArthur’s Depression in Primary Care Initiative, include preparing primary care clinicians and their practices to recognize and treat depression, active care management, and closer relationships among mental health and primary care clinicians. The news was covered by The Stars & Stripes (PDF).
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