HealthWise: Mental Health
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According to a 2005 report from the DHHS State Health Plan ap proximately 5.4 percent of the adult population in North Carolina has a diagnosable mental health disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anger management, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder might be some of the more commonly known mental health disorders that people in North Carolina and across the country deal with on a daily basis.

On April 29, 2002, President George W. Bush identified three obstacles preventing Americans with mental illnesses from getting the excellent care they deserve: stigma that surrounds mental illnesses; unfair treatment limitations and financial requirements placed on mental health benefits in private health insurance, and the fragmented mental health service delivery system. The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health has identified several goals that will build a foundation for transforming mental health care in America. The first goal they cited was for Americans to understand that mental health is essential to overall health.

On this month's Healthwise, panel of experts will discuss the role of mental health in North Carolina's overall health. They will talk about the state's efforts to reform the mental health system in North Carolina, teenage suicide, discrimination against people with mental illness, misconceptions of the mentally ill, and drugs created for mental health disorders.

Panelists

Mike Moseley
Division Director
Division of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Disabilities
NC Department of Health and Human Services

John Owen
PAIMI Committee to Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities
Oversees interests for disabled protection and advocacy
PO Box 114
Saxapahaw, NC 27340

John Tote
Executive Director
Mental Health Association in NC
Email: jtote@mha-nc.org
www.mha-nc.org

Michael Watson
Directs an Eight-County Mental Health Center
Sandhills Mental Health
Email: MichaelW@sandhillscenter.org

Dr. Robert N. Golden
Professor and Chair of Psychiatry
Email: robert_golden@med.unc.edu

Sheila Singleton
NC Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance

Resources

State Plan 2005: Blueprint for Change
This edition provides for the people of North Carolina the continuing efforts to transform North Carolina's public mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services (mh/dd/sas) system. The mission, vision, guiding principles, philosophy and primary goals as stated in the initial State Plan remain the same.