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The National Mental Health Act established and provided funds for the National Institute of Mental Health whose mission is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through clinical research, as well as creating a path for prevention, recovery and cure (NIH, 2017). The act also provided psychiatric education. The National Mental Health Act offers support to research activities in the psychiatric field, availability of professional training in the mental health through grants and fellowship and also provide grants to the different region to make sure that they start up clinics and programs for providing demonstration services. It’s the most tangible evidence that citizens’ mental health has been elevated to a majority priority of federal government came with passage of the National Mental Health Act of 1946 (Herman, 1995). The law held the mental health of the people as a federal priority. The law encouraged a new form of diagnosis and treatment that was more beneficial to mental health patients compared to those being institutionalized. Financing for this act began at a state level. Later, it was redirected to a national level where the NIMH was in charge for further research and analysis on the brain and psychiatric disorders. New drugs and treatments were intact and it helped improve the lives of those who formerly suffer from psychosis and delusion. The NIMH fulfills their mission using four objectives. To define the mechanism of complex disorders, chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where and how to intervene, strive for prevention and cures and strengthen the public health impact of NIMH-supported research (NIH, 2017). As a result of its preventive, community-sensitive orientation, the NIMH became the key institutional patron of the growth and cost of mental health program. The only treatments available in 1946 were electrical shock treatments and lobotomy.

Although improvements since the National Mental Health Act of 1946 changed the revolution for mental health, there still must be changes in the law that allows for all individuals that serve our country the help they need. Treatment for mental illnesses in America began in 1751 in Pennsylvania. This treatment mainly consisted of attempts to return an individual to reason through both psychological and physical techniques (Ramsey, 2011). Nowadays, there are mental health organizations that help serve the community. The mission of mental health care organizations is provide mental health assessments and treatment to at least 1000 individuals in the community for the purpose of providing access to care that is not based on the ability to pay (Ramsey, 2011). These organizations are made accessible to everyone. Yet as of today, there are vets with mental illness who served and sacrifice their life to fight in wars out on the streets that are left homeless with no assistance.

Even though this law currently has a good process in place as far as research and providing services, there is always room for some improvements. To raise awareness, we recommend the advertising campaigns be launched at hospitals specifically in the psychiatric department, asylums, army facilities, on the streets, etc. We must propose workshops to those who are suffering from any mental illness to attend the workshop that will take place in a private setting in the hospital, an office in the mental facility or even in an auditorium. This will allow those individuals to feel more comfortable and get a better understanding of what treatment could be done to assist them with their mental health. In the workshops, healthcare professionals will present prior research that has been formerly done as well as promote new drugs, treatment and services of those who suffer from mental health.

Reference(s):

Herman, E. (1995). The romance of American psychology: political culture in the age of experts.

NIH. (2017, February 17). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh

Ramsey, D. D. (2011). Evolution of Mental Health Organizations in the United States. The Journal of Global Health Care Systems , I (3), 1-11.