Director's Page

Welcome from the Director Dr. Thomas R. Insel

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The NIMH is the lead Federal agency for research on mental and behavioral disorders.

Our mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. The burden is enormous. The World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease study reported that mental disorders comprise four of the top five sources of premature death and disability in 15-44 year olds in the Western world. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, autism, and other mental disorders are serious, often life-threatening illnesses for which we need reliable diagnostic tests, new treatments, and effective strategies for prevention. Our public health mission mandates a focus on those with the most serious mental illness. This is reflected in dollars, with increasing expenditures over the past NIMH fiscal years (FY):

NIMH Research Funding

NIMH needs both basic science and clinical studies to reduce the burden of mental illness. Neuroscience offers us the opportunity for advances on each of these disorders just as molecular and cellular biology offer great hope for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. As with these other medical illnesses, we recognize that progress in mental disorders requires an understanding of environmental as well as genetic factors. NIMH is uniquely positioned to advance the understanding of gene-environment interactions, given our long history of support for the behavioral sciences. By working with other NIH institutes on major “Roadmap” goals, NIMH is part of a broad, ambitious coalition to ensure that the best biomedical science has a major impact on public health.

We recognize that developing new treatments for mental disorders means finding treatments that are effective for people of diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds; for people with multiple health problems; and for people who might not qualify for a traditional clinical trial. Through its clinical trials, NIMH provides opportunities for patients and families to participate in treatment research as well as evaluation and prevention studies. The involvement of the many people who participate in our clinical research studies is essential for generating knowledge with public health impact and is greatly appreciated.

People with mental disorders need new treatments, but they also need access to the successful, evidence-based treatments already developed through research. The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health report describes the need to transform mental health care in America. As explained in this historic report, research must ensure that science in the laboratory links to service in the community. NIMH has developed a services research portfolio and large-scale clinical trials that address the problems of identifying and receiving the best, currently available treatments.

NIMH is also committed to educating the public about mental disorders and has developed many booklets and fact sheets that provide the latest research-based information on these illnesses. For instance, our national public education campaign, Real Men Real Depression, aims to increase recognition of depressive disorders in men, who are typically under-diagnosed and under-treated. The campaign is leading to a broader understanding of depression in all people as a major illness.

NIMH receives policy and planning guidance from the National Advisory Mental Health Council, a statutorily established group made up of scientists and representatives of the general public. The Advisory Council plays an active role in helping the Institute plan its research portfolio to best meet urgent public health needs. We also benefit from the insights of our outreach partners across the country in the NIMH Outreach Partnership Program, and the many dedicated advocates for people with mental disorders.

This web site provides information to the public, researchers, and clinicians on a range of mental disorders affecting adults and children, including: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, suicide that occurs in the context of mental disorders, autism-spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other behavioral conditions that can adversely affect a child's healthy development. Clinicians will find a variety of consensus conference reports and patient education materials. There are also links to other Federal government web sites and resources such as the landmark Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health.

We hope you find our web site informative and helpful. We update this site continuously to keep readers apprised of our progress on a broad scientific front, and thus invite you to return. Please contact us at nimhinfo@nih.gov if you are unable to find answers to your questions. Join our listserv to receive news and web site updates via e-mail.