May 2005

RSVP to HMS/NIMH telecon 6/3: National Mental Health survey findings/policy implications

Results of survey taken every 10 years to assess mental health of the country

NOTE: TELECONFERENCE MOVED FROM JUNE 1 TO JUNE 3

WHAT: On Monday, June 6, in a set of four papers, the Archives of General Psychiatry will publish the results of the National Co-morbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), a nationwide survey taken every 10 years to assess the mental health of the country. The survey was led by Harvard Medical School (HMS), the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

HMS and NIMH researchers will discuss key findings and take reporter questions in the only national assembly of study investigators. Limited "virtual seats" are available so please register early. An embargoed copy of the press release and a complete set of papers will be sent to registered reporters only. The embargoed release and research papers will not be made available to non-registered reporters until the completion of the national teleconference on June 3.

The first National Co-morbidity Survey was conducted in the early 1990s; since then, important advances have been made in mental health care in terms of new medications, public attitudes, and treatment financing. The four-paper set describe how far the U.S. has advanced in terms of:

*Prevalence of Mental Illness
*Treatment Seeking Behaviors
*Quality of Care
*Barriers to Treatment
*Specific Recommendations for the Next Decade

The NCS-R is a nationally representative survey of English-speaking household residents ages 18 and older in the United States. Ten thousand face-to-face interviews were carried out by professional interviewers between February 2001 and April 2003 using a survey tool developed by the World Health Organization that generates diagnoses for DSM-IV mental disorders. DSM-IV stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (Fourth edition), the American Psychological Association's manual for diagnosing psychological problems.

WHEN:
Friday, June 3, 2005
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Please RSVP to obtain the call-in number and password.

NOTE:
Due to journal embargo rules, the national teleconference is for registered media only. The information obtained during the call-in, the press release, and papers are all embargoed until Monday, June 6, 2005, 4:00 PM U.S. EST.

SPEAKERS:
Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Health Care Policy
Harvard Medical School
Director of the NCS surveys

Richard Nakamura, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
National Institute of Mental Health

Kathleen Ries Merikangas, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator
Chief, Section on Developmental Genetic Epidemiology
National Institute of Mental Health
Lead NIMH collaborator on the study

Philip Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Care Policy
Harvard Medical School
Lead investigator on study's treatment sections

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

http://hms.harvard.edu/

Harvard Medical School has more than 5,000 full-time faculty working in eight academic departments based at the School's Boston quadrangle or in one of 47 academic departments at 18 Harvard teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those Harvard hospitals and research institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, The CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VA Boston Healthcare System.