ABSTRACT
In 1999, the first Surgeon General's report on mental health was published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This landmark report summarized the epidemiology, treatment, financing, and service delivery issues in mental health. Organizationally, it also presented an in-depth examination of populations at risk, that is, children with severe emotional disorders, adults with severe mental disorders, and older adults with co-occurring disorders, as well as individuals with addiction disorders. Even though the report did not make formal policy recommendations, it focused primarily toward overcoming the gaps in what is known, discussed removing the barriers that keep people from seeking and obtaining mental health treatment, and offered a vision that may provide the basis for future policy development.
