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Mental Health

Health care reform efforts in the United States seek to ensure appropriate access to mental health care, to deliver it efficiently and effectively, and to allocate scarce resources wisely. RAND Health studies different programs for preventing and treating mental illnesses and psychological disorders, as well as meeting the mental health needs of populations who have experienced trauma.

From the RAND Blog

Can Improved Mental Health Care Prevent Gun Crimes? The Truth Is, We Don't Know — Jan 17, 2013

If policymakers and the public expect the mental health community to play a significant role in preventing future incidents like Newtown, the mental health research agenda must become a higher national priority in future federal funding decisions, writes Terry Schell.

Blog Post

Shifting the Burden of Mental Health Care: Helping Families — Dec 21, 2012

In our national conversation on mental health, we should remember the role of families when thinking about treatment and ensure that our policies open up opportunities to support parents, siblings and relatives, and enhance their capacity for care, writes Ramya Chari.

Blog Post

Latest Research and Publications

Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness

California's Mental Health Services Act emphasizes stigma and discrimination reduction. Researchers examined whether this effort changed the public perception of mental illness and the individual experience of stigma.

Helping Families Raise Healthy Children

Simultaneous developmental delays among young children and depression among parents can create serious challenges for many families. However, results from the Helping Families Raise Healthy Children initiative suggest that aligning early intervention and behavioral health systems can help.

Depression During Childbearing: A Major Public Health Concern

Nearly 15 percent of women develop depressive episodes during pregnancy. A similar percentage develop depression in the first three months following birth. Physiologic and psychological challenges unique to pregnancy can complicate the identification and management of perinatal depression.

More Publications

Research in Progress

Trauma and Mental-Health Interventions
Assessing approaches for managing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dealing with abuse and community violence, and addressing children's mental health issues