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The first-ever Surgeon General's report on mental health is a breakthrough document on the status of mental health in the United States.

Released last month, Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General stresses that mental illnesses are real, common and treatable and that mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety can be as serious as cancer or heart disease. Its emphasis on research into treatment, prevention, and the importance of mental health throughout an individual's life echoes the founding principles of the Mental Health Association (MHA) movement.

"The Surgeon General puts mental health where it belongs: as a cornerstone of public health," said Michael Faenza, president and CEO of the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). "This historic report makes clear that mental health is integral to individuals' and the nation's health and should not be relegated to the sidelines of healthcare and public policy."

The report has the potential to help us, as mental health advocates, fight stigma and improve understanding, support increased research and formulate effective public policies. Our nation's failure to address mental illness squarely results in a host of social ills, including unnecessary homelessness, incarcerations, drug abuse, loss of productivity at school and work, and even suicide.

"Unfortunately, the report will not be worth the paper it is printed on if its messages are not put into practice," Faenza said. "Every day in America, important decisions are made based on stigma, stereotype and myth. Managed care companies deny needed mental health care for individuals. The Colorado School Board links psychotropic medications to violence in schools. Politicians and reporters allege a presidential candidate who has sought psychological counseling is unstable. We need to get to a place in America where people see mental health as a continuum, a part of being human and recognize that it is as important to treat mental health problems as it is physical health problems."

"The Surgeon General points out the extraordinary advances in treatments that have occurred in recent years. They don't mean a hill of beans if people don't have access to them," Faenza said. "Millions of children and adults don't get the care they need. I hope this report is the beginning of a real revolution, turning this terrible track record around. We need to make good use of research advances by integrating them into public policies."

NMHA was founded on such public health principles in 1909 by Clifford Beers, who wrote the groundbreaking book, A Mind That Found Itself, during his recovery from bipolar disorder. Like the Surgeon General, Beers emphasized research into cures, prevention and the importance of paying attention to mental health from birth through old age-values that carry NMHA to this day.