Mental and Behavioral Health
Behavioral health is an umbrella term that encompasses mental health and substance use disorders, life stressors and crises, and stress-related physical symptoms. Common behavioral health disorders include eating disorders, gambling addiction, and sex addiction. Mental health generally refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting how we think, feel, and act. Illnesses related to mental health include depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. It’s important to keep in mind that major organizations such as the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association don’t have formal positions on the difference between behavioral health and mental health.
Mental and behavioral health profoundly impacts overall well-being, physical health, quality of life, relationships, productivity, and societal functioning; neglecting these aspects can lead to significant personal suffering, impaired functioning, and societal burdens. In 2022, 48.7 million people in the U.S. aged 12 or older reported having a substance use disorder in the past year. More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, and 1 in 20 experience a serious mental illness. One in six U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year, and 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14. Additionally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14.
The understanding of mental and behavioral health has evolved from early stigmatization and institutionalization to modern recognition of the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors. Landmark events include the deinstitutionalization movement, advances in psychotherapy and pharmacology, and growing advocacy for mental health parity and de-stigmatization efforts. Racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities are more likely to suffer from poor mental health due to lack of access to high-quality mental health care services, cultural stigma, and discrimination.
Mental and behavioral health is influenced by socioeconomic disparities, access to healthcare, stigma surrounding mental illness, trauma, substance use, social media, work-related stress, environmental factors, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to facilitate equitable access to quality mental health services; without which, mental and behavioral health issues can be exacerbated and persist for longer.
Prioritizing mental and behavioral health at a system level promotes overall well-being, decreases healthcare costs, improves quality of life, and fosters resilience. Addressing systemic barriers, reducing stigma, promoting culturally competent care, and the integration of mental health services into primary care can improve mental and behavioral health at scale. At the local level, community leaders can seek funding for community clinics, provide mental health education and awareness programs in schools and workplaces, foster collaboration between healthcare providers, social service agencies, schools and law enforcement, promote wellness through recreational funding, and advocate for policies that prioritize mental health funding.
Resources & Tools
Prison Alternatives Boosted by Health Impact Assessment
Resource
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment
Resource - Website/webpage
Mental Health, Higher Education, and COVID-19: Strategies for Leaders to Support Campus Well-being
Resource - Report
Brought to you by American Council on Education
Published on 04/08/2020
Colorado SB 20-001: Expand Behavioral Health Training for K-12 Educators
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Health Note: Sales and Use Tax for Affordable Housing
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Spokane Regional Health District
The Time to Act Is Now: Investing in LGBTQIA2S+ Student Mental Health in K-12 Schools With a Youth-Centered Approach
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Society for Public Health Education
The Intersection of Housing and Mental Well-Being: Examining the Needs of Formerly Homeless Young Adults Transitioning to Stable Housing
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by NLM
Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by CDC National Center for Health Statistics
Native And Indigenous Communities And Mental Health
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by MHA
A Review of the Domains of Well-Being for Young People
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Urban Institute
Next Steps For Imagine Fox Cities
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc.
Cops and No Counselors: How the Lack of School Mental Health Staff Is Harming Students
Resource - Report
Brought to you by ACLU
Tackling America’s Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Bipartisan Policy Center Inc.
Deviancy, Dependency, and Disability: The Forgotten History of Eugenics and Mass Incarceration
Resource - Journal Article
Exploring the Link Between Housing Stability and Mental Health
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by National League of Cities
Association of Recent Violence Encounters With Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents With Depression
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Brought to you by JAMA
Healthy People 2030: Mental Health and Mental Disorders
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by ODPHP
Depression and Heart Disease
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Pain in the Nation: Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Epidemics Special Feature: COVID-19 and Trauma
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Well Being Trust
Mental Health and Well-being Ecological Model
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Climate and Health Intervention Assessment: Evidence on Public Health Interventions to Prevent the Negative Health Effects of Climate Change
Resource - Report
Brought to you by CDC Climate and Health Program
Bright Spot: Applied Suicide Prevention Skills (ASIST)
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by 100MHL
Complex Care Certificate: A Free Training Resource From Kaiser Permanente
Resource
Brought to you by Kaiser Permanente
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Could Increase Social Isolation, and How Providers and Policymakers Can Keep Us Connected
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by The Commonwealth Fund
Stress and Trauma Toolkit for Treating Jewish Americans in a Changing Political and Social Environment
Resource - Guide/handbook
Association of Firearm Access, Use, and Victimization During Adolescence With Firearm Perpetration During Adulthood in a 16-Year Longitudinal Study of Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by JAMA
Diversion Programs Are a Smart, Sustainable Investment in Public Safety
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Vera Institute of Justice Inc.
Strengthening Behavioral Health Services Through Partnerships and Data Integration
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Springer
Mental Health and Substance Use Considerations Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Resource - Policy Brief
Brought to you by KFF
Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults, by Detailed Race and Ethnicity
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by CDC National Center for Health Statistics
Age of Onset of Mental Disorders: A Review of Recent Literature
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Wolters Kluwer
Promising Policies: Multisolving for Mental Well-being and Equitable Economies
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by Community Commons
Bright Spot: CLEAR: Choosing Life: Empowerment! Action! Results!
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by 100MHL
When it Comes to Health Disparities, Gaps in Mental Health Treatment are the Worst
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Forbes
Managing Isolation and Loneliness During COVID-19
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Mass.gov
Lack of Housing and Mental Health Disabilities Exacerbate One Another
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Center for American Progress
Colorado SB 20-014: Excused Absences in Public Schools for Behavioral Health
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Cultivating Vital Conditions For Perinatal Well-Being And A Sustained Commitment To Reproductive Justice
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Health Affairs
Stigmatization toward People with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder: A Scoping Review
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by NLM
The Relationship Between Mental Health Care Access and Suicide
Resource
Brought to you by RAND Corporation
Homelessness, Housing Instability and Mental Health: Making the Connections
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by NLM
Mental Illness and Well-Being: The Central Importance of Positive Psychology and Recovery Approaches
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by BMC
How California’s Community-Based Organizations Filled the Gaps for Underserved Communities
Resource - Report
Brought to you by ChangeLab Solutions
Increasing Equity in Access to Mental Health Care: A Critical First Step in Improving Service Quality
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mental Illness and Reduction of Gun Violence and Suicide: Bringing Epidemiologic Research to Policy
Resource - Journal Article
In Support of Maximum Diversion of Persons With Serious Mental Illness From the Criminal Justice System
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by MHA
Colorado SB 18-024: Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Care Providers
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
The Intersection of Community Development and Mental Health
Resource - Fact Sheet
Brought to you by Build Healthy Places Network
The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Common Mental Disorders and Suicidality: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Springer
Police-Recorded Crime and Disparities in Obesity and Blood Pressure Status in Chicago
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by American Heart Association
The Healthy Minds Study Fall 2020 Data Report
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Healthy Minds Network
Published on 02/01/2021
School Health: Aligning Frameworks
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
Transgender Noninclusive Healthcare and Delaying Care Because of Fear: Connections to General Health and Mental Health Among Transgender Adults
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by NLM
Basic Needs: Freedom from Trauma, Violence, and Addiction
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Well Being Trust
Deinstitutionalization of People with Mental Illness: Causes and Consequences
Resource - Journal Article
Alcohol and Drug Misuse and Suicide an the Millennial Generation - a Devastating Impact
Resource - Policy Brief
Brought to you by Well Being Trust
The Medicine Wheel Revisited: Reflections on Indigenization in Counseling and Education
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by SAGE Publications
Social Determinants of Mental Health: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go
Resource - Journal Article
Dr. Rachel Levine Focused on Her Job at HHS. Still, Anti-Trans Politics Followed Her
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by NPR
The Role Youth and Young Adults Play in Mental Health Legislation
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Active Minds
Resources for Social Connection — Current Priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Problems Paying Medical Bills and Mental Health Symptoms Post-Affordable Care Act
Resource - Journal Article
Suicides Among American Indian or Alaska Native Persons — National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2015–2020
Resource - Report
Brought to you by CDC
Published on 09/16/2022
Washington State Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Mental Health Promotion
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Washington State Health Care Authority
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
Resource - Report
Brought to you by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Interpersonal Violence in the Lives of Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Implications for Health, Mental Health, and Help-Seeking
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by APHA
Addressing The Youth Mental Health Crisis: The Urgent Need For More Education, Services, And Supports
Resource - Report
Brought to you by MHA
Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of College Students
Resource - Journal Article
Published on 06/08/2021
SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by SAMHSA
The Relationship of Self-Compassion and Suicide Risk Factors in American Indian/Alaska Native People
Resource - Journal Article
A Framework for Public Health's Role in Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention
Resource - Guide/handbook
Bright Spot: Prize Incentives Contingency Management for Substance Abuse
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by 100MHL
Bringing the Vital Conditions to Life: Basic Needs for Health and Safety
Story
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 01/30/2020
To Improve Student Health and Well-Being Focus on Mental Health
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
The First Data On COVID-19 And Teens' Mental Health Is Here — And It's Not Good
Story - Written
Brought to you by HuffPost
‘It’s Life or Death’: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens
Story - Written
Brought to you by NYT
College Student Mental Health Equity during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Mental Health Crisis Centers and EmPATH Units: Offering Care That Busy ERs Can’t
Story - Written
Brought to you by STAT
Published on 04/26/2024
Stop Conflating Mass Shootings With Mental Illness
Story - Written
Brought to you by The Seattle Times
The Pandemic Did Not Affect Mental Health the Way You Think
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Original
Brought to you by The Atlantic
Growing Accessibility of Opioids in Rural Areas
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 02/21/2017
Cross-Cutting Themes: Working Across the Vital Conditions
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Commons Good Podcast: Thamara LaBrousse, Tracey-Ann Anthony, and Tamara Wadley of Miami Gardens
Story - Audio
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 08/24/2021
The Student Stress Crisis: What is Portland State Doing to Make a Difference?
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
How a Hospital and a School District Teamed Up to Help Kids in Emotional Crisis
Story - Written
Brought to you by KFF
More Than a Mural: How Arts and Culture Advance the Mission of the Seattle Housing Authority
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
When the Biggest Student Mental Health Advocates Are the Students
Story - Written
Brought to you by NYT
Published on 02/06/2024
The U.S. Health Care System Sends Women Mixed Messages About Maternal Mental Health. Change Is Needed Now.
Story - Written
Brought to you by Fortune
Published on 01/08/2024
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