E-mail this page to a friend

Programs

Women's Mental Health Home > Programs

Surgeon General's Women's Mental Health Project

LEADER: Adrienne Smith, Public Health Advisor

The Office on Women's Health, partnering with the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), the NIH/National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and the Office of Minority Health, have developed supplemental communiqués to the 1999 Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. The communiqués developed will:

1. Promote awareness of mental health issues affecting women across the lifecycle;
2. Address major gender differences among mental illnesses and sensitivities to care;
3. Provide direction for health professionals and consumers on the identification, prevention, and treatment of mental illnesses in relation to women; and
4. Provide an understanding of the role of mental health in women's physical health.

The Surgeon General's People's Piece on Women's Mental Health has been developed to target a general, lay audience, and written at the 6th grade level, with clear, concise, and visually interesting information. The goal of the People's Piece is to present key messages aggregated from the Surgeon General's Workshop recommendations and lessons from all the background activities. These messages have been tested with culturally diverse consumer audiences in focus group settings and from the consumer networks represented at the workshop, and reflect an overall tone that is positive - to help promote mental health, understanding, positive behaviors, and address fear and stigma.

The development of a Call to Action on Women's Mental Health was recommended as a next step from the production of a People's Piece. A Surgeon General's Call to Action on Women's Mental Health will combine the science with distinct action items addressing gender-focused mental wellness from a public health perspective. The Call to Action will address the burden of mental disorders (including workforce and economic issues); the special risks and prevalence for women and girls; and issues across the lifespan and family/intergeneration effects. The intended audience will be researchers, health professionals and administrators.

Content last updated April 30, 2008.