Welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to read "Bright Futures: A Health Care Provider's Guide to Promoting Emotional Wellness." This resource is part of a series of materials called "Bright Futures for Women's Health and Wellness." This series also includes a promotional flyer for health care providers, two consumer booklets, and a guide for community organizations.

These materials were developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Women's Health, with the guidance of a 10-member panel of predominantly female mental health experts (medical doctors, psychiatrists, and researchers) from across the country. The aim of the Bright Futures project is to help women of all ages achieve better physical, mental, social, and spiritual health by encouraging healthy practices.

Like physical health, mental health exists along a spectrum. At one end are feelings of thriving and flourishing, and at the other are depressed and anxious feelings. For a variety of reasons, the field of mental health has historically focused on the negative end of this spectrum. The Bright Futures project is different. It is not about avoiding or treating depression: It is about helping women to thrive. Health care professionals can be an important part of this effort.

This guide contains information for health care professionals on the latest research about emotional wellness as well as tips and ideas for how you can discuss wellness issues with the female patients you serve. It is important to note that this guide focuses on women's emotional wellness with some discussion on the more common types of depression and anxiety that many women can face from time to time. It does not discuss more serious clinical diagnoses of unipolar and/or bipolar disorders that can occur among some women, nor the treatment and care that is warranted in these cases.

We encourage you to partner with us in this effort to promote emotional wellness. Thank you for the work you do to improve the health of American women in your community.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth M. Duke
Administrator
Health Resources and Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services