Overview of Mental Health and Public Health Integration in addressing Community Health

The conceptual paradigm underlying the social determinants of health has expanded dramatically in recent years to include social influences on health, such as poverty, education, housing, justice and transportation. Despite this more expansive view, the fields of public health and mental health have remained isolated. However, the linkages between chronic diseases, injury and mental health are striking. For example rates of tobacco use among people diagnosed with a mental health condition are approximately twice that of the general population, similarly injury rates for both intentional and unintentional injuries are approximately two to six times higher among people with mental illness than the general population. In the spring of 2008 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened an expert panel to address opportunities for the mental health and public health communities to come together. The presentation will discuss recommendations that came out of the expert panel's deliberations along with current activities to foster the integration of public health and mental health in promoting community health