| Time to take down barriers to mental health wholeness BY FRANK PROCTOR Health is a condition of physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being, and we view it as a responsibility public and private. Health care is a basic human right. This statement in the United Methodist Social Principles comes into sharp focus as the church observes Mental Health Month during May. In December 1999, the U.S. Surgeon General released the first Report on Mental Health. It asserted that mental illness is a critical public health problem that must be addressed by the nation. A range of effective, well-documented treatments exists for most mental disorders, yet nearly half of all Americans who have a severe mental illness fail to seek treatment. Many other important findings were identified. The report defines mental health as the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity. According to the report, Few Americans are untouched by mental illness. About one in five Americans (both children and adults) experience a mental disorder in the course of a year. It cuts across all social boundaries, although those in the lowest socio-economic strata, are about two to two-and-one-half times more likely to have a mental disorder than those in the highest strata. Among developed nations, including the U.S., major depression is the leading cause of disability. The good news is that mental health treatment works. The challenge now is to help our society overcome the stigma and shame attached to seeking care. The church can educate; it is time to take this barrier down. Unfortunately this shame and prejudice extend to the Christian family. People with mental illness may not often be recognized or cared for within the congregation. These people may not be on any prayer list, visited when in psychiatric units of hospitals, encouraged to enter Bible study or invited to serve on church committees. When a member of our congregation does not experience that connectedness we are not whole. We need to seriously address people with mental illnesses and their families. For more information about mental illness see the Baltimore-Washington Conference Web site: www.bwconf.org/mentalillness/. Frank Proctor is chairman of the Subcommittee on Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families. | 
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