National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Definition, History, and Characteristics
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is a research agency focused on developing and maintaining knowledge about mental health and brain disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. NIMH is dedicated to understanding the causes, treatments, and prevention of mental disorders, and to improving the lives of individuals affected by them.
History
The NIMH was established in 1949 as the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHN). Its mission was to promote the development of mental health services and research. The NIH reorganized the NIMH in 1974 as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and expanded its mission to include the development of national mental health programs and the promotion of research on the causes and treatments for mental disorders.
Since its inception, NIMH has been a leader in mental health research, developing innovative treatments and conducting studies that have advanced the understanding of mental health and mental disorders. NIMH has made significant advances in the field, including the introduction of new medications, therapies, and treatments; the development of evidence-based practice guidelines for mental health professionals; the identification of risk factors for mental disorders; and the discovery of genetic and environmental risk factors for mental illness.
Characteristics
NIMH is a unique organization in the mental health research field, in that it is the only federal research agency dedicated exclusively to mental health. NIMH is also the largest funder of mental health research in the world. The institute provides researchers with access to a wide variety of resources, such as grants, awards, training, and fellowship programs.
NIMH also provides funding for research into prevention and treatment of mental disorders. This includes funding for studies of the biological basis of mental disorders, as well as the development and testing of new treatments. Additionally, NIMH provides funding for research into the development of new approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses.
NIMH also provides educational resources and public awareness campaigns to promote mental health and reduce stigma associated with mental illness.
References
National Institute of Mental Health. (2020). About NIMH. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/index.shtml
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/
National Institute of Mental Health. (2020). What We Fund. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/what-we-fund/index.shtml
Kessler, R. C., & Wang, P. S. (2008). The descriptive epidemiology of commonly occurring mental disorders in the United States. Annual Review of Public Health, 29(1), 115-129. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090952
Kahn, R. S., & Khawaja, N. (2019). Mental health research: An overview. International Review of Psychiatry, 31(2), 155-167. doi:10.1080/09540261.2019.1584511