World Mental Health Day

As pointed out by Deborah Serani, Psy.D., Today is World Mental Health Awareness Day.  Details are in Dr. Serani's post, here.

World Mental Health Day was observed for the first time on October 10, 1992. It was started as an annual activity of The World Federation for Mental Health by the then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter of the United States. The day is officially commemorated every year on on October 10th.

The WFMH announcement is here.  Their theme for this year is: "Mental and Physical Health Across the Life Span."  It is nice to see that they recognize the fact that there is not a clear boundary between mental and physical health; each depends upon the other.  Of course, some of the most pressing issues in out health care system today have to do with mental health care for children and adolescents -- who still are scandalously underserved -- and both mental and physical health care for the elderly.  It sounds as though the organizers are aware of this and would like to underscore these points.