Overview and Implications of the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health. Topical Discussion.

This brief paper on a topical discussion session held at a conference on children's mental health about implications of the 1999 report, "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General," for children. The discussion focuses primarily on the chapter in the report specifically about children and mental health with comments by four individuals who contributed to the chapter. Thomas Bornemann described the overall process of developing the report and gave an overview of it and the role of such reports in influencing change. Peter Jenson described the overall framework for the children's chapter, which included a strong developmental perspective emphasizing protective factors and risk factors as well as the importance of an integrated biological, psychological, and sociocultural perspective. Barbara Burns reviewed the findings of the report with regard to the efficacy and effectiveness of clinical interventions. The report concluded that there is a range of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments in a variety of settings that have been demonstrated to be efficacious in children. Robert Friedman summarized findings with regard to the service delivery system, especially the systems of care approach. Trina Osher stressed the report's emphasis on the role of families in systems of care. (DB)