Good mental health is integral to overall health and is an emerging public health issue. To meet the needs of public health and aging professionals, policy makers, journalists, and others, CDC’s Healthy Aging Program developed "The State of Mental Health and Aging in America" issue briefs. The recently released first issue brief documents the mental health of older adults 50 years of age and older at the national and state-levels using 6 mental health indicators from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
http://www.chronicdisease.org/files/public/IssueBrief_TheStateofMentalHealthandAginginAmerica.pdf
The second issue brief, will be released in early 2009, will describe selected evidence-based programs that organizations can implement to address depression in older adults. This brief also includes community examples of successful efforts to address depression, identifies other resources, and “Calls to Action” where critical gaps need to be filled.
Lisa C. McGuire, Ph.D. Healthy Aging Program Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Adult and Community Health 4770 Buford Highway Mailstop K-45 Atlanta, GA 30341
LMcGuire@cdc.gov
770-488-6350 (Direct) 770-488-5360 (Office) 770-488-8488 (Fax)
