Yamile marrero fiu

Policy Change Proposal for The National Mental Health Act of 1946

Group# 3 HSA4150 – Online – Spring 2017

Global Healthcare Systems and Policy

Professor. Yamile Marrero

Contributing Group Members: Johnny Benavente - PID: 2990684 Alyssa Lantigua - PID: 3377517 Melissa Le - PID: 3365810 Dayana Leandowski - PID: 2995179 Maridellis Utset - PID: 2993646

Florida International University

March 12, 2017

The National Health act of 1946 was a monumental bill that was passed that changed the mental health landscape in this country. The National Mental Health Act of 1946 provides federal funding for psychiatric education and research. It’s the most tangible evidence that citizens’ mental health has been elevated to a majority priority of federal government came with passage of the National Mental Health Act of 1946 (Herman, 1995).

The National Mental Health Act ensured the mental health of people remained a priority. During World War II, there was shortage of mental health professionals that could help with the veterans that suffered from wartime pressures this caused a high population in ill soldiers. Its inception came about from a growing concern from US citizens after World War II noticing that many returning veterans had mental health issues that were affecting them in there every day lives. Citizens called for better treatment and care of people who needed help. They also demanded more research be done towards medication to help those suffering. In 1946 the only treatments were electric shock therapy and lobotomy. No initiative was taken for research in order to develop medications.

The passage of The National Mental Health Act of 1946 brought about revolutions and especially to the mental health of the citizens of the United States. The National Institutes of Health, (2017) noted that in the year 1946 on July 3rd, there was the signing of the Act by President Harry Truman. This Act played a pivotal role in the mental health industry at large. The Act paved the way for the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health (National Institutes of Health, 2017). After the enactment of the Act, there was a prompted meeting by the National Advisory Mental Health Council held on 15th August the same year. However, during the start-up period, there were experienced challenges. The National Institutes of Health, (2017) highlighted that there were inadequate funds to cater for the first scheduled meeting and hence the Green Tree Foundation provided funds to cater for the meeting.

Neeb (2006) added that this particular Act was the fruits of the efforts by the first held Congress after the end of the World War II. Other than spearheading the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM), there were other garnered benefits. The Act resulted in the provision of funds to conduct nursing activities, and the carrying out of research activities. Also, the Act prompted the provision of resources to spearhead research activities in mental health to bring about improvements. Barusch (2009) added that the Act had three particular goals. These were such as; offering support to research activities in the field of psychiatry, provision of training to the personnel in the mental health through grants and fellowship, and also providing grants to the different regions to make sure that they start up clinics and programs for providing demonstration services.

​Barusch (2009), stated that as a result of the enactment of the act, it was a requirement for each and every state to have a plan that would foresee the creation of agencies that would see to it that there were the planning and administering of the funds on mental health. This action, according to Manderscheid and Sonnenschein (1998), was groundbreaking to the onset of the mental-based health services funded by federal money. As a result of the funds drive by the federal government, a significant number of individuals offering counseling service strained at the administrative center of the veterans (Manderscheid & Sonnenschein, 1998). The purpose of this move was to make sure that the heroes making a return from the World War II received counseling services.

​One thing that is worth noting is that; there was the necessitation of the formation of the National Mental Health Act in 1946 by the growing needs of the American citizens. Vandiver (2009) observed that the formation of this particular act was as a result of the worries by the citizens. According to the author, many personnel who participated in the World War II got ripped off their military association due to the mental challenges they faced. Therefore, the changes that emanated from the enactment of the act came as a relief to these individuals.