general information

Mental illnesses can profoundly disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, moods, ability to relate to others and capacity for coping with the demands of life. They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing, but instead are biologically based brain disorders that can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income.

At the heart of NAMI NH’s mission is the sharing of information with consumers, their families, friends, mental health professionals and the general public. We strive to educate all people about severe and persistent mental illnesses, to eliminate stigma and to promote access to integrated systems of care and rehabilitation. To learn more about selected mental illnesses, visit the NAMI National Mental Illness page.

Mental Health Condition Fact Sheets

• • ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)
  • Depression
  • Dissociative Disorders
  • Eating Disorders
  • OCD (Obsessive-compulsive Disorder)
  • PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
  • Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Schizophrenia

Related Condition Fact Sheets

• • Anosognosia
  • Dual Diagnosis
  • Major Depressive Disorder with a Seasonal Pattern
  • Psychosis
  • Risk of Suicide
  • Self-harm
  • Sleep Disorders

An Integration of Mental Health Services and Primary Health Care

Integrated health care is a system of health care in which both mental and physical problems and disorders are treated simultaneously. It is a system that recognizes that a mental disorder must be treated with equal importance as a physical disorder. President Bush’s New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health reinforces this idea:

“Understanding that mental health is essential to overall health is fundamental for establishing a health system that treats mental illnesses with the same urgency as it treats physical illnesses.”

In order to properly treat individuals with mental disorders we must pay closer attention to how the mental and general medical care systems can work together. It is clear that mental and physical health are connected, and with a transformed system in which both care systems collaborate for care, we can bridge the gap that currently exists between these two systems. Under an integrated health care system, effective mental health treatments will be available for most mental disorders, and primary care providers will have the necessary time, training and resources to appropriately treat mental health problems and have access to mental health specialists when it is necessary to make a referral.

Total Well-Being

For people who live with mental illnesses, a healthy lifestyle is especially important. Sometimes, it is easy to become so focused on treating a mental illness that physical health is neglected. But having a healthy body contributes to emotional recovery. Eating the right foods, exercising, finding ways to manage stress, getting enough rest and having friends and activities that you enjoy are all part of healthy living. It can help you make better choices for yourself, develop new interests and even make new friends and acquaintances, leading to a happier, more fulfilling life. Review information about the importance of physical health in conjunction with mental health, and to access the Hearts and Minds booklet visit NAMI Hearts and Minds.

The Mind Body Connection

Research has shown that having depression can affect other physical illnesses such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, and heart disease. Having depression can make these, and other illnesses more frequent, severe and difficult to treat. If depression is untreated, many illnesses can worsen. So, treating depression can help individuals manage physical illness and improve their general health.

Symptoms of Depression

• • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
  • Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
  • Feels of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
  • Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
  • Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
  • Appetite and/or weight changes
  • Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts
  • Restlessness, irritability

If five or more of these symptoms are present every day for at least two weeks and interfere with routine daily activities such as work, self-care, and childcare or social life, seek an evaluation for depression. Visit the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) for more information on depression.

The Collaborative Family Approach to Healthcare

“The collaborative family healthcare model envisions seamless collaboration between psychosocial, biomedical, nursing, and other healthcare providers, and views patient, family, community, and provider systems as equal participants in the healthcare process. This approach is a radical departure from conventional “diagnose and refer” models and is distinctly different from the usual managed care approaches. It recognizes that clinical events always occur at biological, psychological and social levels, and that patient, family, and community represent a single ecosystem. By adding the essential ingredients of psychological and family care at the front end, and continuously throughout the healthcare process, and by coordinating and integrating the hard-won expertise of these and other healthcare professions, the wasteful use of repeated diagnostic procedures is minimized, as are costly sub-specialty referrals. It is a profoundly ethical approach that conserves resources for all participants: patients and their families, clinical providers, administrative and financial entities .” For more information, visit Collaborative Family Healthcare Association.

Research Reports

NH Mental Health Commission Report ~ Vol. I

Access NH – Living with Disability in the Granite State, Vol. 1, Issue 2

Policy Brief: The Changing Dynamics of Hospital Care for Mental Illness & Substance Use in NH – Implications for Supporting Continuums of Care

NH’s Prescription for Mental Health Care – Comprehensive, Integrated and Coordinated Health Care

Documenting NH’s need to fundamentally revise its approach for treating mental and physical health and substance use disorders.

Get it Together – How to Integrate Physical and Mental Health Care for People with Serious Mental Disorders

This report examines model programs for improving integration and coordination of behavioral health and primary health services for adults and children with serious mental disorders who rely on the public mental health system for their care.

Integrating Publicly Funded Physical and Behavioral Health Services: A Description of Selected Initiatives – Final Report

This report was prepared for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to identify and describe existing models of publicly funded integrated service programs.

Free Online Yoga and Meditation Offered on Mondays at 5 pm and Wednesdays at 12 pm – Click to Register.

Learn more about taking care of yourself.

Lean Into Healthy Eating

Sleep On It

Psychosocial Treatments

The term psychosocial refers to an individual’s psychological development in and interaction with their social environment. Psychosocial treatments (interventions) include structured counseling, motivational enhancement, case management, care-coordination, psychotherapy and relapse prevention. Refer to the links below for in depth information on the various types of psychosocial treatments available today.

• • Dual Diagnosis & Integrated Treatment – NAMI Fact Sheet
  • Psychosocial Treatments – NAMI Fact Sheet
  • Psychotherapy – NAMI Fact Sheet

Other Treatments

• • Complementary Health Approaches
  • ECT and Other Brain Stimulation Therapies
  • Medications Overview
  • Treatment Settings

Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery – promotes personal, organizational and community wellness and empowerment through education, training and research

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) – offers support groups that can help you stick with your treatment plan and avoid hospitalization

Emotions Anonymous – twelve-step organization weekly meetings for the purpose of working toward recovery from emotional difficulties

National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery – recovery and advocacy organization

National Empowerment Center – think tank responsible for some of the first and most important research and advocacy on recovery

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration – federal mental health website contains information on all their publications (many are free) and other resources

NAMI Fact Sheets – information sheets on medications used for treatment for mental illnesses

Prescription Drug Assistance Program – information on free or low-cost medications provided by pharmaceutical companies

US Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – federal website with consumer information on drugs approved by the FDA since January 1998

Taking medications correctly is an important factor in recovery. Many effective medications for the treatment of mental illnesses have become available in the past few decades.New medications offer exciting possibilities for individuals with severe mental illnesses to lead full and productive lives. These treatments can often mean the difference between hope and despair, recovery and struggle, even life and death. Below are links to several sites with extensive information on various medications.

A person taking their medicines incorrectly is a major public health problem and contributes to the high cost of health care.* It is estimated that about 50% of patients stop taking prescribed medicines before their doctor intended. Many medicines are now available to help treat conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, schizophrenia, and depression. However, if persons do not take their medicines correctly, their health problems may get worse. Ask yourself these questions to see if you take medicines correctly:

• • Did you ever get a prescription from your doctor and not have it filled?
  • Did you ever skip taking a dose of your medicine?
  • Did you ever stop taking your medicine because you “felt better”?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may not be getting the full benefit from your medicine. What can you do…?

• • Understand how the doctor wants you to take the medicine and take it exactly as prescribed.
  • If you have questions about your medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
  • Write down any instructions from your doctor or pharmacist.
  • Take your medicine at the same time each day or with an activity you do daily.
  • Find ways to help remember when to take your medicine:
  • For example: when you brush your teeth, with meals, or at bedtime
  • Tell a friend or spouse about your medicine schedule and he or she can help you remember.
  • Keep your medicine where you will remember to take it, BUT DO NOT LEAVE IT WITHIN THE REACH OF CHILDREN!
  • Use a daily planner and check it off after taking your medicine.
  • Don’t skip your medicine because you are feeling well and think you no longer need it.
  • Be alert for possible side effects and report them promptly.
  • Know what foods, drinks, other medicines, or activities to avoid.
  • Get refills of your prescription before you run out; plan ahead for weekends or holidays.

Be sure to know these things for every medicine you take…

• • It’s name
  • Why you are taking it
  • How much to take
  • How often to take it
  • When to take it each day
  • Where to store it
  • How long to take it for
  • What the side effects might be

If you have a problem or any questions, call your provider or pharmacist!!!

* Vermeire E et al. Patient adherence to treatment: three decades of research. A comprehensive review. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2001; 26:331-42.

Joining a Clinical Trial

Participating in clinical trials is not for everyone. If you are interested, you can learn more about participating in a clinical trial from the resources linked below.

• • Information for Participant’s in Clinical Trials
  • Clinical Trials and Older People – tips from the National Institute on Aging

Listings of Clinical Trials

• • Clinicaltrials.gov  – A database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies being conducted around the world.
  • Clinical Trials by State – Search for clinical trials by state
  • National Institute on Mental Health – listing of clinical trials on the NIMH website

Local Clinical Trials

It can be challenging to find psychiatric clinical trials in New Hampshire. Below are locations in the state that frequently conduct open clinical trials. Please note that NAMI NH is providing this information as a general resource. NAMI NH does not endorse or recommend any particular organizations, trials, treatments, or medications.

• • Healthy Perspectives Innovative Mental Health Services, LLC, Nashua, NH
  • Clinical Trials Office, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH