Books, Articles and Research

Sustainable development helps us to flourish
This article examines the connection between sustainable environmental practices and positive mental health, suggesting that efforts to improve conditions for our planet have the potential to also improve mental health throughout society. The author explores ways the natural environment is connected to psychological wellness, emphasizing ways it serves one's needs, not only for food and water, but also for one's spiritual and emotional wellness. In the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand's recognition of these described connections, some common goals for their work with organizations are listed: integrating social, cultural, economic, and environmental goals; regenerating natural and social capital; affirming the value of local communities; valuing nature intrinsically; and promoting non-material sources of happiness.

Neighbourliness: Local connections and mental wellbeing
This Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand article explores social capital and its potential to support growing communities and enhance mental health. The author discusses social capital as it is defined by Robert Putnam, "the collective value of all 'social networks' and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other." The article highlights the impact of local community projects and campaigns on increasing trust between community members and social connectedness. It also covers the current status of social connectedness in New Zealand, recommendations for building local connections and opportunities at the local level, and encouraging quality relationships among neighbors and community members.

Social inclusion: Its importance to mental health
This Mental Health Coordinating Council document outlines the importance of social inclusion for people with mental disorders and the role that community-based organizations can play in establishing a socially inclusive community. In addition to emphasizing the importance of a meaningful community connection, this publication also focuses on the need for supportive family and caregivers, strong consumer networks, and access to clinical services as a way of reaching social inclusion.

Prevention, treatment, and recovery supports for those with substance use problems: Opportunities for enhanced access and quality of care
While recognizing the negative impact that substance use disorders can have on an individual, one's family, and community, this article explores ways to improve access to prevention and care for substance use disorders.

Designing healthy communities
This book discusses tools for individuals looking to bring about positive change within their communities. It explores ways in which the design of an environment influences the health of individuals and also discusses issues relating to social and environmental justice. Obesity and a variety of additional preventable diseases are addressed, while the author also takes time to emphasize best practices for countering these conditions.

Social Inclusion
This article discusses how public perspectives regarding individuals with mental disorders have changed since the 1960s. It describes social inclusion as a moral imperative and encourages individuals to find ways to promote and support full inclusion of people with mental disorders into their communities.

Introduction to "Building communities from the inside out: A path toward finding and mobilizing a community's assets"
This publication is an introduction to a guide on rebuilding troubled communities that emphasizes identifying and building upon community strengths rather than focusing on deficits within the community. It includes success stories of communities that have thrived and the role that the asset-based community development strategy has played in developing steps toward community growth. This introduction explores ways the traditional approach has failed communities, identifies problems, and discusses solutions and assets of a community, including those of individuals, associations, and institutions.

"The mental health consumer movement: Implications for
This paper examines the consumer movement and the unique problems rural communities face in enhancing services to consumers. It finds that the consumer movement has great potential to positively impact rural service delivery.

Mental health problems in rural contexts: A broader perspective
The objectives of this article are to expand and comment upon a recent review in Australian Psychologist of the literature in relation to mental health problems in rural contexts by Jackson et al. (2007). In this article the authors reviews recently published qualitative research on the help-seeking attitudes and experiences of rural Australian adolescents.

Rural and frontier mental and behavioral health care: Barriers, effective policy strategies, best practices
This report focuses on the following areas: barriers to mental and behavioral health service delivery in rural America, model programs and effective activities for rural America, model policy strategies for rural mental and behavioral health care delivery, the role telehealth should play in service delivery to rural America, and the role that State Offices of Rural Health and other State and local organizations should play in service delivery to rural America.

The journey of Native American people with serious mental illness: Executive summary
This report describes the first national conference on Native American people with serious mental illness. Describes meeting of State, tribal, and Federal mental health officials; providers; families; and consumers to tackle mental health delivery issues for Native Americans and to overcome barriers for developing coordinated, efficient, and culturally relevant systems of care.

No comfort in the rural south: Women living depressed
An article discussing the opportunities for research and strategy that exist for providing mental health services to women in a rural area.