One in five people will suffer a mental disorder this year that disrupts their work, health and relationships. Mental disorders range from anxiety to eating and sleep disorders as well as clinical depression and schizophrenia. They can affect anyone, and can be brought on by substance abuse, genetics or stress. They alter mood and behavior in a way that causes impairment, and sometimes even violence and suicide. About half of all people with serious mental illness develop substance abuse problems. They are at high risk for homelessness and incarceration, making up at least a quarter of the homeless on any given night, and as much as one-fifth of the prison population. Treatment can help substantially, but many obstacles can get in the way. The illness itself may cloud judgment. Family and friends may not recognize symptoms. Even those with health insurance sometimes have trouble affording necessary counseling, hospitalization and medication. Even though research increasingly links it to physical or chemical dysfunction, mental illness also continues to be seen as a character defect, a stigma that discourages many sufferers from admitting symptoms or getting help.

Promising Strategies in Mental Health: Work That Donors can Fund

• Provide high-quality, long-term services and support for mentally ill children and adults.
• Support suicide prevention programs and crisis lines.
• Reduce child abuse and exposure to domestic violence, which increases children's risk for developing emotional and behavior problems.
• Raise awareness of mental illness and its symptoms, especially among children, and follow up with assessment and treatment.
• Bring mental health services to places with disproportionately high numbers of mentally ill people, such as homeless programs and prisons.
• Expand housing and employment programs to help create stability for mentally ill people.

What's Working in Mental Health: Local programs in Action

• Crisis Clinic offers youth suicide prevention education in high schools and support to families and friends who have lost a loved one through Survivors of Suicide bereavement groups.
• Family Services Beyond the Baby Blues program provides information, education and support to mothers with postpartum mood disorder. The program also provides psychotherapy services aimed at improving coping skills and reducing stress.
• Plymouth Healing Communities provides a stable, caring home for formerly homeless people who have been hospitalized with mental illness. Its Neighbor Companion program supports mentally ill people living independently.