A Year of Reflection and Renewal
• 75th Anniversary
For 75 years, NIMH has transformed the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research—bringing hope to millions of people. This Director’s Message is part of an anniversary series celebrating this momentous milestone.
As we come to the end of our 75th Anniversary celebrations, I find myself filled with a profound sense of gratitude and anticipation. The past year has been an extraordinary journey and a time to commemorate our history, celebrate our achievements, reflect on challenges, and look forward to the future.
The world has changed since President Harry S. Truman signed the National Mental Health Act in 1946—society, culture, technology, and our very understanding of the brain have evolved dramatically. Through it all, NIMH has maintained its steadfast commitment to transforming the lives of those affected by mental illnesses.
It has been an immense pleasure to share this anniversary year with all of you. We have delved deep into NIMH’s history, highlighting the institute’s contributions to science through a variety of events, feature stories, podcast series, and Director’s Messages. Thanks to the generous individuals who shared their own personal experiences, we gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs associated with living with mental illnesses. And we also got a glimpse into the heart of NIMH and its dedicated staff through the "I am NIMH" series.
The past year has been a journey of reflection and inspiration. We began by celebrating 75 years of groundbreaking mental health research at our "The Evolution of Mental Health Research" symposium. Our focus then shifted to the second event, "Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges," which served as a commemoration and a call to action to work towards mental health equity.
While we take pride in our achievements, we know that our work is far from over and we look ahead with hope. Our final symposium, "Inspiration and Aspiration," highlighted the rising stars and trailblazers in the scientific community.
This turn from the past to the future was not accidental. We’re looking ahead and planting seeds for the innovations of tomorrow. The following are some of the ways NIMH is working to transform the future of mental health.
A better understanding of the root causes of mental illnesses
Genome Research Institute, NIH.
We need to understand why, how, and when mental illnesses are likely to develop. To that end, we’re supporting projects such as the PsychENCODE consortium , which focuses on studying genomic elements and different cell types in the human brain to understand how genes impact brain function. Already, findings from the PsychENCODE consortium are helping clarify the complex relationships among gene variants, the biological processes they influence, and mental illnesses.
In another NIMH-supported initiative, Scalable and Systematic Neurobiology of Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk Genes (SSPsyGene), researchers are using cutting-edge techniques to characterize the biological functions of 250 mental health risk genes. The information gained through SSPsyGene will shed light on the biological pathways that contribute to mental illnesses and provide information on potential new targets for treatment.
Other studies supported by NIMH seek to understand how modifying neural activity might improve brain functions such as cognitive, emotional, and social processing and how emotional and social cues are represented across brain circuits . By illuminating the biological mechanisms that contribute to behavioral function and dysfunction, these studies can point us toward potential interventions.
New, improved, and personalized treatment
We also need to improve and expand treatment options for people living with mental illnesses. To do that, we’re supporting first-in-human studies and early efficacy trials for mental disorders through our therapeutics discovery research programs. In addition, NIMH-supported National Cooperative Drug Discovery/Development Groups for the Treatment of Mental Disorders encourage public-private partnerships to accelerate the development of new therapeutics and biomarkers for use in human trials. We’re also funding pre-clinical research on gene therapies for rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders associated with prominent cognitive, social, or affective impairment.
NIMH is also supporting research to advance precision psychiatry for mental health treatment. A new NIMH initiative called Individually Measured Phenotypes to Advance Computational Translation in Mental Health (IMPACT-MH) aims to bring this type of treatment to mental health care. This initiative will support studies that apply machine learning and other data-driven approaches to clinical and behavioral data to identify characteristics that can inform and improve clinical decision-making.
This cutting-edge personalized approach is already being applied in depression research, where NIMH is supporting studies testing the validity and feasibility of easy-to-use and widely accessible tools for predicting depression treatment response at the individual level.
From research to real-world accessible care
We can understand the mechanisms behind mental illnesses and how best to target them—but none of that matters if people don’t have access to evidence-based care. At NIMH, we’re addressing this head-on by supporting research that investigates how to deliver effective mental health care in real-world settings. For example, NIMH-supported research projects located in the United States and around the world are investigating better ways to integrate mental health care in primary care settings , develop and implement metrics to improve the quality of health care delivery, and improve long-term management of mental health conditions . We have also bolstered our commitment to reducing disparities in mental health outcomes by investing in efforts towards Black youth suicide prevention and hosting workshops highlighting the role of discrimination as a social determinant of mental health and promoting research on improving sexual and gender minority youth mental health.
The importance of effective implementation of evidence-based practices can be seen in NIMH-supported work seeking to overcome barriers to implementing suicide screening and intervention in emergency departments. These projects—including research on digital technology to increase the reach of a brief suicide intervention called ED-SAFE and a multi-component, tailored strategy for suicide risk reduction —show how alleviating these barriers can advance lifesaving mental health prevention and care practices.
NIMH at 100: Together, let’s build a brighter future
The initiatives described here provide a glimpse into the vast landscape of NIMH-supported research. Many dedicated individuals and broader scientific, advocacy, legislative, and professional communities across the country and the world are working tirelessly to advance our understanding of mental illnesses and improve the lives of people impacted by them. This is our mission, and we will continue to work toward a future where mental illnesses are not only treatable but preventable. We hope you join us in ushering in a new era of hope.