The National Institute of Mental Health Strategic Plan

The National Institute of Mental Health Strategic Plan(http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports) represents the culmination of a year-long initiative launched by NIMH to develop a new Strategic Plan that will serve as a guide to the Institute for advancing mental health science over the next five years. Its development has been a collaborative effort among scientific experts, advocacy groups, Institute staff and more than 500 members of public who provided input.
NIMH’s mission is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For NIMH to continue fulfilling this vital public health mission, the Institute must foster innovative thinking and ensure that a full array of novel scientific perspectives are used to further discovery in the evolving science of brain, behavior, and experience. In this way, breakthroughs in science can become breakthroughs for all people with mental illnesses.
In support of this mission, NIMH will generate research and promote research training to fulfill the following four objectives:
Ø Promote discovery in the brain and behavioral sciences to fuel research on the causes of mental disorders
Ø Chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where, and how to intervene
Ø Develop new and better interventions that incorporate the diverse needs and circumstances of people with mental illnesses
Ø Strengthen the public health impact of NIMH-supported research
NIMH is currently finalizing the new Strategic Plan’s layout and graphic design, but wanted to ensure that its contents reached the public as soon as possible. Please read over the Plan’s text and check back in the coming weeks for a PDF version of the final document.