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The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIMH is also the largest mental health research organization in the world. Its funding and research has led to:

• The discovery and treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder

• The discovery of different functions of the “left” and “right” side of the brain

• The creation of Cognitive Therapy by Aaron Beck

Question: When was the National Institute of Mental Healh (NIMH) created?

News

The Need to Matter

A 2003 study which examined the writing of 10 mass shooters found a consistent theme in their writing, which can be summarized as “I have been made to feel like I don’t matter, but I matter more than you people realize.”

To “matter” is defined as the need to “be of importance” and to “have significance”. And over the past few decades, psychologists have begun to conduct research into the relationship between “mattering” and mental health. For example, researchers have found that mattering can predict depression, suicidal thoughts, and mental ills. On the other hand, it has been connected to physical resiliency among the elderly and decreased antisocial, aggressive, and self-destructive behaviors in adolescents.

How do we measure mattering? The first scale was created in 1981 by sociologist Morris Rosenberg. It consisted of give questions such as “How much do other people depend on you?” and “How much would you be missed if you went away?” Since then, other scales have been created, some of which measure mattering on a larger scale and include mattering and significance towards romantic partners, family, university, and the larger community. The concept of mattering has also begun to spread past the doors of academia. For example, researchers have created a phone app called JoyPop to “help young people boost their sense of mattering” which guides them to understand their moods and connect socially.

Research is catching up to what many of us know intuitively: That the need to matter is crucial. Moving forward, we must continue to better understand and meet this very fundamental and human need.

Other social work-related news

• Mental health crisis teams which attend to mental health emergencies are becoming more prevalent. Now the challenge is to continue to scale them throughout the country, and in particular in rural areas where there is a dearth of professionals.

• The solution to America’s mental health crisis already exists

• Two identical stories share a tragic ending: In Detroit, officers fired 38 shots at a 20-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis; In Ohio, cops killed Christian Glass, a 22-year old man who’s vehicle got stuck during a mental health crisis. Years ago, the department was told to fix their mental health response

Reads on research

• The process for reporting organizations failing in ASL language accessibility services is arduous for the patient who already faces healthcare navigation challenges.

• Why don’t therapists take insurance? The main reasons included low reimbursement rates, a resentment of the payer’s control over clinical care, and a lack of coverage of service

Other reads on policy

• A DC Council Member is hoping to increase the number of mental health workers in the District. CM Robert White has introduced a bill, The Pathways to Behavioral Health Degrees Act of 2022. The proposed bill would provide a Master of Social Work degree, free of charge through the University of the District of Columbia

• Proposed legislation that could impose additional penalties on insurers failing to meet mental health parity requirements has sparked backlash from payers

Tech, social work, and cool opportunities 😎

• With three-quarters of 2022 closed, digital mental health and telehealth’s grip on venture capital investment may be beginning to slip

• Rippl Care, which will focus on geriatric mental health, raised $32 million

• Launch of first-ever Canadian youth mental health platform will transform research and treatments

• Cerebral is cutting jobs for clinicians who have a master’s degree in social work, psychology, or counseling, but who are not yet licensed

• Case Management Program Manager at Hazel Health

• Clinical care and support manager at Canopie

Answer: The National Mental Health Act (1946) created the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1946.