"Mental disorders generate an immense public health burden of disability" (USDHHS, 2000). Mental illness has often been ignored or "under-recognized" as a significant factor in determining the health of our nation, state, or community. (USDHHS, 2000) Healthy People 2010 has designated the following goal as a national health indicator. A health indicator is characteristic of an individual, population, or environment, which is subject to measurement (directly or indirectly) and can be used to describe one or more aspects of the health of an individual or population (quality, quantity and time). Objectives have been developed that are tied to each of the indicators.
