Each year, 58 million Americans experience a diagnosable mental disorder, including depression, bi-polar, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and schizophrenia. A majority never seek treatment, even though mental disorders are very treatable and the symptoms manageable.

Mental Health is the latest topic on Be Smart. Be Well. – a Web site designed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas to help build consumer awareness of largely preventable health and safety issues. The Web site was created for use by our employer groups, with the goal of helping them educate and motivate employees concerning preventable and treatable health and safety issues.

Visitors to the site will learn from real stories about individuals whose lives were affected by mental disorder, delivered through first-person video documentaries. A copy of the latest report on mental illness by the U.S. Surgeon General is included, as well as a mental health self-screening test and links to other online resources such as the American Psychological Association Help Center and the CDC's Body and Mind Site for Kids.

The site includes archives of our previous topics – traumatic brain injury and drug safety.

We urge you to look at Be Smart. Be Well. today, and invite you to post a link to it on your Web site so your patients can benefit from this comprehensive resource.

posted 8/2008