This first Report of the Surgeon General on Mental Health represents the initial step in advancing the notion that mental health is fundamental to general health. It states that a review of research on mental health revealed two findings. First, the efficacy of treatment is well documented, and second, a range of treatment exists for most mental disorders. The report provides the opportunity to dispel the myths and stigma surrounding mental illness. It encourages individuals to seek treatment when they find themselves experiencing signs and symptoms of mental distress. Chapter 1 elaborates on the themes of the report and describes criteria applied to the scientific evidence cited. Chapter 2 was written to provide background information to help persons from outside the health field better understand the topics. Chapter 3 details normal development, provides overview of risk factors and prevention, and provides overview of mental disorders in children. Chapter 4 reviews the current state of knowledge about mental health in adults, along with selected disorders. Chapter 5 reviews normal developmental milestones of aging and then considers mental disorders in older people. Chapter 6 examines what recent research has revealed about the organizing and financing of mental health services, as well as cost and quality of those services. Chapter 7 discusses the values underlying confidentiality, its importance in individual decisions to seek mental health treatment, and the legal framework governing confidentiality and potential problems with this framework. Chapter 8 reiterates the need to establish mental health as a cornerstone of general health, to place mental health treatment in the mainstream of health care services, and to ensure access to care. (Contains over 300 references, 31 tables, and 22 figures.) (JDM)