Marcella Alsan, PhD, a professor of international studies and of economics—and a courtesy faculty member at Stanford Health Policy—recently co-chaired a NASEM report that outlined a national prevention infrastructure for mental and behavioral disorders. But effective prevention, the report concludes, requires adequate funding, coordination, and sustainability. 

In this STAT commentary,  Alsan writes that risk and protective factors are established early in life within families, schools, and communities, with adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, parental mental illness, and poverty greatly increasing the likelihood of future behavioral health issues.

"The urgency for our nation’s leaders to act is underscored by sobering data. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for young people. Anxiety and depression among adolescents have risen sharply over the past decade," writes Alsan. "Alcohol-related deaths continue to climb while overdose deaths remain high, particularly in communities already facing economic and health disparities. The economic toll of mental illness and addiction now reaches hundreds of billions of dollars annually—costs borne by families, employers, health systems, and taxpayers.

"In the discussion about this crisis, one fact is routinely overlooked: These conditions are often preventable in the first place. If the health secretary is serious about making America healthier, preventing behavioral health disorders is one place to start."

Go To STAT Commentary