Public health aspects of mental health: the last 75 years of the American Journal of Public Health.

Williams, Christopher S.; Westermeyer, Joseph

doi:10.2105/ajph.75.7.722

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 127 publications

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“…Legal interventions developed from the 1600s to the present day have met with greater or lesser success, depending on the time and the context. These governmental measures have included the following legal tactics in regard to alcohol and drugs: import duties, taxes, control over production, control over distribution and sales, pharmacy laws (i.e., prescribing), anti‐smuggling initiatives, incarceration or other forms of punishment (for production, commerce, possession, and/or consumption of alcohol or drugs), propaganda, and mandatory treatment 24–27 . Application of these governmental measures, in various sequences, combinations, and levels of intensity, comprises the “statecraft” of addictions.…”

Section: Statecraft and Addictionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addiction, Community and State: A Review

Westermeyer

2000

American J Addict

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As clinicians, we are well aware of the importance of drug supply, price, availability, and access in propagating and maintaining illicit drug use, abuse, and addiction. However, we tend to be silent on these topics, leaving them to elected and appointed government leaders. The author proposes that our remaining silent is analogous to an infectious disease expert remaining silent on water supply and sewage in the midst of a cholera epidemic. It is not only unseemly for us to remain silent, it is unprofessional at best and unethical at worst. Governmental means of addressing the social genesis of addiction and illicit drug supply falls under the general rubric of statecraft. Our elected leaders, our appointed governmental leaders, and our publicly supported workers (e.g., police, courts, schools, health care workers, social agencies) can and do exert influences either favoring or counteracting illicit drug supply, use, abuse, and addiction. Public officials can and do learn the exercise of statecraft in addressing a large range of social needs, such as housing, transportation, security, a safe food supply, and so forth. They can and should develop knowledge, skills, and experience in the exercise of statecraft vis-a-vis drugs. This article reviews the relevant literature on this topic. In addition, the author reflects on his observations on "addiction statecraft" in several countries over the past three decades. He underscores the need to consider elements such as community deterioration, corruption of police and other officials, and social anti-drug strategies that have worked as well as those that have not worked. Public leaders must also take stands regarding intervention and treatment programs that are not widely popular, such as those involving methadone. The author argues that we speak out authoritatively on "addiction statecraft." In undertaking such social roles, we must take care to speak out of our own collective wisdom and experience, rather than out of personal bias or personal agendas.

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Section: Statecraft and Addictionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addiction, Community and State: A Review

Westermeyer

2000

American J Addict

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“…Williams and Westermeyer have analysed these papers over the subsequent 75 years to show the fluctuations which they related to federal funding for mental health programmes (Fig. 4) (Williams & Westermeyer, 1985). The content of these articles is dominated by social issues, preventive measures, and, above all, by epidemiological research and its application to mental health services.…”

Section: Medicine -Neurologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychiatric journals and the evolution of psychological medicine

Shepherd¹

1992

Psychol. Med.

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“…In 1985, a review ‘Public health aspects of mental health—the last 75 years of the American Journal of Public Health ’, found that the earliest volumes of the Journal addressed movements and concerns within public mental health and concluded that the ‘Journal had played a unique and crucial role in the progress of public mental health’. 8 The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), USA in 1991 identified and listed ‘Mental Health and Mental Disorders’ as one of the eight priority areas for health promotion for the year 2000. 9 Across the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom, the situation is more equivocal.…”

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confidence: 99%

Public mental health: An evolving imperative

Desai

2006

Indian J Psychiatry

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Public health aspects of mental health: the last 75 years of the American Journal of Public Health.

Cited by 5 publications

References 127 publications

Addiction, Community and State: A Review

Addiction, Community and State: A Review

Psychiatric journals and the evolution of psychological medicine

Public mental health: An evolving imperative

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