The last four decades have seen unprecedented progress in the science of mental illness, yet we have seen little progress in outcomes. At a population level, morbidity and mortality are increasing, not decreasing, for those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe mood and anxiety disorders and other mental health and substance misuse conditions. How to explain this gap between science and social impact?

This dialogue with the Blaine County community will address the crisis of care, with five major problems contributing: capacity, engagement, quality, accountability, and equity. Remarkably, while there is no magic bullet (or molecular target), there are solutions for each of these problems. Technology will help. But we need high touch as well as high tech. Most of all, we need to shift our model from a narrow medical “sick care” approach to a broader recovery “health and well-being” approach, by addressing the 3 P’s: people, place, and purpose. The challenges of mental illness and addiction have medical elements, but the solutions will need to include social, environmental, and political efforts if we are to bend the curves for morbidity and mortality.

Presented in partnership with the Blaine County’s Mental Well-Being Initiative and moderated by the chair of the Initiative, Tyler Norris, MDiv.  This program will be livestreamed and available to watch later. Click here to watch online.

Tom lnsel, M.D., a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, has been a national leader in mental health research, policy, and technology.  From 2002-2015, Dr. Insel served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). More recently, he led the Mental Health Team at Verily (2015-2017) and since 2017 has co-founded four mental health start-ups (Mindstrong Health, Humanest Care, NeuraWell Therapeutics, Vanna Health). He currently serves on the boards of Fountain House and the Peterson Health Technology Institute as well as being an advisor to several mental health start-ups. He is the author of Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health (Penguin Random House, 2022).  Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards including honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe.