In the U.S., for example, schizophrenia will affect more than 2 million people a year. Rates of the most severe forms of mental disorders affect close to 3 percent of adults over 18. And despite significant improvements in treatment and care, only about a quarter of all people affected receive help. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set public health goals for the nation through a program called Healthy People 2010. The two overriding goals are to help individuals of all ages increase life expectancy and improve their quality of life; and to eliminate health disparities among minority populations, the poor and Americans living in rural areas. Mental health is one of the 10 key indicators listed.

Following these goals, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation is focusing its programs and support in the U.S. on helping reduce mental health disparities by building health care worker capacity and support services for patients at the community level.

Among efforts being supported is an expanded emphasis on developing model programs that focus on rural areas in the U.S., where mental health resources are limited and the need remains significant. Stigma remains a problem for those affected by the disease and community-based integration of primary and mental health care remains a challenge. Another area of focus is on finding new, more efficient and cost effective ways to transition the significant numbers of schizophrenia patients who may no longer need high levels of intensive outpatient treatment and care in order to better integrate those patients into the community.