About the American Mental Health Foundation

Since October 1924 (the October 27, 1924, issue of Time magazine hailed Sigmund Freud on its cover that very month: Time itself was started in 1923 by philanthropist Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, at first to be named “Fact” magazine), The American Mental Health Foundation (AMHF) has endeavored to advocate for and to advance mental health and well-being in society. As a research organization, it is dedicated to the welfare of people suffering from emotional problems and mental illness, with a particular concern for individuals of all ages with special needs as well as elders. The Foundation advocates improving the quality of treatment, developing more effective methods of research, and making professional treatment available to lower-wage individuals. To this end, AMHF conducts research, organizes educational seminars and Webinars (for CEU with APT, NASW, and NBCC), and publishes books. (For other important books available free on this site, also see Publications and scroll down. Purchase of any AMHF title supports the mission of The American Mental Health Foundation. Thank you!) From the founders’ Mission Statement…

The object of this Association is to promote, advance, promulgate, perform or carry out, enter into, cultivate, establish and organize scientific research and studies in the field of mental health, psychology, psychoanalysis and related domains; and to organize work groups and seminars for staff members to engage in other educational work. In late 2012, the following was added: Given the dearth of analyses in the area of predictive psychiatric behavior among youth, The American Mental Health Foundation has established as its principal research and programming goal over the next two years the support of important and necessary studies in the area of early detection and prevention of schizophrenia and related later-life psychoses among at-risk young people, publishing these findings under the imprint of American Mental Health Foundation Books.

AMHF further extended its advocacy, in mid-2016, with completion and publication of its 2-year research project with Astor Services

Stefan DeSchill

Dr. Stefan de Schill, long-time AMHF Director of Research, photographed in Vienna circa 1938

“There are three basic factors in daily existence that are utterly incomprehensible to us: time, because it is eternal; space, because it is infinite; and our consciousness, because it defies all explanation.” -Dr. Stefan de Schill, whose life and work are celebrated in 2017, the 100th anniversary year of his birth

  • At least fifty percent of all people seeking medical treatment are suffering from emotional disturbances, but only three cents of every medical dollar is spent on emotional illness.
  • “The anxiety and problems other people suffer when caught up in a major crisis, we have to face day by day.”—a patient
  • Twenty-seven million Americans will be victims of emotional breakdown and spend at least part of their lives in an institution.
  • Less than two percent of those suffering from deep-rooted emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, and phobias will ever obtain competent professional help bringing about lasting results.

2017 AMHF Board of Directors and Executives

2017 AMHF Professional Advisory Board

To learn more about the history of AMHF, click here.