Observations and Recommendations

During the past eighteen months the Washington Business Group on Health has been priviledged to observe and participate in a surge of employee mental wellness activity. As the survey in chapter 2 documents, this growth is a phenomenon of the mid-1970s. It reflects primarily the new scrutiny being applied to all health and medical care as a result of cost escalation. It reflects also the change of values evident in the wellness/holistic movement, in reduced stigma associated with emotional problems, and the growing awareness that the performance of health care is tied to the economics of reimbursement. This chapter concludes our exploration of mental health care delivery and the maintenance of mental wellness with a series of observations and recommendations intended to stimulate further thought.