"Community Mental Health" in: The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health, edited by Brigham NarinsCommunity mental health is an approach to providing access to professional mental health care in local communities. It includes services offered through public mental health programs, public health departments, community mental health centers, private programs, medical clinics, hospitals, religious organizations, colleges and other educational institutions, and neighborhood centers. Community mental health assessment has evolved into a field of research called psychiatric epidemiology, which determines the prevalence of various mental disorders in specific communities, with the goal of developing appropriate community mental health programs and evaluating their effectiveness.