There is a growing awareness and concern among the community about mental health matters. The national health promotion strategy 2000-05, in conjunction with the new health strategy, Quality and Fairness, sees mental health as being equally as important as physical health in the overall wellbeing of a person. Increasingly, mental health is being recognised as a major challenge facing health services in the 21st century. My Department recognises the need for positive mental health promotion. Mental health promotion is a broad concept as it emphasises the promotion of the psychological health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. It is a key task of the health services, not just to treat mental illness but, more importantly and using the principles of health promotion, also to try to improve the mental health of the population.