The Cost of Mental Illness

The National Institute of Mental Health just released a study that quantifies the cost of lost productivity due to mental illness at more than $193 billion annually.

A key finding:
Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

The bad news is that suffering from a serious mental problem also affects a person’s ability to work, thus leading to earnings lost for those involved and for the U.S. That was exactly what researchers at the NIMH wanted to underline in their study.