WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Mental illness, substance abuse and behavioral problems among children and young adults, costs the United States $247 billion a year in treatment and lost productivity alone, an expert panel said on Friday.
The panel set up by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine which advise U.S. policymakers urged the White House to set prevention goals and coordinate government action to attack the problem.
The panel looked at the financial toll from mental illnesses including depression, anxiety disorders andschizophrenia, as well as drug and alcohol abuse and behavioral problems by people up to age 24.
It concluded that treatment and lost productivity costs alone reached an estimated $247 billion annually. That figure excluded criminal justice and education, workplace disruption and social welfare spending which would certainly add many billions more to the price tag.
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