marientina

This just in:

Over 27% of adults in the EU suffer from some form of mental illness every year. Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common mental problems experienced, and studies have estimated that by 2020, depression will be the highest ranking cause of disease in the developed world. In terms of economic impact, mental ill health costs the EU 3-4% of its GDP through lost productivity and additional burdens on sectors such as health, education and justice.

http://www.welcomeurope.com/default.asp?id=1300&idnews=2373

From 2001:

Mental Disorders in America (NIMH study)

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.1 When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people.2 In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders—major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.3 Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

At the same time, the definition of 'mental illness' is not quite pinned down. On the Thalassemia board that I moderate, patients are often prescribed Prozac instead of real treatment of their anemia which is actually causing the depression. Our medical system is suffering from seeing the tree but not the whole forest. That makes me depressed and it makes me wonder about appropriate funding sources for my project.