Mental Health Research Findings

About one in four adults in the United States suffers from a mental disorder in a given year, with about 6 percent suffering from a serious mental illness. These problems typically take a toll on overall health. For example, patients diagnosed with a serious mental disorder die 25 years earlier than the general population. Related behavioral issues such as substance abuse or domestic violence also remain persistent problems. For example, nearly onethird of U.S. adults suffer from some type of mental illness or substance abuse. In addition, an estimated 1.3 million women are physically abused by their intimate partners each year and about 1 million abused children are identified each year. Care costs for these problems are significant. Mental disorders were one of the five most costly conditions in the United States in 2006, with care expenditures rising from $35.2 billion in 1996 to 57.5 billion in 2006. Treatment settings are also changing. For example, a growing number of children and adults are being diagnosed and treated for mental illness by primary care clinicians. Also, use of telepsychiatry and new medications are extending the reach and type of treatment available. Mental Health Research Findings P R O G R A M B R I E F