According to a 2008 study by the American Journal of Psychiatry, serious mental conditions in the United States were associated with more than $190 billion in lost personal earnings, most of it due to lost productivity in the workplace. However, the burden of mental illness on health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated. Data developed by the massive Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University, reveal that mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease. This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older – about one in four adults - suffer from a diagnosable mental health condition in a given year. In addition, mental health issues are the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada for ages 15-44 and nearly half of those with a mental illness meet the criteria for two or more disorders.
Policymakers can make a difference in helping to alleviate many of the problems that result from insufficient treatment. These problems should be addressed for economic reasons as well as the more obvious social concerns. Increases in treatment do not necessarily coincide with proportional increases in costs. In fact, the rate of people receiving treatment for depression is increasing at a much more rapid rate than the economic burden of the disorder to society.
Women In Government Actions
Women In Government has a long history of providing female state legislators with important policy information on issues related to mental health. In September 2004, Women In Government held a half-day legislative training session in conjunction with our 11th Annual Midwestern Regional Conference focused solely on mental health issues. In June 2005, Women In Government addressed mental health policy at the Outreach to Vulnerable Constituents: Legislative Training Sessions Conference.
In 2008 Women In Government held its first Mental Health Task Force, which brought together women legislators from across the country to develop policy recommendations for state legislators. This task force was reconvened in May of 2009 in National Harbor, Maryland. To view the 2009 policy recommendations, click here.
In 2010 Women In Government released a toolkit to aide policymakers. To view the toolkit, click here.
Conference Materials
2009 Mental Health Task Force Policy Recommendations
Presentations from the "Second Annual Mental Health Task Force" held in May 2009
Legislation
Arizona Senate Bill 1312
Overview: Arizona SB 1312 creates the Perinatal Mood Disorder Study Committee.
Connecticut House Bill 5958
Overview: Connecticut HB 5958 prevents discrimination on the basis of psychiatric disability by state contractors.
Connecticut Senate Bill 754
Overview: Connecticut SB 754 makes technical changes to the statutes regarding persons with psychiatric disabilities and persons with substance use disorders to reflect the dignity and respect due to persons with psychiatric disabilities, substance use disorders, or both.
Illinois House Resolution 267
Overview: Illinois HR 267 urges the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide health benefits programs that pay for services from local mental health providers and to educate mental health providers on post-traumatic stress disorders.
Resources
