Study: Mental Illness Costs U.S. Billions in Lost Earnings

Mental illness costs the United States an estimated $193 billion yearly in lost earnings, according to a new study examining the consequences of mental disorders.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), found that lost earning potential in workers with mental illnesses accounts for a large part of the financial burden the illnesses create – more so than obvious expenses such as medications, hospitalizations and clinic visits.

The study used data from a 2002 survey of 4,982 Americans ages 18-64 to calculate lost earnings among sufferers of serious mental illness, a broad category including mood and anxiety disorders that impair the ability to function and mental disorders associated with suicidal or violent behavior.

Of the 86 percent of survey respondents who reported earning income, those with serious mental illness averaged $22,545 in yearly wages, compared with healthy workers’ average income of $38,852. Men with serious mental illnesses took a more significant financial hit than women.

Researchers estimated the $193 billion annual cost by extrapolating the survey results to the general population.

The survey did not evaluate people who were hospitalized, incarcerated or affected by autism or schizophrenia, and researchers warn that actual costs could be higher than the estimate.

[ via Megan Sowder-Staley, CQ HealthBeat News ]