Mental Illness Costs The U.S. Economy $282 Billion Every Year

Mental illness costs the United States economy $282 billion every year, about 30% more than the previous estimate of $217 billion. This new estimate accounts for the direct costs of treatment at $83 billion and the cost of years of life lost due to suicide at $10 billion, and $189 billion for lower work productivity and adverse economic outcomes associated with mental illness. These adverse economic outcomes include the macroeconomic effects of lower consumption of goods and services, lower investment risk tolerance, savings decisions, and lower tolerance for employment risk or challenging job choices.

For this analysis, “mental illness” was . . .