Reducing the Costs of Untreated Mental Illness in Illinois, While Improving Care

April 13, 2005 Reducing the Costs of Untreated Mental Illness in Illinois, While Improving Care Severe mental illnesses are extremely common; they have an impact on almost every family in Illinois. They affect people from every background and occur at any age. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 7.7 percent of adults in Illinois had a severe mental illness in the past year. This translates into approximately 950,000 citizens of Illinois. Approximately 240,000 of those affected are children and adolescents. Nationally, the estimate for severe mental illness is 8.76 percent of . . .