The Need

The Numbers Behind The Need:

• 44 million US adults suffer from mental illness⁽¹⁾
• 60% of those with mental illness don’t receive treatment⁽¹⁾
• 23 million Americans suffer from addiction⁽¹⁾
• 88% of Americans with addiction are not treated⁽¹⁾
• 50% of people suffering from addiction have a co-occurring mental illness⁽¹⁾
• Less than a third of people with depression receive treatment⁽²⁾
• The economic cost of untreated mental illness is > $100 billion annually in the US⁽⁴⁾
• 4,000 locations in the US are defined as mental health professional shortage areas, with a ratio of population to mental health professionals that is greater than 6,000:1⁽⁵⁾
• Suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death in the US, with 44,000 annual deaths⁽⁶⁾
• Suicide is the 2^nd leading cause of death in the US for people ages 15-24⁽⁶⁾

Treatment Works: Up to 90% of people with mental illness have significant improvement and decreased symptoms with effective treatment⁽⁷⁾

• ⁽¹⁾ Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Services Administration
• ⁽²⁾ Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine
• ⁽³⁾ Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
• ⁽⁴⁾ Health Resources and Services Administration
• ⁽⁵⁾ Centers for Disease Control
• ⁽⁶⁾ National Institutes of Health
• ⁽⁷⁾ National Alliance on Mental Illness