The Concealed Costs of Mental Illness, How to Uncover and Eradicate Them
Katherine Gallagher
Behavioral Economics
Professor Schulz
December 7, 2015

1
In the United States, almost every one in two people will suffer from depression,
anxiety disorders or another mental ailment at some point in their life (Scientific
American). Mental health is a global issue that is costly for all countries, not just the
U.S. Mental health has no prejudices; it affects people of every race, ethnicity, religion,
age and socioeconomic status. Some people however are more prone to the illness than
others. There is no argument that mental illness has a profound affect on the economy. It
is a problem that must be addressed using some form of intervention. There are many
different practices taking place around the world in an attempt to reduce the direct and
indirect costs of mental illness. The best course of action, however, is yet to be
determined.
The scale of the costs created by mental health issues is astounding. “It accounts
for over