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At least thirty percent (30%) of the nation's adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Twenty percent (20%) of children show signs of a diagnostic disorder in the course of a year. By the year 2020 neuropsychiatric disorders for children will increase by fifty percent (50%) and become one of the five most common forms of disability. We continue to lack adequate knowledge and information regarding the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. Many people suffer from mental health problems that do not meet the criteria for a mental disorder.

About one in five Americans experiences a mental disorder in the course of a year. Approximately fifteen percent (15%) of all adults who have a mental disorder in one year also experience a co-occurring substances (alcohol or other drug) use disorder, which complicates treatment.

Lower socioeconomic status—in terms of income, education, and occupation—has been strongly linked to mental illness. It has been known for decades that people in the lowest socioeconomic strata are about two and a half (2.5) times more likely than those in the highest strata to have a mental disorder (Holzer et al.,1986 Reiglier et al., 1993b). The reasons for the association between lower socioeconomic status and mental illness are not well understood. It may be that a combination of greater stress in the lives of poor and greater vulnerability to a variety of stressors leads to some mental disorders, such as depression. Poor women, for example, experience more frequent, threatening, and uncontrollable life events than do members of the population at large (Bella, 1990). It also may be that the impairments associated with mental disorders lead to lower socioeconomic status (McLeod & Kessler, 1990; Dohrenwend, 1992; Regier et al., 1993b).

As the life expectancy of Americans continues to extend, the sheer number—although not necessarily the proportion—of persons experiencing mental...