Mental Illness Costs U.S. Billions in Lost Earnings

[actsnoblemartin]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080508/hl_hsn/mentalillnesscostsusbillionsinlostearnings

THURSDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Serious mental illness costs Americans at least $193 billion a year in lost earnings alone, a new report shows.

The study broadly defines mood and anxiety disorders that greatly limit a person's ability to function for at least 30 days a year, including instances of any condition linked to suicidal behaviors or frequent violent acts, as serious mental illness (SMI).

"Lost earning potential, costs associated with treating coexisting conditions, Social Security payments, homelessness and incarceration are just some of the indirect costs associated with mental illnesses that have been difficult to quantify," Dr. Thomas R. Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said in a prepared statement. "This study shows us that just one source of these indirect costs is staggeringly high."

[gabosaurus]

You people hear this? You are costly the country money!! :laugh2:

Now, who wants to volunteer to go collect redstatesrule's share? :p

[midcan5]

You people hear this? You are costly the country money!! :laugh2:

Now, who wants to volunteer to go collect redstatesrule's share? :p

Add Pale Rider to that list.

Seriously, though how does anyone calculate these things? People at work often do nothing or work poorly, some slowly, some incompetent, some lazy, so using my personal whatchamacallit study, a genuine fool proof way to determine loss wages and profits, a gazillion dollars is wasted in just 333.45 days. When you add to that excessive and ridiculous executive pay and time spent posting online during work hours the gazillion dollar figure doubles. Solutions welcome.

[PostmodernProphet]

I thought this was a thread about Congress....