Much of the cost of mental illness to our economy is due to lost wages and productivity. Howeve, most of the money spent is for medication and treatment.Sixty percent of those with mental illness want to work and would be successful if given the proper support. Job support and training programs on the average cost $4,000 per year and reduce the overall cost of treatment of mental illness according to a new study highlighted in a recent USA Today article. As important is the non-economic contribution it makes to a person's dignity and personal recovery as commented upon by Mary Gilberti, the executive director of NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Funding sources need to be found to address this important problem.
People with competitive jobs have higher quality of life and lower health care costs studies have shown.
