ABSTRACT
The impact of mental illness on the cost of health care and productivity has been largely underestimated. Mental illness affects about one in five adults or about 22.1% of Americans age 18 and older (Reiger et al., 1993). In 1998, these prevalence rates translated into about 44.3 million people in the U.S. (National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 2001). Of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S., 4 of these disabilities are mental disorders: major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia (Murray & Lopez, 1996). Psychiatric illness programs have not traditionally used life care planners. However, life care planning for mental illness can be considered an untapped market since the disease is lifelong and requires reasonably predictable care (Hilligoss, 2003). The prediction of expected care can be summarized in a life care plan (Weed, 1999; Weed & Field, 2001). In order to provide an accurate life care plan, it is important to consider the complexity of mental illness, including symptoms, treatment, and impact on functioning. The following sections will provide an overview of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. At the end of the chapter, implications for life care planning will be considered, including a checklist to help create the life care plan and an example of a life care plan for individuals with schizophrenia.
