ABSTRACT
Mental illness is a major health concern in the United States. Several groups have undertaken large epidemiological studies in the past two decades to examine the prevalence of mental illness and chemical dependency in the U.S. population. According to the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, 33% of the general population is affected by mental illness, 23% with a non-substance abuse mental disorder. 1 The National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) discovered a lifetime prevalence of any mental illness, including substance abuse disorders, of 48%. 2 Both studies found an almost 30% one-year prevalence rate of any mental disorder.
