Two recent national reports offer powerful, complementary insights into the economic and social impact of mental health conditions and services in the United States. Together, they demonstrate both the high cost of untreated serious mental illness and the measurable value of investing in effective care.

Click on the image to go to S&PAA’s website for the details on the total annual costs of schizophrenia in the US.

The first, National and State Societal Costs of Schizophrenia, produced by the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance (S&PAA), examines the full economic burden of schizophrenia in 2024. The report estimates that schizophrenia costs the U.S. approximately $366.8 billion annually, reflecting not only direct healthcare expenses, but also lost productivity, disability supports, criminal justice involvement, caregiver burden, and reduced quality and length of life. Importantly, most of these costs occur outside traditional medical settings, highlighting how untreated or under-treated serious mental illness affects families, employers, and public systems nationwide.

The second report, from the Sorenson Impact Institute, presents a social and economic impact monetization framework for mental health and substance use services. Developed in partnership with academic and clinical institutions, the framework provides a method for translating patient outcomes into concrete economic value. It demonstrates how improved treatment access and continuity can reduce emergency department use, hospitalizations, justice-system involvement, and social service dependence—producing measurable savings and long-term community benefits.

Click on the image to go to the report. Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) engaged Sorenson Impact Institute (SII) and CTSI Health Economics Core at the University of Utah (HEC) to develop this report.

Together, these reports illuminate both sides of the equation: the enormous societal cost of inaction and the tangible return on investment of high-quality care. The S&PAA study defines the scale of the challenge, while the Sorenson framework shows how strategic interventions can generate economic and social value.

For the U.S. economy, these findings reinforce that mental health is not only a public health issue, but a major economic one. Investing in effective treatment supports workforce participation, reduces public spending, and strengthens community stability.

For mental health researchers, the reports offer critical tools and context. They underscore the importance of integrating economic evaluation into clinical research and provide methodologies for demonstrating real-world impact—strengthening the case for sustained funding, policy support, and innovation in mental health care.