American Mindsets

American Mindset

Mental illness, mental retardation, and addiction are three of the most debated topics in the American society. Estimates of schizophrenia in the population range from 0.6% to 3%, about 0.3% for affective psychosis, between 8.0% and 15.0% for neurosis, and about 7% for personality disorder. The total of these conditions ranges from 16% to 25% prevalence in the U.S. population.

Public attention has always been important in mental illness. State mental health care is one of the costliest items in any state budget, and frequently a major political issue as well. Federal mental health programs beginning in the 1960s ...