One in five persons experiences a diagnosable mental illness in a given year. Half of all persons will experience a diagnosable mental illness during their lifetime. Mental illness strikes people of all ages, gender, race, and income affecting their well-being, health, and productivity. The World Health Organization has found that mental illness imposes the second highest burden (including direct care, family impact, and lost productivity) of any disease - behind only cardiovascular disease and ahead of cancer.

Policy makers are confronted with a variety of issues as to how to help persons with mental illness. This may come before you in several very demanding ways.

This is one in a series of policy briefs written for the 2009 Policy Leaders Academy Health Care Forum.