June 1, 2004 -- A World Health Organization study released Tuesday shows that rates of most mental illness are far higher in the U.S. than in any other country in the world.

At the same time, the study indicates that money used to treat mental health problems in the U.S. and abroad is not being spent in the most effective way possible.

Overall, the survey of more than 60,000 adults in 14 countries showed a 27% rate of mental disorders in the U.S. population for a list of diseases. That list includes: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. The U.S. rate was substantially higher than that of any other country measured, including other industrialized nations such as Belgium, which showed a 12% illness rate.

Ukraine had the second highest overall rate of mental illness at 21%. Its 6.4% rate of substance abuse, including alcoholism, was the world's highest and the only measure to exceed U.S. mental illness figures, according to the study, published in today's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.