Mental health problems and illnesses will continue to increase, costing the economy trillions of dollars over the next several decades.

This article is about mental health. More specifically, it is about how to attain and how to retain good mental health. Since the beginning of the 21st century, reports on the epidemiology of health in the world (WHO), the United States (NIMH, CDC, and the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health), and Canada (MHCC) indicate that mental health is the number one public health concern of this century. If unaddressed, mental health problems and illnesses will continue to increase, costing the economy trillions of dollars over the next several decades. Aside from the cost to our economy, the cost of mental health problems and illnesses include damaged lives and relationships. Given the far reach of its impact, mental health is an issue that affects everyone. As such, finding solutions is a concern for everyone.

Unfortunately, these same reports indicate that we are poorly prepared to deal with the current mental health crisis, let alone what will be developing in the foreseeable future. Inadequate human and financial resources need to be addressed. The estimated ten-year delay between incorporating new research findings into existing mental health treatment programs contributes to less than adequate treatment for those who need help. Delivering mental health care to where it is needed presents a major challenge. Lack of education about mental health results in prejudice and poor treatment of those suffering mental health issues. Likewise, lack of education about mental health poses an obstacle to people seeking out treatment or programs that can assist them in recovery or improving their resiliency. What is most needed is the development of cost-effective treatment protocols that are efficacious and facilitate recovery or increase resiliency in a timely fashion.

Fortunately, advanced behavioral science is revealing a number of factors that may hold the key to addressing what may seem to be an overwhelming public health problem. Along with many of the technological advances that have been developed during the last few decades, we now have the opportunity to develop new and innovative programs that will be able to address mental health concerns efficiently and affordably. This article will discuss several of these factors as well as the technology that is immediately available for addressing mental health struggles and illnesses. This article will also present a new product, Health Masters, which is at the forefront of integrating new technology with mental health strategies with demonstrated efficacy.

Read our next blog about MENTAL HEALTH & Its Economic, Societal, and Individual Costs.