Scope of the Problem

Mental disturbance are a huge public health problem.It has been estimated that 1 of every 10 Americans now needs some from treatment for mental health problem.In large urban areas,1 out 5 people suffer from serious emotional problem.Moreover,mental illness affects teenagers as often as adults.An estimated 10 million people under the age of 18 have mental disorders.At least 1.4 million in this age group suffer
from problems serious enough to need professional care. Many social program have underlying psychological problems as the cause.These include such widespread and destructive problems as  delinquency,divorce, alcoholism,drug,abuse,crime,even accidents.The economic cost of mental illness to the nation is conservatively estimated at $40 billion a year. More important than these figures,though,is the personal cost of mental illness.