title: The unconscionable gap between what we know and what we do.
abstract: Mental disorders have high aggregate prevalence, are responsible globally for nearly a quarter of all years lived with disability, and represent the largest cause of lost economic output among all classes of noncommunicable disease worldwide. Cost-effective treatments, including both generic drugs and brief, manualized cognitive therapies are available to address this burden. Nonetheless, treatment of mental disorders remains a low priority worldwide-disproportionately so in low- and middle-income countries. Here, I focus on possible reasons for the failure of policy-makers to respond effectively, and I suggest corrective approaches.
authors.affiliation: Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. E-mail: seh@harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hyman
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*