title: [How many people in Germany are seriously mentally ill?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Severe and chronic mental illness (SMI) is associated with complex care needs. Mental health care planning requires exact estimates of the number of SMI patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic search for conceptual and epidemiological work on SMI prevalence (age group 18 - 65 years) in Medline, Embase and PsycInfo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To date there is no international consensus on the definition of severe mental illness, however, there are a number of international studies allowing an estimate for Germany. The number of those affected with a severe mental illness based on the present findings is estimated at 1% to 2% of adults between 18 and 65 years. This means, that in Germany, about 500,000 to 1 million people are in need for complex mental health care interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The numbers estimated may serve as a first orientation in the field. Further research on SMI prevalence is urgently needed in order to inform a more precise mental health care planning process for people with SMI in Germany.
authors.affiliation: Universität Leipzig, Institut für Sozialmedizin, Arbeitsmedizin und Public Health.
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gühne
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie II der Universität Ulm, Bezirkskrankenhaus Günzburg.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim/Universität Heidelberg.
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Salize
authors.affiliation: Universität Leipzig, Institut für Sozialmedizin, Arbeitsmedizin und Public Health.
authors.forename: Steffi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*