The Business Case for Mental Health Equity

More than 47 million Americans experience mental illness each year, and more than 9.2 million suffer from mental health and substance use disorders. More than 60% of adults with mental illness and 81% of those with substance use disorders do not receive treatment. As the human and financial costs from our nation's mental health and substance use disorders crisis escalate, a strong business case to better address this crisis has emerged. This article describes the root causes and cost of disparities and offers an innovative perspective on aligning stakeholders to make the business case for equity in treatment and outcomes.