Mental disorders are disorders of...(ers obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) ...)

Over the life span, the majority of the population in the EU will suffer a mental disorder at least once in their lifetime, and there are indications that mental disorders are on the rise. For instance, over the past decades there has been a steep increase in the risk for depression, especially among women. The reasons for this development is up to now poorly understood, but seems to be most likely linked to socioeconomic changes of modern life in industrialized regions.

Unlike to somatic diseases, such as diabetes and cancer, the vast majority of people affected by mental disorders remain unrecognized and untreated by the health care system. The large degree of unmet needs of patients with mental disorders represents a global problem. The vast majority of disorders of the brain remain untreated, particularly in adolescents and young adults, Wittchen said. Typically, treatment starts late after many years of illness when severe complications are present. But even among those treated rarely appropriate treatment is provided. As an effect of early onset, high prevalence, persistence, associated disability and low treatment rates, the resulting disability is tremendously high.

Health Economic Costs

Mental disorders rank as number one in terms of direct and indirect health economic costs, with a total estimated cost of Euro 294.719 billion. The vast majority of cost is not due to treatment costs, but rather due to indirect costs, which marks the loss of productivity as a consequence of disease (e.g. disability, premature death or retirement). For mental disorders extremely high indirect costs and relatively low direct costs contrast high direct costs typical for somatic disease. For instance, pharmaceutical costs account for only 3% of total costs for
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