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"As the U.S. population undergoes continuous shifts the population's health profile changes dynamically resulting in more or less expression of certain psychiatric disorders and utilization of health-care resources. In this paper, we analyze national data on the psychiatric morbidity of American patients and their summated cost in different age groups. Methods: The latest data (2009) on the number of hospital discharges and national bill (hospital charges) linked with psychiatric disorders were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). Results: National data shows that mood disorders are the largest diagnostic category in terms of percentage of psychiatri-crelated discharges in the 1 - 17 years age group. The proportion decreases gradually as age progresses while delirium, dementia, amnestic and other cognitive disorders increase exponentially after 65 years of age. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders as well as alcohol and substance-related disorders peak in the working age groups (18 - 64 years). From an economic point of view, mood disorders in the 18 - 44 age group has the highest national bill ($5.477 billion) followed by schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders in the same age group ($4.337 billion) and mood disorders in the 45 - 64 age group ($4.310 billion). On the third place come schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders in the 45 - 64 age group ($3.931 billion). Conclusion: This paper illustrates the high cost of psychiatric care in the U.S., especially the large fraction of healthcare money spent on working-age patients suffering from mood disorders. This underlines psychiatric cost-efficiency as a vital topic in the current healthcare debate. "

The program significantly reduced overall readmission rates at participating hospitals. Patients involved in specific quality improvement initiatives that came out of the program also experienced significantly fewer readmissions, along with associated declines in inpatient days and costs.

By establishing programs to help people recover emotionally after unexpected negative events, hospitals can achieve gains in patient satisfaction and in staff retention.

In a year-long pilot test with 65 residents, the program reduced hospital admissions and readmissions, had no bounce backs to nursing homes, decreased falls, improved nutritional status, and increased levels of physical activity.

Offered at no cost to participants, the program has enhanced access to treatment, employment, and job training; reduced suicide and self-harm attempts, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, incarcerations, and homelessness; and significantly lowered health care and other mental illness-related costs.

The program also connects patients to other community resources and addresses health, social, and logistical barriers to care. The program significantly enhanced access to appropriate care and improved client understanding of their medical condition, resulting in enhanced health functioning and a significant decline in emergency department use and costs for nonemergent conditions.

A husband tells the story of his spouse's sudden onset of severe mental illness, how he supported her through it and about his own coping mechanisms, as well as perspective gained upon reflection