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By James D. Cowart, Ph.D.
The November 2000 issue of TEN: the Economics of Neuroscience was sent to all professional members of the Anxiety Disorder Association of America. Most of the journal was devoted to information about anxiety disorders. On page 21, a table appeared that summarized incidence and costs. Highlights from the table are that these disorders affect 13.3% of the adult population each year and result in total annual costs of 46.6 billion dollars. This percentage represents the largest percentage for any mental health problem. The costs in human potential and in dollars are enormous. Yet, most individuals with anxiety disorders do not get the benefit of the treatments that have been shown to be effective. Current research shows that the most effective treatments are cognitive behavioral therapy and certain classes of psychotropic medications, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and benzodiazepines. It is very disturbing that so many individuals suffer with these disorders, while as a society we "choose" not to provide the proper treatments.
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