Study: Mental Illness Is As Much Of A Global Threat As Infectious Diseases [NPR.org]

Research shows that depression and anxiety cost the world economy $1 trillion every year. Steve Inskeep talks to Dr. Shekhar Saxena of the World Health Organization about efforts to improve treatment.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The World Health Organization is expanding its ambition. The U.N. organization is best known for responding to outbreaks of Ebola or the Zika virus. Now it wants to focus on problems that grab fewer headlines but that are much more widespread - depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness. We're going to talk about this with Dr. Shekhar Saxena, who oversees the WHO's efforts on mental health and substance abuse. Welcome to the program, sir.

SHEKHAR SAXENA: Good morning, Steve, and thank you for getting me on the program.

INSKEEP: What makes mental illness a global threat?

SAXENA: Many things. But to begin with, mental illnesses are common in every country - rich or poor - and they cause a lot of debt and a lot of disability. That's what makes it important.