LONDON — A new study estimates that about 62 percent of
Europeans, or 295 million people, have some type of mental
illness The most alarming fact is that 80% of Europeans go
untreated. The shocking part is that the mental illness’ wide-
ranging impact goes beyond the individual. Mental illnesses
cause a huge economic and social burden — measured in the
hundreds of billions of euros — as sufferers become too unwell
to work and personal relationships break down. “Mental disorders
have become Europe’s largest health challenge of the 21st
century,” the study’s authors said. Researchers analyzed data
from more than 600 million people in 30 countries in the
European Union plus Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. The experts
surveyed more than 90 different problems, from attention deficit
disorders in children to dementia in Alzheimer’s patients. Rates
of mental disorders didn’t appear to be rising, compared to a
similar study in 2005. The most common problems included anxiety
disorders, insomnia, depression, alcohol an