A JAMA Psychiatry analysis estimates schizophrenia costs the U.S. $366.8B in 2024, with nearly 80% of costs driven by indirect, cross-system impacts.
ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, January 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A new economic analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry estimates that schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including schizophrenia and related conditions, cost the United States $366.8 billion in 2024, with impacts extending far beyond medical care into public programs and other systems.
The study estimates that 3,070,739 U.S. adults (1.17%) were living with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in 2024 across all settings, including independent households, supportive housing, long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, unhoused settings, and prisons and jails.
“Schizophrenia’s economic burden does not sit in one place. It shows up across healthcare, public programs, housing instability, and lost economic participation,” said Holly B. Krasa, M.S., lead author of the study. “Behind every dollar figure is a person living with a serious medical condition and a family trying to navigate fragmented systems, often without coordinated support.”
A Cross-System View of Costs
The study tracks costs across multiple systems tied to state and federal budgets, including emergency and inpatient care, housing instability, disability and income support, justice system involvement, unemployment, and premature mortality. Many costs shift between individuals and public agencies rather than disappearing altogether.
Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, Co-Chair of the Mental Health Caucus, welcomed the analysis as a timely contribution to ongoing legislative discussions.
“Too often, the real costs of serious mental illness are hidden in plain sight,” said Congresswoman Salinas. “This kind of data helps policymakers understand where systems are failing families—and where targeted investment can reduce long-term costs while improving lives.”
Key Findings (U.S., 2024):
Total societal cost: $366.8 billion.
Estimated adults living with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: 3,070,739 (1.17%).
Per-person cost (national): $119,436.
Approximately 80% of total costs are indirect, including unemployment, premature mortality, and other downstream impacts that largely fall outside the healthcare system.
Unlike many prior studies that report a single national figure, this analysis provides estimates for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with substantial variation in per-person costs reflecting differences in population size, wages, cost of living, and interactions with local systems of care.
The study builds on the Alliance’s earlier Societal Costs of Schizophrenia in 2020 work and updates estimates to 2024 while adding state-level results designed to support planning by agencies, budget offices, and payers.
Implications for Policy and Public Systems
The findings come as policymakers debate behavioral health funding, parity enforcement, Medicaid reform, and the role of states in addressing serious mental illness.
“My parents missed out on many of the best years of their lives pouring time, energy, love, lost work hours, and money into fractured systems that were not prepared to meet needs tied to my diagnosis of schizophrenia,” said Eric Smith, Member of S&PAA Board of Directors. “For my family and many others, the costs of schizophrenia are unforgivingly steep. Parents and caregivers should not be forced to serve as untrained, unpaid stand-ins for a system that must do better. We need policies and care models built on collaboration, competence, and compassion — for the benefit of everyone.”
The Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance — a national nonprofit dedicated to eliminating the stigma surrounding schizophrenia and psychosis while driving systemic change in research, policy, and care — calls on federal and state leaders to use these findings to guide cross-system reforms, including expanding access to evidence-based treatment; strengthening community capacity through crisis response, outpatient services, supportive housing, and caregiver supports; improving coordination across healthcare, housing, and justice systems; and ensuring sustained federal research funding for schizophrenia and psychosis.
To learn more, visit the Alliance’s Insight Initiative on the Societal Costs of Schizophrenia.
About the Study
The analysis, “National and State Societal Costs of Schizophrenia in the US in 2024,” is a prevalence-based cost-of-illness model combining data from published literature, government reports, and analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), with results adjusted to 2024 U.S. dollars. The study was conducted in collaboration by researchers at the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, Blue Persimmon Group, and Precision AQ.
Citation:
Krasa HB, Baumgardner JR, Brewer IP, Chou JW, Flottemesch T, Markowitz JT, Williams C, Nagendra A. National and State Societal Costs of Schizophrenia in the US in 2024. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online January 28, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.4383.
Erica Tingler
Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance
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The Cost of Neglect: Schizophrenia in the United States – What does schizophrenia really cost America—and where do those costs land?
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