Societal & Caregiver Costs of Schizophrenia & Related Disorders

The societal cost of schizophrenia is staggering—and until now, largely invisible at the state level where policy decisions are made.

While cost-of-illness studies are not new, this analysis is the first to provide state-by-state estimates that fully account for how schizophrenia-related costs shift across healthcare, homelessness, criminal justice, and social services systems. The costs do not disappear—they shift into the most expensive and least effective public services or are the burden of individuals and families.

Using updated post-pandemic data and a cross-sector methodology, the study shows not only the size of the burden, but where it actually lands and how targeted investment in care could change that distribution—making this a fundamentally different, policy-relevant tool for action.