Why Medical Research?

No gene has ever been linked to mental illness. In fact what causes mental illness continues to be a scientific mystery. The nucleus of our well-being is grounded in quality medical research and few other kinds of research carries the same stigma as those devoted to neurologic and mental health diseases. Massachusetts is blessed with several world-renowned medical research facilities focused on understanding and ultimately curing neurologic and mental health diseases.

How Big the Problem Is

The statistics speak for themselves. The National Institute of Health reports that: “An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about one in four adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.  Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders…”

Note: In the U.S., mental disorders are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV).

The Rappaport Foundation is passionate in its belief that it is imperative to focus resources into the root causes of and potential treatments for diseases that wipe out the potential of so many, so often and so needlessly. Visit our partner pages in this section of the website for more information on how the Rappaport Foundation is working towards finding a cure for neurologic and mental health illnesses.