Mental Problems, Witches and Psychiatric Solutions 22% of American Adults Affected by Mental Disorders By Alexander Green A news release from Prestonpans, Scotland recently caught my eye. The Associated Press reports that 81 locals in this Scottish township were publicly executed in the 16th and 17th centuries. Now they were all being pardoned. Their crime? They were all accused and found guilty of being witches. Although the last execution for witchcraft in Scotland was 1727, the Prestonpans region recorded particularly large numbers. Although they were hardly alone. More than 3,500 Scots, mostly women and children, were killed in witch hunts during a period of hysteria and religious ferment. Some were condemned on such incontrovertible evidence as "owning a black cat" or "brewing homemade remedies." Many, however, were simply mentally ill. Fortunately, we have a more enlightened view of mental illness today. Over the past two decades, demand for health services to treat depression and other mental illnesses has risen sharply as Americans become familiar with symptoms and comfortable with seeking help. Today people understand that mental disorders are a fact of life. And treating them has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) estimates that all types of mental disorders - from severe to mild - affect 22% of the adult population. And, over the last decade, it's become much more common for those afflicted to ask for help. That's been beneficial for shareholders of Psychiatric Solutions (Nasdaq: PSYS). Based in Tennessee, Psychiatric Solutions caters to the growing demand for inpatient medical care for mental illness. The company owns and operates 34 freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities with more than 4,000 beds. (It also manages 48 psychiatric units within medical/surgical hospitals owned by others.) Both sales and earnings are accelerating sharply. Last year revenues jumped 71% to $487.2 million. And net income nearly quadrupled, rising from $4.4 million to $16.1 million. ..... Alexander Green, Oxford Club For more information, visit: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/INT/WINTF318/home.cfm Copyright - 2005 The Oxford Club All Rights Reserved The Oxford Club | 105 West Monument Street | Baltimore, MD 21201